Bubble lift opinions

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

There is no question that putting a bubble down increases Covid risk. It doesn't equate to indoors, but is probably like sharing a car with external fan on and windows up.

 

[Smellytele]

I haven't ridden a bubble lift since we went to Onset (now Crotched) a few times when I was a little kid. What's the ventilation like with the bubble down? I'm thinking about COVID risk.

Was that a double that closed from the sides?

 

[abc]

There is no question that putting a bubble down increases Covid risk. It doesn't equate to indoors, but is probably like sharing a car with external fan on and windows up.

I think a car is a lot worse than a large open floor plan office, or even a mall.

There’s such a small space. If you’re unlucky to be sharing that tiny space with someone who’s breathing out virus, you’re going to get quite a big share of it into yours…

(having just ‘recovered’ from a nearly asymptomatic infection — tested positive but just a head cold, I personally consider Covid “over”, over for more than a year now for me)

 

[drjeff]

I think a car is a lot worse than a large open floor plan office, or even a mall.

There’s such a small space. If you’re unlucky to be sharing that tiny space with someone who’s breathing out virus, you’re going to get quite a big share of it into yours…

(having just ‘recovered’ from a nearly asymptomatic infection — tested positive but just a head cold, I personally consider Covid “over”, over for more than a year now for me)

Glad your symptoms were fairly minimal and you are feeling better!

I just wish that so many more would adopt your point of view that Covid is "over" and get back to living their lives fully rather than living their lives fearfully

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

Glad your symptoms were fairly minimal and you are feeling better!

I just wish that so many more would adopt your point of view that Covid is "over" and get back to living their lives fully rather than living their lives fearfully

The risk would not lead me to keep a bubble up on a cold and windy day, I'm just answering the question.

But yeah - a car or bubble lift shared with one infected person would be riskier than a large indoor space like a mall shared with one infected person.

 

[abc]

I just wish that so many more would adopt your point of view that Covid is "over" and get back to living their lives fully rather than living their lives fearfully

Everyone I know are living their life fully. But that doesn’t equate life “back” to the old ways. Some choose to wear mask indoors. Others limit the length of time indoors depending on the number of people and the air flow... etc. That is not mutually exclusive to living life fully!

We know Covid is still there, spreading among us. A few will get really sick, either due to their underlying health issues, or just a bad turn of the fortune wheel. Some may even die. That, is life “back to normal”! As we knew it before, as always.

Just because I go skiing, doesn’t mean I want to jump off cliffs. I have releasable bindings to help reduce the risk to my knees if I fall. So why begrudge people who wear mask or keep the bubble up? They prefer to reduce the risk of catching Covid! That’s not due to fear. It’s just rational risk reduction. I care more about my knee than my catching Covid. But I bet you care about not having your bare unhelmeted head knocked about too! Is that living life to the fullest? Are you living in fear when you put on a helmet? If so, who are you to judge someone wearing a freaking mask while you wear a helmet?

I don’t know anyone who are afraid to go out.

Frankly, those who refuse to live life the way it was pre-pandemic, I wonder it maybe because they never like the way it was after all! Covid is what allows them to live life the way they always wished! For example, those who refuse to go out and stop attending all the obligatory “social interaction” are really doing because they like it that way, without being call a recluse. It maybe easier to use Covid as an excuse?

The best example is myself. I live my life to the fullest. I ski, I kayak, I travel. But I don’t go back to the office 5 days a week! Instead, I attend meeting on the computer, which is equally effective. The way I work now is what I had always wanted for the past 20 years! It took a pandemic for it to become a reality. I’m not giving it up any more!

My company‘s upper management is trying to hint that it’s “safe” to go back to the office. (except the first large in person meeting I attended was last week, 1 day before I experienced symptom! Now everyone — 30+ of my co-workers are probably wondering if they might caught covid it from me!) There’s absolutely no benefit to be in the office in person! A whole lot of negatives instead, the commute, the time and cost. So trying to label my not showing up in the office as “living in fear” is just bad excuse. If the push comes to shove, I’ll look for another job! Living in fear my ass!

 

[jaytrem]

Was that a double that closed from the sides?

I think Crotched had a "regular" bubble. The only ones that closed from the side in the US that I know of were at Mount Snow and Beech. Mount Snow also had 3 or 4 of the "regular" bubbles.

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

I think Crotched had a "regular" bubble. The only ones that closed from the side in the US that I know of were at Mount Snow and Beech. Mount Snow also had 3 or 4 of the "regular" bubbles.

I'm confused. Mount Snow has one bubble lift.
And what does "closed from the side" mean?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I'm confused. MountnSnow has one bubble lift.
And what does "closed from the side" mean?

Prob referring to this…

 

[jaytrem]

Prob referring to this…

View attachment 55488

Indeed, I still miss those lifts. I think the should go retro and convert Ego back.

 

[skimagic]

Indeed, I still miss those lifts. I think the should go retro and convert Ego back.

Those were pretty cool lifts, the only problem was that the wind would blow into the bubble from the footrest , through the bubble and out the back window, making a mini wind tunnel.

Is there any kind of plan for the ego lift and lift house? Does it even run anymore?

 

[jaytrem]

Those were pretty cool lifts, the only problem was that the wind would blow into the bubble from the footrest , through the bubble and out the back window, making a mini wind tunnel.

Is there any kind of plan for the ego lift and lift house? Does it even run anymore?

No clue on plans. It runs most weekends during the prime season and is also very useful on windy days or days when the detachables are iced up. We usually use it a few times a day when the GSE is a little too crowded. It will be interesting to see if the GSE lines are shorter this year due to the new Sundance lift.

 

[drjeff]

Those were pretty cool lifts, the only problem was that the wind would blow into the bubble from the footrest , through the bubble and out the back window, making a mini wind tunnel.

Is there any kind of plan for the ego lift and lift house? Does it even run anymore?

Heard from the race coaches that the left side of the "barn" that the ego lift ends in, and used to be a start house for racing YEARS ago, was closed off this past off season due to structural issues with the floor (it was a space where the race department stored all of their b-net rolls as well as mtn ops stored a bunch of the barrels they use during load testing of lifts) the side that the top terminal of the lift uses has been up kept by past owners to a much higher degree over the years. So who knows, something might actually happen to that structure in the coming years.

The lift is mainly used for the race team if they're training on Ego, as a "secondary" lift during busy times, and occasionally as the primary lift out of the main base area in times when either de-icing of the detachables are needed or some wind hold situations.

As that lift continues to age, when it does reach the end of its functional lifespan (which my guess will be due to the lattice style lift towers not the lift drive system) I will be curious to see what, if any, replacement option will be. The mountain doesn't often need that lift, but when they do, it certainly can play a crucial role in getting people out of the main base area and distributing around the mountain

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

Super glad for the bubble with no lines for it at Okemo as cold as it is roday. Not gonna do many if any runs off other lifts.

 

[JimG.]

Heard from the race coaches that the left side of the "barn" that the ego lift ends in, and used to be a start house for racing YEARS ago, was closed off this past off season due to structural issues with the floor (it was a space where the race department stored all of their b-net rolls as well as mtn ops stored a bunch of the barrels they use during load testing of lifts) the side that the top terminal of the lift uses has been up kept by past owners to a much higher degree over the years. So who knows, something might actually happen to that structure in the coming years.

The lift is mainly used for the race team if they're training on Ego, as a "secondary" lift during busy times, and occasionally as the primary lift out of the main base area in times when either de-icing of the detachables are needed or some wind hold situations.

As that lift continues to age, when it does reach the end of its functional lifespan (which my guess will be due to the lattice style lift towers not the lift drive system) I will be curious to see what, if any, replacement option will be. The mountain doesn't often need that lift, but when they do, it certainly can play a crucial role in getting people out of the main base area and distributing around the mountain

I wish they would run that lift all the time I think the woods next to Ego Alley are the best at Mt. Snow, all due respect to the Trials.

 

[JimG.]

Super glad for the bubble with no lines for it at Okemo as cold as it is roday. Not gonna do many if any runs off other lifts.

Much respect to you just to be outside yesterday and/or today.

As for bubble lifts, as long as they go to the top of ski terrain I'm all for them.

 

[heiusa]

Today was definitely a bubble day at Killington

 

[boston_e]

Glad your symptoms were fairly minimal and you are feeling better!

I just wish that so many more would adopt your point of view that Covid is "over" and get back to living their lives fully rather than living their lives fearfully

Eh - bubble up or down doesn’t really seem to have much bearing on living life to the fullest or not.