Unofficial Networks Ranks the Top Ten Lifts in the World; Your East Top 10?

[thetrailboss]

Can't speak for most but I do like this lift...

In terms of terrain served, vertical, capacity, acreage served, and coolness. At least that is what UON seems to use.

 

[skiberg]

In terms of terrain served, vertical, capacity, acreage served, and coolness. At least that is what UON seems to use.

Canon tram, MRG single, Smuggs summit lift, Mt Orford summit quad, Stowe summit quad, Wildcat summit quad, Jay tram. I'm stuck can't think of any others that offer similar continuous Vert. and terrain.

 

[steamboat1]

Slide Brook Express at Sugarbush. I believe it's the longest chairlift in the world or at least in North America. If you jump off in the middle (which many do) it accesses some awesome terrain & acreage. As for the coolness factor I think it's the coolest lift in the east. Since it loads both ways I would imagine it blows anything else away as far as capacity.

 

[steamboat1]

Surprised the Peak to Peak lift at Whistler/Blackcomb wasn't mentioned either.

 

[drjeff]

Mount Snow will have a nominee then in a few months.

The Bluebird Express will serve literally every trail on the entire mountain with the exception of 1 (Bear Trap), for the majority of their customer base, that's some pretty good terrain

1600+ vertical feet served - not too shabby for 1 lift ride

500+ acres of terrain - not a small number by any means

And the Blue bubble six pack, glorified flying couch, gets some coolness points for sure.

 

[drjeff]

That's nuts. Imagine building that?

Can you imagine building that building almost 60 years ago?? (let alone today) Totally nuts!! Also on my bucket list of places that I need to goto!

 

[drjeff]

Surprised the Peak to Peak lift at Whistler/Blackcomb wasn't mentioned either.

I was about to post the same thing!

 

[steamboat1]

A couple of others that weren't mentioned in the east are the gondola's at either Mount Tremblant or Mount Sainte Anne. How about the gondola at Le Massiff or for that matter the HSQ that detaches in the middle at Le Massiff to allow for loading further up the mountain.

Both Mount Sainte Anne & Stoneham near Quebec City have had HS bubble quads for years.

Can't forget about our Canadien friends.

 

[drjeff]

I'd also put the Gondola at Ajax (Aspen Mountain) into consideration

 

[WWF-VT]

Slide Brook Express at Sugarbush. I believe it's the longest chairlift in the world or at least in North America. If you jump off in the middle it accesses some awesome terrain & acreage. As for the coolness factor I think it's the coolest lift in the east. Since it loads both ways I would imagine it blows anything else away as far as capacity.

It hardly ranks as a cool lift, but the North Lynx triple at Sugarbush is your gateway to Slidebrook.

 

[skiberg]

Just because their clientele think its good terrain does not make it good terrain. They can build the fastest, coolest couch in the world it will never change what it accesses.

 

[bvibert]

Fastest, longest, and most capacity are all factors that are at the bottom of my list of criteria for cool lifts.

 

[x10003q]

Here are 2 choices from NYS:

The Summit Quad at Whiteface - 4706' length/1830' vert- consistant steeps with amazing views and trails including access to the Slides.

Burnt Ridge HSQ at Gore - 6096' length/ 1432' vert- a superfast ride for super long multiple choice glades.

 

[makimono]

Silver Mountain, ID gondola

Longest gondola (or it used to be anyways) and the only lift I've ever been on that had a full bar in the lift line so you can take a beer or a mixed drink for the ride. :beer:

 

[skiersleft]

Here are 2 choices from NYS:

The Summit Quad at Whiteface - 4706' length/1830' vert- consistant steeps with amazing views and trails including access to the Slides.

Burnt Ridge HSQ at Gore - 6096' length/ 1432' vert- a superfast ride for super long multiple choice glades.

Note how the discussion has turned mostly to the terrain accessed by the lift rather than to the lift itself. The ranking should then be: coolest and most varied terrain accessed by a single lift. The emphasis being mostly about the nature of the terrain, with the "accessed by a single lift" being a side constraint rather than the point of the discussion.

Obviously, once you look at it that way, Skyeship Gondola is out, because the impressive stats about the lift itself are now tangential. What matters the most is the terrain, not the lift. Then the many doubles, triples and quads enter the debate even though there is nothing particularly interesting about the lift itself.

For all of these reasons, I propose the question be rephrased. We're not talking about the top lifts in the east, we are talking about the top terrain in the East that can be accessed by a single lift.

 

[deadheadskier]

Silver Mountain, ID gondola

Longest gondola (or it used to be anyways) and the only lift I've ever been on that had a full bar in the lift line so you can take a beer or a mixed drink for the ride. :beer:

we have a winner :beer:

 

[Smellytele]

It is the access point for the Valle Blanche.

When I was there I wouldn't go near the edge on that deck. There was a drop of about 1500' off one of the sides. The real scary part was when you went to walk out on to the slope. You walked out of the glacier carrying your skis along this "path" that was 2 feet wide, all snow, down a slope and there was a drop of about 1000' on your left and all there was stopping you from plummeting to your death was a metal cable strung across just above knee height.

 

[skiberg]

Thought about the Massif but have not been there in 15 years and they had no top to bottom lift then. Also, while the views are great the terrain is a bit bland with exception of a couple excellent runs.

 

[steamboat1]

It hardly ranks as a cool lift, but the North Lynx triple at Sugarbush is your gateway to Slidebrook.

Many other access points to Slide Brook. I think the Mt. Ellen summit quad offers the most vertical access to Slide Brook. How can you say the Slide Brook Express isn't cool. It goes both uphill & downhill & in the middle going over the actual brook it's got to hang the highest off the ground out of any lift with the exception of a tram.

 

[drjeff]

Just because their clientele think its good terrain does not make it good terrain. They can build the fastest, coolest couch in the world it will never change what it accesses.

I think you you have to consider that as a factor in the real world. If a lift doesn't serve a purpose to one's clientele than what purpose does it really serve?? And just because terrain isn't extreme, doesn't mean that it isn't good terrain. What tends to make a great lift a great lift is that it has that perfect balance of form and function that fits that resort.