CTEC rebuilt the original Heron gondola in 1983 utilizing existing terminal buildings.Inside the parking lot station.Leaving the drive terminal.Descending the first pitch looking back.The line crosses under three sets of high-tension powerlines.And crosses over the Union Pacific railroad’s main line over the Sierras.Ascending to the Village.Lattice tower.Cabin parking at the village station.VonRoll grips.CWA cabins and tensioning by counterweight.Village station building.View back towards the highway.Another lattice tower.Lift line.Crossing over the tracks before a 10,000 foot tunnel under Mt. Judah.Non-lattice tower.Acceleration equipment provided by Doppelmayr.Leaving the drive.Note the Heron-Poma tower for the retired double chair below.Looking towards Sugar Bowl.Riding along the line.Parking lot terminal building.Gondola next to the new Doppelmayr platter lift.
Before the Mt Judah side opened (In the mid 1990s), the double chair was used to get more people across the railroad tracks to the base. Now that folks can drive direct to Judah, there are not as big back ups on the Gondola, the the chance people will be stranded if the Gondola goes down.
The village tow has two separate purposes 1) is it connects the Royal Gorge XC ski system into the resost
2) it provides easy transport for homeowners/guests and increase the number of units they can call “ski-in/ski-out”
I remember as a kid getting off the chair in the building and thinking that was really cool. I also for some reason have this memory of a poster in the gondola building where it was a tree with a pair of skier tracks going on either side of the tree and discussing how thats not possible with my Dad.
I don’t go to Sugar Bowl regularly, but I haven’t ridden the gondola in a very long time as I always just park on the Judah side.
Utah Lost Ski Area ProjectApril 4, 2022 / 10:36 am
Odd that this lift is listed as a CTEC on the spreadsheet, the only CTEC manufactured parts on this lift appear to be the counterweight tensioning. Wouldn’t the majority of the parts be VonRoll rather than CTEC?
It appears the detaching mechanism and grips are VonRoll with Doppelmayr acceleration, while the structure is a mix of original Heron and newer CTEC. , Along with CWA cabins.
This gondola’s replacement has just been announced… Probably an LPA gondola just like heavenly, squaw, mammoth, northstar, and most every other resort in the area. This free gondola is a really cool and unique ride though you can tell the deraileurs and grips are tired.
When I was a kid and my dad patrolled here (mid to late 80s-early 90s) the lifties had to run and push each gondola car out of the station to get it up to (or close to) cable speed. It was so much fun for a kid! The cars swung madly for the first couple towers.
Lift Blog 
Why close down the double for a shorter platter lift?
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Before the Mt Judah side opened (In the mid 1990s), the double chair was used to get more people across the railroad tracks to the base. Now that folks can drive direct to Judah, there are not as big back ups on the Gondola, the the chance people will be stranded if the Gondola goes down.
The village tow has two separate purposes 1) is it connects the Royal Gorge XC ski system into the resost
2) it provides easy transport for homeowners/guests and increase the number of units they can call “ski-in/ski-out”
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That double had a very roller coaster-like profile at the point where it crossed the tracks. https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-tcd4-village-gondola-ctec-3929.html
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There was a rather abrupt descent so that the Village Chair could cross over the tracks and then go under the power lines.
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I remember as a kid getting off the chair in the building and thinking that was really cool. I also for some reason have this memory of a poster in the gondola building where it was a tree with a pair of skier tracks going on either side of the tree and discussing how thats not possible with my Dad.
I don’t go to Sugar Bowl regularly, but I haven’t ridden the gondola in a very long time as I always just park on the Judah side.
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I can only imagine if a train passed under you, that you would be blasted by exhaust and noise
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Odd that this lift is listed as a CTEC on the spreadsheet, the only CTEC manufactured parts on this lift appear to be the counterweight tensioning. Wouldn’t the majority of the parts be VonRoll rather than CTEC?
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There’s more CTEC than that their is also the sheeves, bullwheel, and the engine room
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It appears the detaching mechanism and grips are VonRoll with Doppelmayr acceleration, while the structure is a mix of original Heron and newer CTEC. , Along with CWA cabins.
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Is the drive of the double still in place?
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no its was taken out some time ago 5-10 years back I think. but the building, signage and entry tower are still there
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Thanks
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Does the current gondy still use the old Heron return?
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This gondola’s replacement has just been announced… Probably an LPA gondola just like heavenly, squaw, mammoth, northstar, and most every other resort in the area. This free gondola is a really cool and unique ride though you can tell the deraileurs and grips are tired.
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Peter wrote an article on that a few weeks ago. The new gondola is a Doppelmayr D-Line 8-parson gondola.
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When I was a kid and my dad patrolled here (mid to late 80s-early 90s) the lifties had to run and push each gondola car out of the station to get it up to (or close to) cable speed. It was so much fun for a kid! The cars swung madly for the first couple towers.
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