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Sunday River Thread

machski

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Well, we got a new water feed line for Snowmaking (long since needed) but Boyne better be all in. Barker only took 2 days before breaking and going down for a weekend this year. That lift needs to be replaced. I recall DB telling me he thought the mountain was broken without Spruce when it failed. I like Spruce being there, but the mountain functioned fine without it one season. However, without Barker, SR is broken (the movement west is horribly hampered). It is suppose to be up early next week but for such a critical lift, it's reliability is a total liability on the mountain now.

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Edd

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Pretty much agree. I hope they bite the bullet and throw in a six pack bubble chair.


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deadheadskier

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One would think that with the high income Boston clientele they try to attract, a Bubble Six should be in their plans to keep up with their competition in VT.

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machski

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I would prefer no bubble on the six. It is under a 5 minute ride, not enough room at base or summit of Barker for a chair barn (for bubble chairs anyway), and the Chondi chairs don't have bubbles and is a longer ride (though the hangar arms do have the attach points for the cable actuation for bubbles). If they do a bubble chair anywhere at SR ever, the only place I think one would fit is Jordan. Plenty of room for a chair barn there (and maybe build in some restrooms and a snack bar too!)

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Razor

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I would prefer no bubble on the six. It is under a 5 minute ride, not enough room at base or summit of Barker for a chair barn (for bubble chairs anyway), and the Chondi chairs don't have bubbles and is a longer ride (though the hangar arms do have the attach points for the cable actuation for bubbles). If they do a bubble chair anywhere at SR ever, the only place I think one would fit is Jordan. Plenty of room for a chair barn there (and maybe build in some restrooms and a snack bar too!)

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As a SR skier since the 70s, I'd settle for a Barker lift that was dependable at this point. Barker is arguably the most important lift in the resort from a skiing standpoint. I'd love to see a bubble 6 pack there having ridden the ones at Big Sky, Okemo and Mt. Snow. From an economic standpoint, I'm not sure one at Jordan would be practicable even though that would be nice. I wonder how much the numerous wind holds at Jordan would effect it. But SR could use a bubble 6 pack to stay with the competition, especially since Killington is getting one now.
 

shwilly

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Another season, another early Barker breakdown. That's frustrating. Last year it ran pretty well after one early issue, so hopefully they'll only need to fix it once this year.

Would anyone else worry that a 6-pack would make that pod of trails too crowded? I'd be OK with a quad that's a bit faster and doesn't break down.
 

Jully

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Odds it is actually fixed Monday and runs through Thanksgiving Weekend? I was originally planning on spending Friday-Sunday in Bethel, but might shift to North Conway with Wildcat 90% open and Barker on the fritz.
 

shwilly

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Interestingly, the mountain report says they have the part and predicts Barker will run tomorrow. At least that would be a quick turnaround.

As for whether it will stay fixed...well...hopefully? I have no special insight into what broke. I'll be up next weekend, so I certainly hope it will be running.
 

machski

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Yes, sounds like they charter flew the part straight into the Bethel Airport yesterday and it got installed and fixed overnight, back up and running today. I had heard it was an electrical component, so hopefully this is a one off. Cudos to the mountain getting it back up in 2 days time. And props too for pushing aggressively on the snowmaking to have Spruce up and running today too just in case. 4 Lifts now and 40 trails with over 200 acres (a lot of that thanks to the first glade open, Last Tango, and the big assist from Ma Nature). Barker still needs to be replaced, but at least they are dedicated to fixing it fast when it does go on the fritz.

One thing I still don't get is why SR, Killington and Mount Snow don't pool their resouurces and have a common stock of parts. K might have their own given they operate 4 of the hybrid Yan-Poma HSQ's, but between the 3 resorts they have 6, and the Yan parts inside them aren't readily stocked or available commercially.

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