Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express – Beaver Creek, CO
Upper section of the lift line.Crossing over a snowmaking reservoir.Flat section before the top.Summit drive station.Chairs parked for maintenance.Doppelmayr Uni-G terminal skin.Doppelmayr Worldbook entry.View from the Lower Beaver Creek Mountain Express.Tower 2.View back down the line into Bachelor Gulch.Riding up towards Strawberry Park.
Agamatic grips arrived in North America around 2003-04. They were developed and used in Italy prior to that, showing up on Agamatic brand lifts around 1996-97. Doppelmayr bought out Agamatic, and eventually brought the grips overseas.
Kinda interesting to see the mish-mash of paint jobs, with the lower terminal being in the more muted maroon of Bachelor Gulch, while there’s a brighter red for the upper terminal. And the two terminals have different font styles for the lift name, consequently.
From the Doppelmayr Worldbook photo, it looks like the chairs on this lift (and its twin the Lower BC Mountain Express) both have chairs with slatted back rests. The EJ carriers that the lift currently has do not have slatted back rests. The chairs from the Worldbook photos look like they could be Garaventa CTEC quad carriers, but I can’t tell for sure.
So, did this lift get new chairs at some point after it opened? I am curious if this is true (or if it was just new back rests or something like that), and why Beaver Creek switched out the carriers.
I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that. It’s the same case with Lower BC Mountain Exp’s worldbook entry. Both lifts appear to have opened with Garaventa model quad chairs. I wonder when they made the switch, and why. Also curious as to where the Garaventa carriers ended up (i.e. if they ended up on another lift and if so where). I think that makes these two lifts the only Uni-Gs to ever open with Garaventa model chairs unless I’m overlooking another.
The lift was originally supplied with Garaventa CTEC “vail” Chairs, BC did not want that style of chair so the chairs were swapped out the next summer and used on other lifts such as the original Wildwood lift at Tamarack Idaho.
What’s funny is I actually prefer the Garaventa chairs. I see though why EJ chairs became more popular, and Doppelmayr USA eventually discontinuing the Garaventa chairs.
A decade later, it’s impressive to think the EJ chair model has lasted since 1985 with pretty much zero changes along the way besides the detachable grips used on the high speed lifts, and the introduction of a six pack variant once high speed six packs came into existence.
I find it funny that these two lifts have non-indicative names, as neither of them are on Beaver Creek Mountain, but are on Bachelor Gulch instead. The lifts that geographically should be the Lower and Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express lifts are the Centennial Express and Cinch Express lifts, respectively.
Agamatic was founded in the early 80s as a joint venture between Hoelzl and Doppelmayr. It was fully folded into Doppelmayr in the early 20s of this century. All the Agamatic lifts I’ve seen in the last years have been fully rebranded to Doppelmayr.
Our friends in Grand Junction definitely put more padding on their chairs than Wolfurt or Ste. Jerome do.
As for style, I’m of the opinion that if the bail isn’t prone to cracking and the components aren’t incredibly difficult to inspect and/or replace, then it’s all good. The EJ and its (slight) variants are very easy to work on and inspect, so they fit this mechanic’s bill nicely.
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Were the grips upgraded at some point? I didn’t think Doppelmayr was already using Agamatic grips.
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Those have been the grips the lift has used from opening day.
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Agamatic grips arrived in North America around 2003-04. They were developed and used in Italy prior to that, showing up on Agamatic brand lifts around 1996-97. Doppelmayr bought out Agamatic, and eventually brought the grips overseas.
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Kinda interesting to see the mish-mash of paint jobs, with the lower terminal being in the more muted maroon of Bachelor Gulch, while there’s a brighter red for the upper terminal. And the two terminals have different font styles for the lift name, consequently.
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From the Doppelmayr Worldbook photo, it looks like the chairs on this lift (and its twin the Lower BC Mountain Express) both have chairs with slatted back rests. The EJ carriers that the lift currently has do not have slatted back rests. The chairs from the Worldbook photos look like they could be Garaventa CTEC quad carriers, but I can’t tell for sure.
So, did this lift get new chairs at some point after it opened? I am curious if this is true (or if it was just new back rests or something like that), and why Beaver Creek switched out the carriers.
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The EJ chairs definitely were on the lift by 2005, the same year the Larkspur Express was installed.
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I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that. It’s the same case with Lower BC Mountain Exp’s worldbook entry. Both lifts appear to have opened with Garaventa model quad chairs. I wonder when they made the switch, and why. Also curious as to where the Garaventa carriers ended up (i.e. if they ended up on another lift and if so where). I think that makes these two lifts the only Uni-Gs to ever open with Garaventa model chairs unless I’m overlooking another.
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The lift was originally supplied with Garaventa CTEC “vail” Chairs, BC did not want that style of chair so the chairs were swapped out the next summer and used on other lifts such as the original Wildwood lift at Tamarack Idaho.
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Interesting considering BC at that time had more lifts with Garaventa chairs than EJ chairs.
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With the distances these lifts cover, the EJ chairs are more practical and comfortable. And more aesthetically pleasing.
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What’s funny is I actually prefer the Garaventa chairs. I see though why EJ chairs became more popular, and Doppelmayr USA eventually discontinuing the Garaventa chairs.
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Also, why fix what ain’t broke?
A decade later, it’s impressive to think the EJ chair model has lasted since 1985 with pretty much zero changes along the way besides the detachable grips used on the high speed lifts, and the introduction of a six pack variant once high speed six packs came into existence.
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I find it funny that these two lifts have non-indicative names, as neither of them are on Beaver Creek Mountain, but are on Bachelor Gulch instead. The lifts that geographically should be the Lower and Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express lifts are the Centennial Express and Cinch Express lifts, respectively.
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Mountain Express at Boyne Mountain, a Doppelmayr built in 1992, runs Agamatic ET106 grips. Doppelmayr and Agamatic’s relationship go back a ways.
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Agamatic has been related to Doppelmayr since Agamtic’s inception, It was a joint venture between Doppelmayr and some other Italian lift manufacturer.
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Agamatic was founded in the early 80s as a joint venture between Hoelzl and Doppelmayr. It was fully folded into Doppelmayr in the early 20s of this century. All the Agamatic lifts I’ve seen in the last years have been fully rebranded to Doppelmayr.
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These definitely used to be Garaventa carriers.
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Re: the comments above on the long lasting EJ chair model.
The newer LPOA chairs are a cut above in comfort. And style, in my opinion. Maybe time for a refresh.
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Our friends in Grand Junction definitely put more padding on their chairs than Wolfurt or Ste. Jerome do.
As for style, I’m of the opinion that if the bail isn’t prone to cracking and the components aren’t incredibly difficult to inspect and/or replace, then it’s all good. The EJ and its (slight) variants are very easy to work on and inspect, so they fit this mechanic’s bill nicely.
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