....Killington = EPIC FAIL!!!!

Geoff · Jul 8, 2011

The link to the Killington Insider page:
http://www.killington.com/winter/beast/blog/authors/tom/summer-improvement-projects-under

I'm actually kind of happy about this. South Ridge is going to have a great surface this winter. If you know how to navigate the mountain, it's pretty easy to grab 2 or 3 runs there every day without it feeling like it's a huge detour.

millerm277 · Jul 10, 2011

Geoff said:
I'm actually kind of happy about this. South Ridge is going to have a great surface this winter. If you know how to navigate the mountain, it's pretty easy to grab 2 or 3 runs there every day without it feeling like it's a huge detour.

While true, it still makes it a pod of trails that you can't lap, which is rather ridiculous, plus it now makes it impossible to escape from Bear without taking the Skye Peak Quad, unless they reopen the prior GE route for the season.

The way they're going about it says to me that it's insurance/inspection issues, probably their own fault for not maintaining it.

Geoff · Jul 10, 2011

millerm277 said:
While true, it still makes it a pod of trails that you can't lap, which is rather ridiculous, plus it now makes it impossible to escape from Bear without taking the Skye Peak Quad, unless they reopen the prior GE route for the season.

The way they're going about it says to me that it's insurance/inspection issues, probably their own fault for not maintaining it.

...and I'm happy because you're not going to be lapping South Ridge.

Most people won't bother with it.

I can't wait to ski Jug when it's not totally scraped off to rock ledge by the tourists.

And that chair was a 1977 Yan at the end of its service life. It wasn't worth throwing money at it since they already knew it had to be replaced.

skiadikt · Jul 10, 2011

millerm277 said:
While true, it still makes it a pod of trails that you can't lap, which is rather ridiculous, plus it now makes it impossible to escape from Bear without taking the Skye Peak Quad, unless they reopen the prior GE route for the season.

The way they're going about it says to me that it's insurance/inspection issues, probably their own fault for not maintaining it.

not the main reason ... apparently with work to begin shortly on the removal of the peak lodge they felt they'd take advantage of the fact that they'd have the equipment available to also remove the srt at this time. kill two birds with one stone and have a leg up on ultimately replacing it with the snowden quad when that's replaced.

in the interim, the surface quality will be better but there are days when you just want to do laps on those trails. also it provided quick easy to the canyon from bear.

doubt they'd reopen the old ge/crossover route through the stash and across skyeburst again.

Geoff · Jul 10, 2011

skiadikt said:
doubt they'd reopen the old ge/crossover route through the stash and across skyeburst again.

There might be a few days when the Skye Peak Express is totally jammed where they have to. ...or at least they'll look the other way if people go around the fences.

mondeo · Jul 10, 2011

skiadikt said:
not the main reason ... apparently with work to begin shortly on the removal of the peak lodge they felt they'd take advantage of the fact that they'd have the equipment available to also remove the srt at this time. kill two birds with one stone and have a leg up on ultimately replacing it with the snowden quad when that's replaced.

in the interim, the surface quality will be better but there are days when you just want to do laps on those trails. also it provided quick easy to the canyon from bear.

doubt they'd reopen the old ge/crossover route through the stash and across skyeburst again.

Problem is the Dew Tour. Peak season, at Skye, and the crossover has to be blocked.

Sucks for anyone who starts at Bear and skis the Canyon a lot, especially with as packed as the SPQ already got. Hopefully it's only two seasons and they immediately follow up the Peak Lodge with Snowdon.

drewfidelic · Jul 12, 2011

It's a shame that they're removing this lift, because it is so odd and unique. But I can certainly understand not sinking money into a lift that's due to be replaced and not absolutely essential for operations.

millerm277 · Jul 12, 2011

drewfidelic said:
It's a shame that they're removing this lift, because it is so odd and unique. But I can certainly understand not sinking money into a lift that's due to be replaced and not absolutely essential for operations.

In all honesty, it's not like they would have needed to "sink money" into this lift to wind up with it not "reaching the end of it's service life". They just needed to paint it.

Now, the painting would probably cost $20-40k, but that's a lot less than having to replace a lift. Considering the limited use the lift gets, there's no reason that I see that it actually needs to be mechanically replaced with proper maintenance, there are plenty of similar vintage Yans running out west daily. (Kirkwood is practically made of Yan lifts, for one).

bvibert · Jul 12, 2011

millerm277 said:
In all honesty, it's not like they would have needed to "sink money" into this lift to wind up with it not "reaching the end of it's service life". They just needed to paint it.

Now, the painting would probably cost $20-40k, but that's a lot less than having to replace a lift. Considering the limited use the lift gets, there's no reason that I see that it actually needs to be mechanically replaced with proper maintenance, there are plenty of similar vintage Yans running out west daily. (Kirkwood is practically made of Yan lifts, for one).

That's along the lines of what I was thinking... That 1977 wasn't all that old for a lift that's been maintained.

thetrailboss · Jul 12, 2011

millerm277 said:
In all honesty, it's not like they would have needed to "sink money" into this lift to wind up with it not "reaching the end of it's service life". They just needed to paint it.

Now, the painting would probably cost $20-40k, but that's a lot less than having to replace a lift. Considering the limited use the lift gets, there's no reason that I see that it actually needs to be mechanically replaced with proper maintenance, there are plenty of similar vintage Yans running out west daily. (Kirkwood is practically made of Yan lifts, for one).

True. Assuming that the bullwheel was fixed (the only real serious issue with Yan fixed grips), and that it was maintained, that lift could have gone a lot longer.

bigbob · Jul 12, 2011

My guess is due to the jerking motion transmitted to the grips and chair basket, cracks were found during the inspection and management felt it would be to costly to retrofit.
I have a crappy cell phone pictures of supposedly replaced tower tops showing sheave trains on both sides of the tower on the return side of the chair. It may run again. I cannot verify the location of where the picture was taken so I will not post. I may have some better pictures soon.

bobbutts · Jul 12, 2011

the top is flat, mid-station busted, slow, long ride, hardly ran
the lift sucked, but clearly a sucky lift is better than no lift

Glenn · Jul 13, 2011

Wonder if it was just easier to to take it down and sell it. Maybe it's more of a "break even" situation.

drjeff · Jul 13, 2011

This makes me both sad that it's coming down for a host of forementioned reasons, but also glad that I got to ride it and have my 7 year old daughter experience "the turn" last February. I still haven't told her that what she described as "the coolest chairlift ever" won't be there anymore

Highway Star · Jul 13, 2011

bigbob said:
My guess is due to the jerking motion transmitted to the grips and chair basket, cracks were found during the inspection and management felt it would be to costly to retrofit.
I have a crappy cell phone pictures of supposedly replaced tower tops showing sheave trains on both sides of the tower on the return side of the chair. It may run again. I cannot verify the location of where the picture was taken so I will not post. I may have some better pictures soon.

COOL STORY BRO.

Post the pic.

deadheadskier · Jul 13, 2011

it's 2011 Highway Star it's "Cool Story Hansel". "Bro" is 1999. At least update to "Brah"

thetrailboss · Jul 13, 2011

bobbutts said:
the top is flat, mid-station busted, slow, long ride, hardly ran
the lift sucked, but clearly a sucky lift is better than no lift

+ 1. It never really did what they wanted it to do. IIRC Pres Smith saw a triangle lift in Europe and HAD TO HAVE ONE. The reason was that it would serve beginner terrain for early season skiing and allow folks to load at the midstation to avoid skiing lower. Well, it didn't really work out that way so there was no need for the mid station. I would be interested to see what they do because it is an area that is underused and could compliment the Glades Triple.

SkiDork · Jul 13, 2011

he had to have it purely for the cool factor when going around the turn? Because they certainly could have reversed it and made the turn on the down side with no passngers...

thetrailboss · Jul 13, 2011

SkiDork said:
he had to have it purely for the cool factor when going around the turn? Because they certainly could have reversed it and made the turn on the down side with no passngers...

I think that the turn station was for loading actually, or meant to be used for loading.

Black Phantom · Jul 13, 2011

thetrailboss said:
+ 1. It never really did what they wanted it to do. IIRC Pres Smith saw a triangle lift in Europe and HAD TO HAVE ONE. The reason was that it would serve beginner terrain for early season skiing and allow folks to load at the midstation to avoid skiing lower. Well, it didn't really work out that way so there was no need for the mid station. I would be interested to see what they do because it is an area that is underused and could compliment the Glades Triple.

Underused?

....Killington = EPIC FAIL!!!!

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