• 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!

What the heck is going on at Magic?

Do Work

Active member
Joined
Aug 6, 2015
Messages
328
Points
28
Good to see the "void" between owners hasn't stopped work, especially on Black. These transactions always take longer than expected!


I'm very happy. It warms the heart to see both parties just have Magic's well being at the forefront of their priorities. Literally every person involved has been so only because they love the place and the continuation of work and plans is testament to that for sure.
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,340
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
from a FB posting indicating work is being done to have Black ready for the season

11923284_10152959875717038_2651355824586023047_o.jpg

To be brutally honest, I would think twice about riding that lift personally. Hopefully the new owners will just outright replace it.
 

Do Work

Active member
Joined
Aug 6, 2015
Messages
328
Points
28
To be brutally honest, I would think twice about riding that lift personally. Hopefully the new owners will just outright replace it.


I hear you. Last I checked there was actually a plan to phase it out and I know the new guys want it replaced but I don't know what their timeline looks like. It still works fine and wouldn't be given the to ahead if it wasnt 100% safe but it's just a frankenlift and it's getting harder and harder to source parts. I'd personally love to see it replaced by a nice quiet fixed grip double. I just don't like it because it's a raised motor chair with no lift shack so it's super loud whereas the red is a sub motor with a shack so it runs almost completely silent. Also the chair pads. I like chair pads haha
 

Savemeasammy

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Messages
2,538
Points
0
Location
S. NH
I'd personally love to see it replaced by a nice quiet fixed grip double.

I'd rather see a triple - or even a quad. IMO, these are more "family friendly", and I think Magic would benefit. They could always space the chairs further to limit capacity if that were an issue.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app
 

Sorcerer

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2006
Messages
157
Points
16
Location
Londonderry, VT
To be brutally honest, I would think twice about riding that lift personally. Hopefully the new owners will just outright replace it.

I think everyone would like to see the lift replaced. I, myself, find it very uncomfortable to ride. In the meantime, a lot of work has been done to keep it going, and the lift inspectors, who are very thorough, check it out every year to make sure it's safe. It was shut done last year because the chairs would not swing easily. That is one of the things currently being worked on and is very time consuming because the "bearings" in each chair have to be replaced.
 

Smellytele

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2006
Messages
9,915
Points
113
Location
Right where I want to be
I'd rather see a triple - or even a quad. IMO, these are more "family friendly", and I think Magic would benefit. They could always space the chairs further to limit capacity if that were an issue.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app

Only family friendly if you have 3 (or 5 or 6). Doesn't help if you have 4 - doubles are better then.
 

Do Work

Active member
Joined
Aug 6, 2015
Messages
328
Points
28
I'd rather see a triple - or even a quad. IMO, these are more "family friendly", and I think Magic would benefit. They could always space the chairs further to limit capacity if that were an issue.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app


Yeah I'm speaking mostly in terms of affordability. Triples and quads get much more expensive. Doubles are easy to come by and relatively inexpensive both in initial purchase terms and also log term cost. If it was dream time I'd say sure, go for it but in real terms if we had the red, the black and the green all as fixed-grip doubles we'd be totally fine IMO. Few moving parts, they run low so they don't go on wind hold and are easily run by relatively few staff.
 

Newpylong

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
4,938
Points
113
Location
Upper Valley, NH
Capacity wise I think a double would be fine but I think you would have a hard time finding a decent used double with that line length and rise. On the other hand, there are plenty of fixed grip quads and triples out there in decent shape that were replaced with high speed quads. For example, the Barnstormer that just came out of Haystack, had the length and with an upgraded motor could handle the rise. Lift was in beautiful shape.

If you go new, the incremental cost going from double to triple to quad is not as high as you would think. In some cases it costs more to make doubles because they are out of production save special orders.
 
Last edited:

Dickc

Active member
Joined
Dec 5, 2013
Messages
567
Points
43
Location
Northeast Mass
After much reading of this thread, and having NEVER been to Magic, I might find some time on a Thursday to venture up there in January or February and see what all the noise is about. Old chairlifts do not bother me as long as they have had their proper inspection and are not located at Sugarloaf......
 

Savemeasammy

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Messages
2,538
Points
0
Location
S. NH
Only family friendly if you have 3 (or 5 or 6). Doesn't help if you have 4 - doubles are better then.

"Better"? No. Serviceable, yes.

My guess is that the more casual skiers out there (i.e. people who do not spend time on ski forums during the summer!) would find these higher capacity chairs more appealing. I know that when all four in our family go skiing, we prefer to ride up together if we can.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app
 

Savemeasammy

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Messages
2,538
Points
0
Location
S. NH
Yeah I'm speaking mostly in terms of affordability. Triples and quads get much more expensive. Doubles are easy to come by and relatively inexpensive both in initial purchase terms and also log term cost. If it was dream time I'd say sure, go for it but in real terms if we had the red, the black and the green all as fixed-grip doubles we'd be totally fine IMO. Few moving parts, they run low so they don't go on wind hold and are easily run by relatively few staff.

Agree. Given the choice between red and a higher capacity black chair, OR a red, black AND green - albeit all doubles, I would opt for that. I know I've said it before, but I believe that green would help to draw - and more importantly, keep - families at Magic


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app
 

slatham

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 17, 2012
Messages
2,413
Points
83
Location
LI/Bromley
Capacity wise I think a double would be fine but I think you would have a hard time finding a decent used double with that line length and rise. On the other hand, there are plenty of fixed grip quads and triples out there in decent shape that were replaced with high speed quads. For example, the Barnstormer that just came out of Haystack, had the length and with an upgraded motor could handle the rise. Lift was in beautiful shape.

If you go new, the incremental cost going from double to triple to quad is not as high as you would think. In some cases it costs more to make doubles because they are out of production save special orders.

I was thinking the same thing. I would also think install cost are same/close whether double/triple/quad. Anyone have any hard data or real experience on this - and the above?

In the end it may simply come down to what lifts are available when Magic decides to take the plunge.
 

Smellytele

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2006
Messages
9,915
Points
113
Location
Right where I want to be
"Better"? No. Serviceable, yes.

My guess is that the more casual skiers out there (i.e. people who do not spend time on ski forums during the summer!) would find these higher capacity chairs more appealing. I know that when all four in our family go skiing, we prefer to ride up together if we can.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app

I was thinking of a triple where the whole family couldn't fit. I have 5 so a triple is a lot better than a double and about the same as a quad.
 
Top