New Lift

[Glade Monkey]

IMO… bottom bullwheel tower is installed backwards.
https://twitter.com/sugarloafmaine/stat ... ZYphyPiDlw

Looks just like the one they put in last year at Saddleback (sorry for large picture size)

[Alpiner]

So is that one.

[gondicar]

So is that one.

You just have to face downhill when you ride it.

[Alpiner]

IMO… bottom bullwheel tower is installed backwards.
https://twitter.com/sugarloafmaine/stat ... ZYphyPiDlw

Are you talking about it looking like the lean is up the hill in the same direction putting the support in tension along with the tension of the cable instead of angling the beam down the hill putting it in compression in opposite of the cable tension?

Yeah, looks weird. But that's a beefy piece of metal and a T-bar has relatively light load differences between fully loaded and empty unlike say a 130+ chair quad with an extra 50,000 lbs hanging on the wire fully loaded. I'm guessing orienting it that way saves space for the bottom terminal. Steel is a pretty cool material in that it has good strength in both compression and in tension.

Yes. I know, the thing is beefy and can handle it, but it just seems like an inelegant handling of the forces in play.

You just have to face downhill when you ride it.

lolz. Sounds, umm, painful.

[goldenboy80]

If the bullwheel tower pops out of the ground in 20 years because the design was ill-conceived, it would be very "on-brand" for Sugarloaf so I approve of it. We like consistency.

[Alpiner]

But that's a beefy piece of metal

Actually I think the failure point would be either the bolts fixing the tower to the foundation, or the ground itself, like Spruce Peak. The tower leaning uphill puts the downhill bolts and the foundation under greater tension and torsion. If the tower was leaning downhill, it would be leaning "against" the dirt more, in compression. Surely the foundation must have a wide footing so it doesn't just slide out of the ground like a wine cork.

[goldenboy80]

But that's a beefy piece of metal

Actually I think the failure point would be either the bolts fixing the tower to the foundation, or the ground itself, like Spruce Peak. The tower leaning uphill puts the downhill bolts and the foundation under greater tension and torsion. If the tower was leaning downhill, it would be leaning "against" the dirt more, in compression. Surely the foundation must have a wide footing so it doesn't just slide out of the ground like a wine cork.

Yup, you're right. I was kidding obviously. I'm sure the design of this T-bar is just fine -- I think we're past the point of design failure given the tools engineers have these days. This T-bar is probably the safest lift on the mountain by a wide margin.

[Glade Monkey]

But that's a beefy piece of metal

Actually I think the failure point would be either the bolts fixing the tower to the foundation, or the ground itself, like Spruce Peak. The tower leaning uphill puts the downhill bolts and the foundation under greater tension and torsion. If the tower was leaning downhill, it would be leaning "against" the dirt more, in compression. Surely the foundation must have a wide footing so it doesn't just slide out of the ground like a wine cork.

Yup, you're right. I was kidding obviously. I'm sure the design of this T-bar is just fine -- I think we're past the point of design failure given the tools engineers have these days. This T-bar is probably the safest lift on the mountain by a wide margin.

Thank goodness Fall Line Construction has been posting regular updates to document what's going on
Here's a view of one of the footings being poured: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjOVGHLubjO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[Alpiner]

Yeah I knew I'd seen that footing. Carry on. I still don't like the look of the thing leaning uphill, but that's just me. I also think the Prius is the ugliest car on the road, so what do I know. If I may continue to nitpick, having hiked up to the lift a number of times now, I'm a little disappointed it isn't tucked further over to skier's right. I'm not sure the widening of the trail resulted in any net gain of usable trail width. I suppose it's possible they could put the mogul line to the skier's right of the lift, but probably not. Lower comp is not steep enough for academy-level moguls anyway. Speaking of steep moguls, "Champion", the course constructed at Deer Valley for 2002 is crazy steep. It might be as steep as White Nitro or Flume.

[Glade Monkey]

Speaking of steep moguls, "Champion", the course constructed at Deer Valley for 2002 is crazy steep. It might be as steep as White Nitro or Flume.

Yup - saw it when we were skiing there one day in Feb 2019 and they were supposed to have the world championship aerials comp but it was postponed due to high winds.

[Alpiner]

Side benefit of the T-Bar - no more CVA cutsies at the SuperQuad I'm told.

[skiloaf]

Nice, they will no doubt skip and just ride DRC to get there. That plus West Mountain will HSQ should really help with crowds.

[skiloaf]

The Seven Brothers rehab opened this weekend. Interesting they added a conveyor to the HSQ. Maybe an indication for WME.

[BubbleCuffer97]

Anyone ride the new T-Bar yet? How was it?

[High Ball]

Anyone ride the new T-Bar yet? How was it?

Nobody on it when I skied by a while ago, but lots of people looking at it. Hoping this is going to be a win-win for everyone..,,gives the CVA kids better training resources and keeps them off the other lifts/ trails.

[Alpiner]

Anyone ride the new T-Bar yet? How was it?

I rode it yesterday and did a run down the snowboard GS course that was set up at the time (I help coach sometimes). For training purposes it's a pretty good run length. Not long enough to get seriously winded or quad burn, but long enough to get a rhythm going. The t-bar motor is very quiet. I'm told top speed is 4 m/s and that they were running it at about half speed - seemed about as fast as #3 at that rate. However in true Sugarloaf fashion the track has a double fall-line that was pretty unpleasant on a snowboard. (yeah I hear you skiers chuckling) I heard they were going to even it out last night but I'm not riding today. Also, nothing says "Maine" like lift shacks with no siding, lol. It's coming.

This is truly a game-changer for CVA. The kids are going to get strong and good doing so many more laps per day, and it gives CVA marketing material to compete with Gould and WVA with their t-bars. Also the snowmaking fan-guns are totally automated. They can start and control the snowmaking there with a phone app, without sending any personnel out to the hill.

[BubbleCuffer97]

So for those of us who will only be using the lift during wind hold days... Can you easily ski to bottom of #3 from the top? I'm imagining it is slightly uphill from short side double runner, but beats the old hike up kangaroo hill!

[SpillwayEast]

...........in other lift news.........resorts are announcing 'real' lift improvements. If you have never skied Snowbasin I highly recommend it............great layout, lots of terrain and a modern lift infrastructure.

https://liftblog.com/2022/12/28/snowbas ... erry-lift/

[Alpiner]

So for those of us who will only be using the lift during wind hold days... Can you easily ski to bottom of #3 from the top? I'm imagining it is slightly uphill from short side double runner, but beats the old hike up kangaroo hill!

Access to Narrow Gauge from the new t-bar is via Tote Road Crosscut. So it will be a short uphill climb up the crosscut and then a horizontalish traverse to #3. Not exactly easy, but not horrible. Previously I thought the location of the top bullwheel meant that the unload would be further uphill, but I was forgetting the t-bar line needs length after the unload to allow the T to coil back up into the spool.

The alignment of the t-bar is a little disappointing. It's much further out into lower comp than the drawing teased. Typical. I don't think there was any net gain of trail width from the widening. I guess they really didn't want the top bullwheel to intrude on NG/Cribworks at all.

[BubbleCuffer97]

So for those of us who will only be using the lift during wind hold days... Can you easily ski to bottom of #3 from the top? I'm imagining it is slightly uphill from short side double runner, but beats the old hike up kangaroo hill!

Access to Narrow Gauge from the new t-bar is via Tote Road Crosscut. So it will be a short uphill climb up the crosscut and then a horizontalish traverse to #3. Not exactly easy, but not horrible. Previously I thought the location of the top bullwheel meant that the unload would be further uphill, but I was forgetting the t-bar line needs length after the unload to allow the T to coil back up into the spool.

The alignment of the t-bar is a little disappointing. It's much further out into lower comp than the drawing teased. Typical. I don't think there was any net gain of trail width from the widening. I guess they really didn't want the top bullwheel to intrude on NG/Cribworks at all.

thanks for the info. Doesn't sound too bad - the optimist in me says that someone who put a lot more thought into this than I ever will considered such things and there was a good reason for the length & alignment. But you do wonder if there wasn't a better way to get it a bit higher etc.

I had a dream last night (or was it a nightmare?) that I was skiing off the new Jordan 8 at SR. God please let that type of lift never come to SL.

[Alpiner]

I had a dream last night (or was it a nightmare?) that I was skiing off the new Jordan 8 at SR. God please let that type of lift never come to SL.

A heated bubble 6 (or just a bubble 6) seems like a certainty for the eventual SQ replacement. Especially if you listen to the clamor for it here. I have to believe Sugarloaf is not foolish enough to go for an 8 seater. Bubbles are nice. One thing I hope they don't get wrong though is the color of the bubble. Jordan's is pink, I've seen others that are orange. If you use the bubble for long enough, when you exit the bubble the world will appear to have the opposite tint - green for pink and blue for orange. One thing we don't need is Sugarloaf looking any more blue. A blue bubble would induce an orange tint after use, which could help with flat light. So I hope our bubble is blue or clear or neutral.

[Glade Monkey]

Anyone ride the new T-Bar yet? How was it?

I rode it yesterday and did a run down the snowboard GS course that was set up at the time (I help coach sometimes). For training purposes it's a pretty good run length. Not long enough to get seriously winded or quad burn, but long enough to get a rhythm going. The t-bar motor is very quiet. I'm told top speed is 4 m/s and that they were running it at about half speed - seemed about as fast as #3 at that rate. However in true Sugarloaf fashion the track has a double fall-line that was pretty unpleasant on a snowboard. (yeah I hear you skiers chuckling) I heard they were going to even it out last night but I'm not riding today. Also, nothing says "Maine" like lift shacks with no siding, lol. It's coming.

This is truly a game-changer for CVA. The kids are going to get strong and good doing so many more laps per day, and it gives CVA marketing material to compete with Gould and WVA with their t-bars. Also the snowmaking fan-guns are totally automated. They can start and control the snowmaking there with a phone app, without sending any personnel out to the hill.

Finally been added to the mountain report lift list & scheduled for tomorrow. Interesting name "CVA/Colby T-Bar"

[Ski It]

If you listen to the the November 21st Storm Skiing Podcast (Episode 106) with Stephen Kircher, you'll hear him talk about his philosophy towards lifts. I recommend listing to the entire episode, but if you want to get right to this topic, head to the 01:23:25 mark. This is the question that ultimately leads him into discussing lift philosophy. He's bullish on new tech and building for the future (lifts are a 50 year investment so if you go new, its got to be cutting edge). One comment he made which I'll share as a teaser is that a fix grip lift without a loading carpet is like buying a 1980's car without AC, and thats crazy. So anticipate any fixed grip to have a carpet by default. I also wouldn't be surprised, based on his philosophy, that an 8 pack would replace SuperQuad eventually.

[skiloaf]

From mountain real estate :


· The DEP has just granted permit! Final approval from the Army Corp of Engineers is anticipated over the next 30 days and then we are on our way to begin releasing the real estate for reservations!
· The new lift line and trails have been surveyed and flagged and as soon as we hear from the DEP, the logging contractors will be in position to hit the ground running; cutting of the trails, lift line and potentially the main road into the new development
· The engineering team has completed their scope and we now have drafts of the first 20 lots that we will be releasing in Phase I.
· The excavation team is expected to start during the month of May with regards to the infrastructure on the roads and utilities.
· The new lift is currently scheduled to be installed this Summer/Fall and will begin operating during January of 2024.

Idk why they needed to cut so far skiers right if that was going to be the tbar line. Maybe they let it regrow. Should take about 50 years given the environment

[Alpiner]

There was no cutting on skier’s right.

[Mr. Vesper]

More space needed for my new Home in the woods

[Rossignolsoul7]

There was no cutting on skier’s right.

Oh yes, there was... About 10-ish years ago. Saw the cutting from my own eyes. A t-bar was planned over there. Never materialized. It was a bad location to begin with.

[Rossignolsoul7]

Interesting name "CVA/Colby T-Bar"

What's a lot more interesting is that #3 T-bar has been de-listed.

[Glade Monkey]

Interesting name "CVA/Colby T-Bar"

What's a lot more interesting is that #3 T-bar has been de-listed.

They do the listing a weird way on the mtn rpt nowadays (IMHO) by only showing the open or scheduled lifts.
For instance today besides #3 missing there is no DRW

[essslsclsact]

Interesting name "CVA/Colby T-Bar"

What's a lot more interesting is that #3 T-bar has been de-listed.

They do the listing a weird way on the mtn rpt nowadays (IMHO) by only showing the open or scheduled lifts.
For instance today besides #3 missing there is no DRW

Maybe they should not list trails that are not available/open for the day. That way they can report 100% of listed trails as OPEN. LOL. Why do they have to change things that are not broken and that do not need fixing especially when they are short of help?