• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Mysterious Lift Mechanical Issues

john1200c

New member
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
124
Points
0
Location
MA
I am not usually a conspiracy theorist but... On Saturday I was at Wildcat and for the first couple of hours the HSQ was turning at a very slow speed. I asked one of the attendants what was up and he said something about a bad sensor. At 11:00 it started running faster, not sure if full speed but better. On Sunday the snow report for Attitash said the Flying Yankee was down for mechanical reasons. So I decided to start my day on Bear side only to find that the Flying Bear was also down for mechanical issues. I never saw a maintenance person looking at the lifts either day. The fixed grips chairs seemed to be running slower than their usual slow pace. Then around 11 both HSQ came online, albeit nowhere near full speed. I heard somebody ask what the deal was on the slow flying Bear and the attendant muttered "er..we had a mechanical issue earlier".. I'm thinking that they are tying to save $ on electricity but would lift speed make a material difference? Perhaps I just need to be more patient..
 

ironhippy

Member
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
408
Points
18
Location
NB Canda
if the lift is running, I don't think they are saving much (any) money by running it at a lower speed.
 

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,178
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
High wind storms, with various forms of precipitation for many hours can often cause some havoc with modern, sensor heavy lifts, and may take a day or 2 post storm to full clean and/or dry out....

I'd much rather have a lifts with multiple safety redundancy systems in place, even if it means some reduced capacity operations at times, than not...
 

john1200c

New member
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
124
Points
0
Location
MA
High wind storms, with various forms of precipitation for many hours can often cause some havoc with modern, sensor heavy lifts, and may take a day or 2 post storm to full clean and/or dry out....

I'd much rather have a lifts with multiple safety redundancy systems in place, even if it means some reduced capacity operations at times, than not...

Makes sense as this was after the storms...
 

Jully

Active member
Joined
Dec 13, 2014
Messages
2,487
Points
38
Location
Boston, MA
For many fixed grips I believe it actually costs MORE electricity and it isn't great for the lift to run it at slower speeds. HSQs are different, but a fixed grip (especially older one) will not run at slower speeds to save money.
 

SIKSKIER

New member
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Messages
3,667
Points
0
Location
Bedford and Franconia NH
Interesting as I just happened to check the cam 10 minutes ago and was way impressed at how fast the lift was running.Faster than I have ever noticed on the cam previously.
 

john1200c

New member
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
124
Points
0
Location
MA
For many fixed grips I believe it actually costs MORE electricity and it isn't great for the lift to run it at slower speeds. HSQs are different, but a fixed grip (especially older one) will not run at slower speeds to save money.

I probably never really noticed the speed before. I was by myself on most of the rides Sunday...it obviously gave me too much time to over think the situation..
 

john1200c

New member
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
124
Points
0
Location
MA
Interesting as I just happened to check the cam 10 minutes ago and was way impressed at how fast the lift was running.Faster than I have ever noticed on the cam previously.

I agree both mountains look fine right now...this concludes my paranoid rant!!!
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,329
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
I am not usually a conspiracy theorist but... On Saturday I was at Wildcat and for the first couple of hours the HSQ was turning at a very slow speed. I asked one of the attendants what was up and he said something about a bad sensor. At 11:00 it started running faster, not sure if full speed but better. On Sunday the snow report for Attitash said the Flying Yankee was down for mechanical reasons. So I decided to start my day on Bear side only to find that the Flying Bear was also down for mechanical issues. I never saw a maintenance person looking at the lifts either day. The fixed grips chairs seemed to be running slower than their usual slow pace. Then around 11 both HSQ came online, albeit nowhere near full speed. I heard somebody ask what the deal was on the slow flying Bear and the attendant muttered "er..we had a mechanical issue earlier".. I'm thinking that they are tying to save $ on electricity but would lift speed make a material difference? Perhaps I just need to be more patient..

Highly doubt it is cost cutting.
 

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,178
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
Lack of lift attendants?


More the the age old debate about how many lift mechanics/teams of lift mechanics is adequate for a ski area that has many lifts vs the costs associated with staffing for these far and away minority amount of times that multiple teams are needed???

I'm sure that each resort would have a different answer for this question based on their own specific set of circumstances....
 

Glenn

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
7,691
Points
38
Location
CT & VT
I've noticed some mountains will run their high-speeds at about 75% midweek. Has to save some juice.
 
Top