This lift has loading and unloading in both directions.Drive terminal on the Loon Mountain side.Split tower and unloading from South Peak.Sheave train from above.View back towards the drive.Tower 6.View back towards the Loon side.Arriving at South Peak.Bullwheel with hydraulic tensioning.Return station.Riding back to Loon.Drive station from below.Uni-Star fixed drive.
Why does this lift even exist? They could build connector trails to completely bypass this lift if they wanted to. This lift costed millions and probably costs a lot to run. Are there environmental concerns preventing trails from connecting the two areas?
They use the pond for snowmaking I believe. There is a ton of bear habitat at Loon so maybe they need to protect some of that. The drainage there is not easy to cross and would require a bridge but nothing too crazy.
Trail construction in the steep narrow valley between Loon Peak and South Peak would be expensive. Just to create two narrow trails would likely cost more than the $1.5 million it cost to build the Tote Road Quad.
Little Loon Pond might also be a factor. The USFS might’ve preferred to keep trail development away from Loon Brook. Loon Pond hasn’t been used for snowmaking since before 2007 but it is a municipal water supply.
What is the name of this style of chair. It doesn’t quite look like the Garaventa carriers, and it’s not an EJ carrier either. Is it an alternative (maybe cheaper?) version of the Garaventa carriers?
They are one of the options which was offered by Garaventa. The thing that might be throwing you off is this style of slats. Three slat styles were used with this carrier.
Standard slats:
Seatback cushion:
Two bars (present on this lift):
As far as I know, the style with two bars is only present on quads on this lift and 3 HSQs at solitude/brighton in Utah. It was also present on select six packs. The other two styles (traditional slats and seatback cushion) were far more common. It’s also worth noting that afaik the cushions are just installed over standard slats, so there’s really only two options.
That last two-slat backrest style also shows up on Crescent at Park City and Lady Morgan at Deer Valley, built in 2008 and 2007 respectively. If you look closely those chairs have a different taco and top of the bail than the ones from a few years earlier.
The backrest pads just strap over the same slat-style backrests on a few chairs for resorts that ordered them – unlike the Doppelmayr EJ chairs which use a different backrest design for their padded versions.
Lift Blog 
Why does this lift even exist? They could build connector trails to completely bypass this lift if they wanted to. This lift costed millions and probably costs a lot to run. Are there environmental concerns preventing trails from connecting the two areas?
LikeLike
There’s actually no possible way to cut two connector trails without a lift. Look at the terrain on Google Earth.
LikeLike
It can be done, it depends how much you’re willing to go near Little Loon Pond…
LikeLike
Unless that river is way bigger than I think, it looks possible
red line elevation profile:
blue line elevation profile:
The other user pointed out Little Loon pond as a possible reason, but interestingly there’s already closer existing trails to the pond.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They use the pond for snowmaking I believe. There is a ton of bear habitat at Loon so maybe they need to protect some of that. The drainage there is not easy to cross and would require a bridge but nothing too crazy.
LikeLike
Trail construction in the steep narrow valley between Loon Peak and South Peak would be expensive. Just to create two narrow trails would likely cost more than the $1.5 million it cost to build the Tote Road Quad.
Little Loon Pond might also be a factor. The USFS might’ve preferred to keep trail development away from Loon Brook. Loon Pond hasn’t been used for snowmaking since before 2007 but it is a municipal water supply.
LikeLike
What is the name of this style of chair. It doesn’t quite look like the Garaventa carriers, and it’s not an EJ carrier either. Is it an alternative (maybe cheaper?) version of the Garaventa carriers?
LikeLike
Those are Garaventa carriers.
LikeLike
They are one of the options which was offered by Garaventa. The thing that might be throwing you off is this style of slats. Three slat styles were used with this carrier.
Standard slats:
Seatback cushion:
Two bars (present on this lift):
As far as I know, the style with two bars is only present on quads on this lift and 3 HSQs at solitude/brighton in Utah. It was also present on select six packs. The other two styles (traditional slats and seatback cushion) were far more common. It’s also worth noting that afaik the cushions are just installed over standard slats, so there’s really only two options.
LikeLike
That last two-slat backrest style also shows up on Crescent at Park City and Lady Morgan at Deer Valley, built in 2008 and 2007 respectively. If you look closely those chairs have a different taco and top of the bail than the ones from a few years earlier.
The backrest pads just strap over the same slat-style backrests on a few chairs for resorts that ordered them – unlike the Doppelmayr EJ chairs which use a different backrest design for their padded versions.
LikeLike
They also make appearances on Basin Express at Schweitzer & Jeff Flood Express at Timberline, not exactly uncommon.
LikeLike