Any T-bars currently running ?

thetrailboss said:

Are you also going to test out your climbing gear before the trip?

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Jerry Alert!

thetrailboss said:

Are you also going to test out your climbing gear before the trip?

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LOL, no. But believe it or not I have been practicing the uphill walk required to get from the top of the T Bar to the Blackcomb Glacier entrance.

I guess it seems weird to some but I don’t want to waste any of my limited time at Whistler flailing around trying to get the hang of the T Bar.

Thanks for the responses. So far the following have been mentioned:

Otis Ridge - opening for the season on Saturday. I contacted them and they said they were not planning on running the T Bar yet.
Smugglers Notch - Sterling T Bar not running according to their web site.
Canon - might be open this weekend, but unconfirmed by any official source
Burkes - “should be opening soon” according to thetrailboss
Whaleback - open this weekend according to Newpylong

There is a list of currently operational T Bars at http://www.newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/standingsurfacelifts.php
But it seems like many of these lifts are only rarely pressed into service.

The Mittersill t-bar at Cannon is supposed to open this weekend however last weekend there was no snow under the lift except what fell Sat night.Depending on the wind today there should be enough natural cover now but the south wind would tend to blow the snow to the other side if it blows today.
The snow report today:We hope to be able to open Mittersill terrain this weekend but it's too early to make that call - we'll keep you posted.

Mt. Abram in ME still regularly runs their T-bar, I believe (they did when I was there a number of years ago). They are not open yet sadly.

Living Memorial Park in Brattleboro VT is only a T-bar, but I highly doubt they are open yet. In future years Waterville will have one of the earliest operating T-bars once they get it installed on High Country.

andrec10 said:

Jerry Alert!

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Not just any Jerry....the elusive Gaper Spirit Animal (GSA) who trains for his expeditions with a pack on at the gym.

Doesn't Bromley have one for the beginner area/terrain park? Never had a reason to go ride it though.

Rowsdower said:

Doesn't Bromley have one for the beginner area/terrain park? Never had a reason to go ride it though.

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I believe they put in a magic carpet a few yrs ago instead.

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Rowsdower said:

Doesn't Bromley have one for the beginner area/terrain park? Never had a reason to go ride it though.

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Hawkshot99 said:

I believe they put in a magic carpet a few yrs ago instead.

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Yup, They still have one of the sliding pole, as opposed to cable, t-bars, that services the hill next to the base of the Sun Mountain Express Quad. Rarely runs though, unless they have some type of event (Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge race, etc) on the trail as it's accessible from other trails/lifts

one ride up you are good to go.
don't sweat the easy stuff.

I wish more people would practice riding the lifts.

By the time you get to upper Blackcomb, riding a simple T-bar will seem like childs play. Don't overthink it! BTW, make sure you take at least one run through the Blowhole! Have fun.

drjeff said:

Yup, They still have one of the sliding pole, as opposed to cable, t-bars, that services the hill next to the base of the Sun Mountain Express Quad. Rarely runs though, unless they have some type of event (Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge race, etc) on the trail as it's accessible from other trails/lifts

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Actually the T-bar runs pretty much every weekend/holiday period. Although I don't think there's an official agreement, it is a big benefit for some of the residents of Bromley Village. The issue of having it run more has come up in the Bromley Village Association meetings that are attended by Bill Cairns (President) and others from Bromley management.

They are making snow on the T bar trails now so I would expect the T-bar to run over the holidays.

sugarbushskier said:

By the time you get to upper Blackcomb, riding a simple T-bar will seem like childs play. Don't overthink it! BTW, make sure you take at least one run through the Blowhole! Have fun.

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LOL, Only way I am going down the Blowhole is if I slip on the traverse:

It's really not that bad. It's a rite of passage, just make sure you have enough speed to get out of the incline at the end.....LOL. Seriously though, it's not that hard. It's one of those runs that has more of a cult perception that keeps folks away but once you're in it, just enjoy the ride.

Made my trip to Whistler yesterday where I managed to successfully ride not one but two T-Bars. One from the bottom of the Saddle to get back to the Roundhouse, and the Showcase T-Bar I mentioned before, up to the entrance to the Blackcomb Glacier. Have to say I was worried about having a spectacular fail a la Cornhead
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php/140014-I-Terrorized-a-Nonagenarian

But it was really no big deal. Having practiced the surface button lift at Killington a couple weeks was definitely a confidence booster.

And I did manage to make it down the spectacular Blackcomb Glacier, a.k.a. “The world’s hardest Blue run”. Hiked up to the main entrance, going by the Blowhole which looked a little dicey for me (sorry sugarbushskier). Just doing the Glacier itself was enough of a rite of passage for my old out of shape self. Had to flop down on the ground for a few minutes rest after the long flat runout at the “Swamp Thing” information board where the cat road begins.

By comparison, the well groomed Dave Murray Downhill, the black diamond rated site of the 2010 Olympic Men’s downhill, was a piece of cake. Conditions were fantastic compared to the “dust on crust” I am used to in the northeast.

Other highlights were the runs from the high alpine down into the trees off of the 7th Heaven lift, and the record-setting Peak 2 Peak gondola between the two mountains.

Virtually everyone working there (rental techs, lifties, waiters, clerks in the stores) was Australian. And a very international clientele, heard people speaking French, Spanish, various Asian languages, etc. ... only met a handful of locals.


The dreaded T-Bar at the base of the Saddle (entrance at the far right at top of photo):






Looking down into the Blackcomb Glacier:

Looks amazing.

Do Australians actually live in Australia? I think they are sudely taking over the rest of the developed world. Most of the people I have met in the Netherlands are Australian including 5/12 people living in my apartment, which frequently had an extra Australian sleeping there. There easy to recognize, since they all where Katmandu Jackets but very few other people wear them

Philadelphia's Wissahickon Ski Club has a T-bar on their clubs private hill located just outside of the city! Was a rope tow when I belonged decades ago. I have only used T-bars in Europe skiing the Alps.

Wondering if T-bars installed around tree protected routes up would work to access high terrain when upper mountain chair-lifts are on wind hold?

〽❄❅;989042 said:

Wondering if T-bars installed around tree protected routes up would work to access high terrain when upper mountain chair-lifts are on wind hold?

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3T at Sugarloaf is exactly that. Wish they'd put one up on Timberline too, that lift is on wind hold what seems like most of the season.

jmgard said:

Wish they'd put one up on Timberline too, that lift is on wind hold what seems like most of the season.

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That does feel true. I’ve been there quite a few times but I’m no regular and I’ve seen numerous holds on Timberline. Slow ride for sure but I do enjoy it. The trails surrounding that chair are a blast.

benski said:

Looks amazing.

Do Australians actually live in Australia? I think they are sudely taking over the rest of the developed world. Most of the people I have met in the Netherlands are Australian including 5/12 people living in my apartment, which frequently had an extra Australian sleeping there. There easy to recognize, since they all where Katmandu Jackets but very few other people wear them

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Auatrailians have a different vacation culture than the US and Europe. They tend to take long vacations at a time, especially at younger ages and travel the world. Its considered a thing everyone should do.

I believe their government also guarantees 20 days of vacation in addition to holidays.