In 2018, The Gondola replaced a high speed quad called Zephyr.As of its opening, The Gondola is tied for the highest capacity gondola in the United States at 3,600 passengers per hour.View down at tower 17.Breakover towers and the top station.A Sigma Diamond 10 skis inside cabin.Cabins passing above tower 15.Looking down at T14.Splice tower near the summit.Tower 12.The middle part of the line.View down at T8.Lower terminal overview.Maze and loading area.Side view of the top terminal.Unloading zone at Sunspot.Top terminal plaza.Rear end of the long LPA terminal.When it opened, this lift was the third with a direct drive in North America.All of the brakes act directly on the bullwheel, as do two small electric evacuation drives when in use.View from the porch.If the power goes out, two generators start up automatically and can power the DirectDrive at normal speed.Cabins turning around up top.The top turnaround.Tower 18 and the cabin maintenance facility.There are 75 cabins plus two spares on this lift.View up from the acceleration area at the bottom.A cabin departs the return terminal.Towers 1 and 2.Another look at the tension return station in The Village.Small maintenance rail at the bottom.As many as 6 cabins can load at once.Tower 3.Lift overview.A busy bottom station seen from above.
I saw the CEO of winter park while standing in line at Eskimo. The CEO (Sky Foulkes) said that they will expand it to lunch rock and once they do they will give the lift a real name. Before the make the expansion they have to replace sunny side.
As a matter of fact, Winter Park just announced that Sunnyside will be replaced with a Leitner-POMA high speed six pack lift. Maybe they’ll expand the Gondola next year!
I saw the CEO again (Sky foulkes) and he took me into the maintenance building and then he took me up into the terminal so I could see the direct drive!
I think in the summer they won’t add additional bike carriers I think they will just raise one of of the seats and leave the other seat down so you can bring your bike into the cabin.
On needles your bike goes in a cabin they hold 2 each and you load the cabin behind it and the operators take it out at top and give it to you when you get there. Might be different at other resorts. The deasonbuilt bike trays have more bike capacity depending how long the lift is.
The Evac’s are not hydro static, they are electric.
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I updated the caption. Thanks Brady!
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Why is does the glass not go all the way to the floor?
why no ski racks outside?
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Does anyone know if this lift was designed to be extended to Lunch Rock?
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I don’t know. There was a rumor about it back before it was built, but I doubt it’s happening.
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Judging by the top terminal setup I would think not.
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I saw the CEO of winter park while standing in line at Eskimo. The CEO (Sky Foulkes) said that they will expand it to lunch rock and once they do they will give the lift a real name. Before the make the expansion they have to replace sunny side.
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As a matter of fact, Winter Park just announced that Sunnyside will be replaced with a Leitner-POMA high speed six pack lift. Maybe they’ll expand the Gondola next year!
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I saw the CEO again (Sky foulkes) and he took me into the maintenance building and then he took me up into the terminal so I could see the direct drive!
LikeLike
I think in the summer they won’t add additional bike carriers I think they will just raise one of of the seats and leave the other seat down so you can bring your bike into the cabin.
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On needles your bike goes in a cabin they hold 2 each and you load the cabin behind it and the operators take it out at top and give it to you when you get there. Might be different at other resorts. The deasonbuilt bike trays have more bike capacity depending how long the lift is.
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The plan is after they replace sunnyside they will replace pioneer.
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