This gondola connect Steamboat’s village with a new learning center.Relatively flat lift line.A very tall tower with combination assemblies.View up at tower 6.Lower station and the first three towers.Side view of the bottom terminal with a large maze area.Lower station overview.View up from the bottom.Towers 1 and 2 adjacent to the base area station.Cabins turning around during the first season without section 2.Downhill loading area.View from the middle station.View up the middle part of the line.Return terminal in the village.Cabins only load in the straight sections.D-Line terminal.Downhill side of the bottom terminal.Downloader unloading point.CWA Omega V cabin with 10 seats.Top terminal with cabins turning around.For the first season, only half of the upper section’s bottom terminal was installed.Drive station next to the existing Bashor lift.Tower 10 and the top terminal.Conical tower.Upper part of the lift line.Another tower.Tower 9.View down the line.Side view of a support tower.Assemblies with 16 sheaves.View down at tower 6.
Until Stage II opens, this is kinda a gondola to nowhere. Sure, beginners and ski school can access Greenhorn Ranch, but for intermediates and higher, I think they’re better off continuing to use Christie Peak to get to the Thunderhead Express.
I think it has to do something with weight and wind forces on different parts of the line. From others in the lift industry I’ve heard that the 500 mm ones are for PTO and the 740 mm ones are for deflection.
When completed will this gondola be able to operate through the lower stage only? Seems like the upper portion will have some significant wind exposure. If so, is this going to be essentially two lifts (like Killington/Blackcomb) or something else?
Storm Peak and Sundown are major arteries and are getting long in the tooth – upgrade them to HS6
Upgrade Burgess Creek to a high speed lift
Either put another lift in Morningside back to Sunshine (would love to be able to lap Cowboy Coffee) or put in a surface lift so that there is a way out of Morningside besides a short hike or Buddy’s Run
Now that there are two gondolas, rename the first one “Thunderhead Gondola” or something
Lift Blog 
wholly smokes! you got every angle of every part of this beast! so cool meeting you today also
LikeLiked by 2 people
A monster lift! This will be huge once stage II is built.
LikeLike
Until Stage II opens, this is kinda a gondola to nowhere. Sure, beginners and ski school can access Greenhorn Ranch, but for intermediates and higher, I think they’re better off continuing to use Christie Peak to get to the Thunderhead Express.
LikeLike
Why the sheaves of different sizes? Doesn’t that make maintenance/part supply harder?
LikeLike
I think it has to do something with weight and wind forces on different parts of the line. From others in the lift industry I’ve heard that the 500 mm ones are for PTO and the 740 mm ones are for deflection.
LikeLike
Looks like someone decided to spend Christmas at one of my favorite spots in Colorado.
LikeLiked by 2 people
where are planning to extend this to
LikeLike
where are they* sorry
LikeLike
Stage II will go to the summit of Sunshine and Sundown.
LikeLike
When completed will this gondola be able to operate through the lower stage only? Seems like the upper portion will have some significant wind exposure. If so, is this going to be essentially two lifts (like Killington/Blackcomb) or something else?
LikeLike
Suggestions for Steamboat:
Storm Peak and Sundown are major arteries and are getting long in the tooth – upgrade them to HS6
Upgrade Burgess Creek to a high speed lift
Either put another lift in Morningside back to Sunshine (would love to be able to lap Cowboy Coffee) or put in a surface lift so that there is a way out of Morningside besides a short hike or Buddy’s Run
Now that there are two gondolas, rename the first one “Thunderhead Gondola” or something
LikeLike