Bretton Woods to install Gondola

The Sneak · Dec 20, 2017

Too much crap talked about BW when it has so much fun tree skiing!

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Smellytele · Dec 20, 2017

The Sneak said:
Too much crap talked about BW when it has so much fun tree skiing!

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The trees are fun. I need to get there when they have the t-bar open. I do call it Flat 'n Woods though.

MEtoVTSkier · Dec 20, 2017

I don't care if everyone thinks BW is too flat and unexciting. I've never had a bad day there, and now that I'm on the north side of 50, I really don't care to ski elevator shafts anymore.

:wink:

machski · Dec 20, 2017

drjeff said:
One has to remember that many resorts these days are looking at their operations not just as from a skiing/boarding winter base, to how to maximize the use of their resort year round. This lift and summit lodge is a great example of this.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if over the next decade or so, we see an increasing number of lift and/or summit lodge/ and or non snow season based installations by resorts, moves that if one is thinking from just a "ski/riding season only" perspective won't make very much sense. Ski area management and operations these days for many resorts is much more of a year round (or at least 9 to 10 months the year) entity than the more traditional 6 months or less model for most ski areas that many of us grew up accustomed too....

This. One of the largest Gondola projects in North America is currently underway in Orlando, FL. The first Dopp D-Line systems in North America as well. Ropeways are not just for skiing anymore.

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MEtoVTSkier · Dec 20, 2017

https://liftblog.com/2017/07/16/disney-unveils-bold-skyliner-gondola-plan/

MEtoVTSkier · Dec 20, 2017

https://liftblog.com/2015/12/16/more-on-doppelmayrs-d-line/

skiberg · Dec 21, 2017

What a silly waste of money. These are exactly the types of decisions that put ski areas out of business year after year. They are taking on 15 million in debt and will be lucky to increase revenue 50k per year. Now if they could have hooked that up to the Hotel like at Beavercreek, they may have had something. Problem is they don’t own the land to run the lift they want from the hotel. Maybe they will connect it someday.

From a skiing standpoint at least u can access a top to bottom run that actually has a consistent fall line. Swoop to Cascade to Perimeter is about only route on the hill that holds a fall line.

deadheadskier · Dec 21, 2017

That would be like a 1.5 mile Gondola from the hotel to the base of the ski area and it would travel across the golf course. How many stroke penalty for hitting a gondola car?

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benski · Dec 21, 2017

deadheadskier said:
That would be like a 1.5 mile Gondola from the hotel to the base of the ski area and it would travel across the golf course. How many stroke penalty for hitting a gondola car?

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Penalty? Automatic whole in one!

RISkier · Dec 23, 2017

2planks2coasts said:
Seems like more than half!!

Back to BW, while any day skiing is better than a day not skiing, I've never understood the appeal of the place when so much better skiing is so close. Much better wedding and event venue than ski area, and the new gondola should help further that status.

I'm late to the party here and only rarely post anything on this site anymore. I started skiing just before my 50th birthday. BW is a great place for a lower or less adventurous intermediate. And if the snow is good, it's a great place to begin tree skiing. We ski at Stowe quite a bit these days and have become good friends with a level 3 instructor from Stowe. He loves to ski BW when the snow is good. At this point, I'd find it pretty limiting if it were the only place we skied I think we'd get pretty bored with it at this point. No, its not a very challenging mountain, there are no sustained steeps, and it's not the place for hard charging young bucks who want to be constantly challenged. But the pace has it's merits.

thetrailboss · Apr 7, 2018

It is moving ahead.

http://www.caledonianrecord.com/new...cle_b0652dc7-1eba-5cc3-ae91-b8c5f2e0e46c.html

speden · May 29, 2018

Looks like there are signs of construction prep going on for the gondola, with survey work and trees being cleared next to the Bethlehem lift.

"Bretton Woods has also started initial work on its aggressive off season lift projects. A survey line is being cut for the new 8 person gondola, which is expected to be operational this winter. In addition, chairs are being removed from Fabyan's Triple, so that the top terminal of the lift can be relocated downhill to make way for the new gondola. Meanwhile, the B Chair remains standing, though it is expected to be removed as part of the project. The gondola base terminal will likely be located where the canopy tour office currently stands."

I imagine if they have space, they would move the canopy tour building rather than demolish it, since it seems like a nice little building. Always fun to watch brand new lifts go in. I'm curious to see what the crossing of the gondola over the Bethlehem line will look like. A patroller told me the towers for that were going to be something like 90 feet tall, but I don't know if that's accurate. Nice to see some activity on the project so maybe it will be done in time for next season.

Here's the article (with a few pictures): http://www.newenglandskiindustry.com/viewstory.php?storyid=686. The bit about BW is near the end.

speden · May 29, 2018

I'm not sure if the winds aloft at mid-mountain will be all that bad. The aspect of BW seems to block most of the wind. But yeah, it will be more wind prone than their existing lifts. Shouldn't really matter to them since the Bethlehem will service almost the same terrain. The gondola could be good on those really cold below zero days when you want a back massage and bar service on the ride up.

If the towers are that tall at the crossing, it should give a pretty interesting view. They seem to be doing pretty well financially, so probably cost isn't their biggest concern on a project like this.

machski · May 29, 2018

uphillklimber said:
90 feet high? They brag about wind almost never shutting them down. This will be shut down if it's that high, frequently, I suspect. Gondolas swing more in the wind than a chair.

I am happy to see a resort adding lifts, obviously, but I just am not certain this was completely thought out. Crossing an other lift??? I am considering their expected ROI.

They are not intsalling the full complement of cabins the lift can handle, I think 50% of Max. So it will not be a high skier per hour lift anyway. The owners came out and said the Gondola is more for off season than to be a signature ski season lift (not that they won't run it as often as possible during ski season).

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sull1102 · May 30, 2018

This is a really big deal for the industry in some aspects. Think about the past five years or so, almost every major resort and now even the mid level and entry level mountains, are pouring money into year round and summer only attractions. Killington has spent millions and millions and millions on all kinds of stuff, B-East has exploded into the mountain bike scene, Attitash chose a zip line over a summit quad(let the flame wars begin!), and now you have BW going to that next level financially and installing an entire lift mostly for the summer. It shows kind of the completion of this major shift in the industry and how it views investment and off season activity.

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machski · May 30, 2018

Have to, need to have some type of revenue structure over the entire year if you want lenders to back the huge amounts of capital needed for improvements.

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thetrailboss · Jun 12, 2018

Bump.

Bretton Woods is taking down the B Chair for the project. From Twitter:

Bretton Woods’ original “B-Lift” debuted in 1973, and nearly 45 years later took it’s last turns on Monday, June 11, 2018. B-Lift will soon be taken down to make room for a new 8-passenger gondola.

speden · Jun 12, 2018

I don't think I ever got to ride the B-lift. Whenever I went to Bretton, it was never running. Hopefully the gondola will run more often. Must not have been very many trails back in '73.

I wonder which lift will be finished first, the Bretton Gondola or the new six pack at Killington.

Smellytele · Jun 13, 2018

speden said:
I don't think I ever got to ride the B-lift. Whenever I went to Bretton, it was never running. Hopefully the gondola will run more often. Must not have been very many trails back in '73.

I wonder which lift will be finished first, the Bretton Gondola or the new six pack at Killington.

I have had to ride it before as the Bethlehem Quad was down then you took the Fabyan's triple to the top. Also another time late season when the top was not open so the B ran and also Zephyr

Edd · Jun 13, 2018

Fabyans’s from the top is a bizarrely underskied trail. On a pow day there are mounds of soft snow that won’t be skied off for days after.

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