Chair Accident at Heavenly

[thetrailboss]

Sounds like an empty chair fell off the North Bowl Lift, a Riblet, yesterday morning at 10:58 prompting the closure and evac of the lift.

http://www.rgj.com/story/life/outdo...ed-heavenly-chair-lift-after-mishap/78245864/

Nobody hurt.

Anyone from Tahoe have anything to report?

 

[skiNEwhere]

Didn't this happen at bachelor last season as well? What is going on?

 

[nycskier]

The Northbowl chair is old and very slow.

 

[snoseek]

Vail really needs to adress infrastucture issues at both heavenly and kirkwood. Many very old chairs that need help

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[doublediamond]

The Northbowl chair is old and very slow.

475 fpm isn't slow for a triple. That's fairly standard.

 

[millerm277]

Vail really needs to adress infrastucture issues at both heavenly and kirkwood. Many very old chairs that need help

It's not like chairs have some defined upper limit on lifespan, ski lifts are rarely replaced just to build a new one unless it was a weird one off that they can no longer get parts for easily (Ex: Adirondack Express @ Gore) or something with a design or structural problem.

On that note, I personally have always wondered about the safety of the Riblet grip design. (woven into the haul rope rather than gripping the cable).

 

[Bene288]

Definitely some ratty chairs between Heavenly and Kirkwood. Not sure if I've ever taken that one though.

Just looked into the Riblet design, quite interesting from an engineering stand point. But looks vulnerable.

 

[WoodCore]

Same thing happened on the summit lift at Black Mtn NH last year. Another Riblet with the inserted clips.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I was on the Lynx double at wildcat sometime in the late 90's when the haul rope slipped off the depression sheave train at the first tower. Had to get lift evac'ed in that case as well.

I'm almost positive that lift was a riblet They were great chairlifts for their time, but the company stopped operations in 2002, and most chairlifts still in existence are pushing 50 years old.

Riblet mostly produced doubles. Triples such as this (or quads) are much more rare. Makes me wonder is there's not as much longevity in larger capacity lifts

 

[deadheadskier]

Bobcat triple is a Riblet. Lynx triple is CTEC. Both installed during the 80s.

Maybe you are referring to the old Catapult double chair that went to the summit? I only started skiing Wildcat in 2007, so I wasn't around for the summit double. I believe I've read it was a Riblet.

 

[deadheadskier]

Never mind. I wrongly assumed the Lynx chair came out when Tomcat went in. My bad

http://www.newenglandskihistory.com/NewHampshire/wildcatmtn.php

 

[Puck it]

I never looked at Riblet's attachment.

 

[jaytrem]

About 10 years ago they wanted to replace that lift with a HSQ with a mid-station to combine it with Olympic. I think there were some old trees in the way that some folks were opposed to cutting down. So they only upgraded the Olympic lift. They're due for a new lift, I bet that one comes soon. Maybe combine it with Boulder with mid-station. Always thought that would be a better idea anyway.

 

[marcski]

Pictures within:

http://www.grindtv.com/skiing/skier...ter-chair-falls-off-lift/#8MI6aPAVPFq5DUjH.97

 

[Quietman]

Riblet mostly produced doubles. Triples such as this (or quads) are much more rare. Makes me wonder is there's not as much longevity in larger capacity lifts

I rode the Riblet Quad(Valley lift) at Crotched on Sunday and noted the different grip system. It's nice no to have the thumping every time the grip goes over the sheave wheels. And I almost forgot, the old "summit" quad at Crotched was also a Riblet that is now at Hidden Valley MO.

 

[thetrailboss]

I never looked at Riblet's attachment.

That is crazy.

 

[Monica]

I wish I could ski everyday so I could become a better skier

 

[nycskier]

About 10 years ago they wanted to replace that lift with a HSQ with a mid-station to combine it with Olympic. I think there were some old trees in the way that some folks were opposed to cutting down. So they only upgraded the Olympic lift. They're due for a new lift, I bet that one comes soon. Maybe combine it with Boulder with mid-station. Always thought that would be a better idea anyway.

Replacing the Boulder and North Bowl chairs with HSQ would dramatically change (and improve) Heavenly. There is some great terrain off of North Bowl. The glades on the far end of it by the burn is really awesome and you can always find fresh snow there even a few days after a storm. A lot of people wont drop into it because they dont want to suffer the slow 15 minute ride up the North Bowl chair.

Ski Patrol, locals and folks who work at Heavenly will actually take the shuttle bus to Stagecoach from the bottom of Boulder rather than ride the Boulder and North Bowl chair up because the shuttle bus + Stagecoach chair is actually a faster way up the mountain. People dont park at Boulder or use the lodge as much because getting back up takes so long. Putting HSQ there would totally make Boulder a much more usable lodge and parking spot.

 

[snoseek]

Well i spent all day lapping stagecoach to Olympic to the burn and shuttle back to stage. As far as im concerened this is the best secret going right now....zero tracks really. I hope its done for the year.

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[snoseek]

Also i personally dread boulder and north bowl going high speed lifts. All that good terrain will be tracked up fast by tourist, its the last part of heavenly where we can consistently ski untracked and park slope side. That would just make it like the rest of heavenly and i can promise you vail will fuck up all those good trees. Kinda like they did to stagecoach.

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