Super quad??

[b632]

I heard it will be down again today, what’s wrong with it??

[Alpiner]

According to the guy at the DR gate, gearbox problem. Replacement part was overnighted and expected to arrive yesterday.

Now, I realize I'm a know-nothing armchair quarterback entitled asshole, but is it my imagination or is the rate of major mechanical calamities occurring right before or during a major vacation week running at about 90%? Like, they're beating the odds. I appreciate all they do but the overwhelming optics of these incidents are that Sugarloaf does not perform enough preventative maintenance, and does not stock enough spare parts. I have a suggestion - when something breaks, order two.

[skiloaf]

Tough luck if true. They announced that this summer they refurbished the gearbox, electric motor, and planetary gearbox.

[gondicar]

Sugarloaf does not perform enough preventative maintenance, and does not stock enough spare parts.

This is serious accusation and is not something to be tossed around so lightly. The fact is that complex machinery often breaks at the most unexpected and inconvenient times.

[JAC487]

I'd rather it break when they can still operate other lifts. Imagine if the gearbox broke on opening day, this site would have a field day

[Alpiner]

Like I said, I don’t know the inside baseball but what else are we supposed to think? Golly, it’s just dumb luck again? How many times can bad luck strike before it’s considered a pattern?

[cruiser]

Now Bucksaw goes down

You know what will help

Install more used lifts

[Andrew B.]

According to the guy at the DR gate, gearbox problem. Replacement part was overnighted and expected to arrive yesterday.

A replacement part that is only an overnight freight away IMO isn’t critical to have in you parts bin.

I also wonder if they don’t want to have too many replacement parts in stock for a lift they hope/need to replace sooner rather than later. If something significant breaks they may just pivot to accelerating their time line.

[Rossignolsoul7]

Now Bucksaw goes down

You know what will help

Install more used lifts

It is suspicious that, today, skyline and KP are spinning and Bucksaw (even with its new wind mitigation fence) is on wind hold. I am not buying that. Probably something else is up.

[Alpiner]

According to the guy at the DR gate, gearbox problem. Replacement part was overnighted and expected to arrive yesterday.

A replacement part that is only an overnight freight away IMO isn’t critical to have in you parts bin.

Europe is an overnight freight away if you want to pay for it. Seems like any amount of downtime during major vacation time would be considered DEFCON-1 unacceptable, certainly 36 hours of downtime, but what do I know.

I also wonder if they don’t want to have too many replacement parts in stock for a lift they hope/need to replace sooner rather than later. If something significant breaks they may just pivot to accelerating their time line.

I'd like to think such parts would be able to be sold to another resort with a similar lift. If anything else on SQ breaks they would have to replace it whether they accelerate the timeline or not.

[jbsechler]

Hi all, there is never a good time for a lift to go down and having one of our primary lifts go down over a holiday period was less than ideal. Over the summer, the gearbox was shipped out as part of its scheduled preventative maintenance (which is why Whiffletree ran for scenic rides). Unfortunately, one of the seals failed, an unforeseen and unfortunate event. Thankfully, this was a relatively easy fix for the team. Happy to answer any additional questions. We appreciate all the support!
~Jessica, Sugarloaf Marketing

[Alpiner]

Thanks Jessica, good to know.

[WrathOfAramark]

Down again for maintenance on New Years Day. Might be a long season.

[Ezra]

Jessica,
Thank you for charming in. Hope you will stay on board . It will help keep the negative chatter down and can be only positive for all in the future.

Happy New Year to you

[Rossignolsoul7]

It will help keep the negative chatter down.

Can someone be kind enough to point me at a negative post on this thread?

[b632]

I find this group to be pretty respectful with minimum negative vibe.. did anyone catch the Unofficial Sugarloaf FB page last week? That was some crazy negative bullshit.. known SL’s threatening to beat each other up.. blew my mind

[b632]

Whoops hit submit too fast.. i hope the new year goes well for us all. Snowing always sets a good stage

[jbsechler]

Down again for maintenance on New Years Day. Might be a long season.

Hopefully in the right kinda way but yes, the guys noticed oil in their morning checks so didn't want to take any chances. The tech arrived this afternoon and will help the team troubleshoot through the night. We're hopeful we can get the lift back by noon tomorrow so as long as it's not a new discovery. For those with First Tracks we'll be running DRC & Skyline for early access and if by chance Skyline is on wind hold, it will be both sides of DRC. But fingers crossed it just keeps snowing, the team is able to get SQ back online and the winds stay at bay. Happy New Year all! We'll continue to keep you all updated.

[tristan]

Thank you for the update Jessica!

[skiloaf]

Personally don't have an issue with superquad downtime given it's a complex machine with many hours on it built 30 years ago, it is bound to go down from time to time.

Yeah, your 1994 Saab convertible is still running; sure, GM aquired Saab and you can still get OEM parts, but it's no spring chicken!


All the transmission maintenance and issues makes it clear why the new D-line direct drive lifts are such a technological improvement.

Also a good reminder the importance of DRC and a quad replacement with a conveyor lift could take nice min or so off that ride time.

[SpillwayEast]

..........and its down again today.............well for an hour or so

[Alpiner]

I used to be a big cheerleader for the SuperQuad. I think enough is enough. Like rooting against the Patriots last Sunday in favor of a better draft pick, I'm now hoping fate forces Boyne's hand. I'm thinking a tri-line 6.

[SpillwayEast]

I used to be a big cheerleader for the SuperQuad. I think enough is enough. Like rooting against the Patriots last Sunday in favor of a better draft pick, I'm now hoping fate forces Boyne's hand. I'm thinking a tri-line 6.

I agree. I was there the day it opened........I think Dec 20th 1994 but now its time to replace with something new and reliable. I didn't plan on buying a new car over the holidays but it didn't make sense to put a few thousand into the old one........time to move on.

[heavysquad4]

I don't think a new lift is going to stop the bad luck they have had with it. Losing a seal only a few hours in on a freshly rebuilt gear box is just bad luck. Perhaps we should all burn some sage on our next ride up.

I don't ride that lift much anyways someone called it the Sunday River Area and I can't unsee it as such.

[WrathOfAramark]

Last completely new lift that is open to the public every single day was Skyline in 2011 and that one was forced on them by the Spillway accident.

[goldenboy80]

I used to be a big cheerleader for the SuperQuad. I think enough is enough. Like rooting against the Patriots last Sunday in favor of a better draft pick, I'm now hoping fate forces Boyne's hand. I'm thinking a tri-line 6.

I agree. I was there the day it opened........I think Dec 20th 1994 but now its time to replace with something new and reliable. I didn't plan on buying a new car over the holidays but it didn't make sense to put a few thousand into the old one........time to move on.

Congrats on the new car! Did you get all-wheel drive?

[goldenboy80]

I don't think a new lift is going to stop the bad luck they have had with it. Losing a seal only a few hours in on a freshly rebuilt gear box is just bad luck. Perhaps we should all burn some sage on our next ride up.

I don't ride that lift much anyways someone called it the Sunday River Area and I can't unsee it as such.

Rebuilding a gear box can't be cheap. It makes me think we're going to live with the SQ for the foreseeable future. I like to think of it as classic. Will bring sage.

[Alpiner]

I don't think a new lift is going to stop the bad luck they have had with it.

It will certainly stop the bad luck they've had with SuperQuad. Hopefully the 30 year newer lifts come with less bad luck.

I don't ride that lift much anyways someone called it the Sunday River Area and I can't unsee it as such.

Taking a snobbish bro-brah attitude towards the SuperQuad really limits your Sugarloaf experience. Nothing better than the fresh groom on King's and Hayburner first thing in the morning. King Pine "bowl" gets groomed during last shift and never has time to set up. On a cold/windy day, SQ is more sheltered than Skyline and KP. I feel Bucksaw has helped improve the SQ area.

[loafman207]

It would be nice if the new SQ (whenever that is) or the new Timberline has a bubble. The loaf has to get some of the worst weather in NE and to have no enclosed option is a little unfortunate

[Pow on the Mao]

all of this is true. but boyne knows all this too. there's a line for replacements. TL.. i mean swift current.. is in the on deck circle. who is up next? maybe SQ. best we can hope for is like what.... 2027? best get the sage out now.
perhaps we sacrifice shot-ski to Ullr?....