Chair falls off lift at Camelback

[skithetrees]

I would think running the lift super slow with a tech on that tower is safer than a rope evac. Having been rope evacuated in the past, that is not an experience I would feel safe doing with my young kids. I felt fine, but would be very nervous with young kids. The thoughts on a surging drive seem like a good bet to my Monday morning quarterback self. Curious if someone with more knowledge here could explain exactly how that would happen.

 

[PAabe]

If camelback gets their dicks kicked in with some massive lawsuit wonder if they entertain an offer to sell to the Saudi King up the road with that other water park hotel. Heard that dude wanted a ski area

big rumors going on paskiandride about Blue mountain sale to camelback owners (not operator), I wonder if this would have any effect on that
I for one would not be too excited about Blue being under the same owners as camelback amusement park

 

[jaywbigred]

Any update on this? Did the dad and kids do okay at the hospital? I've been hoping to hear positive news.

 

[PAabe]

From what I understand, they are doing an investigation with the state but they said results would not be released to the public which is kind of lame. The lift wasn't open the rest of the season but you could see them testing it on the webcam.

I think it was mentioned earlier in this thread, I have seen no update, but the injuries included broken bones, bruised lung, and concussion which is definitely bad but could have been much worse I would say

 

[Domeskier]

From what I understand, they are doing an investigation with the state but they said results would not be released to the public which is kind of lame.

Especially if Camelback is found to be at fault. Everything will become public once the inevitable lawsuit is filed, however.

 

[urungus]

What’s going on at Camelback ?

Latest news: https://www.pahomepage.com/news/cam...ospital-after-being-run-over-by-snow-groomer/

Two months after the chairlift accident discussed in this thread, there was also incident on the zip line: https://www.phillyvoice.com/cameback-mountain-girl-injured-zip-line-fall-poconos/

 

[JoeB-Z]

Emulating Mountain Creek Traction Park. I taught for a few weeks at Vernon Valley and quit over safety issues, I think the amusement park mentality of these places catches up with them. Safety has to be a cult. I worked as an armament engineer and in 45 years we had never had a lost time accident at the range.

 

[ne_skier]

What’s going on at Camelback ?

Latest news: https://www.pahomepage.com/news/cam...ospital-after-being-run-over-by-snow-groomer/

Two months after the chairlift accident discussed in this thread, there was also incident on the zip line: https://www.phillyvoice.com/cameback-mountain-girl-injured-zip-line-fall-poconos/

KSL, the penny-pinching Floridian resort chain can’t run a ski area properly? Who would’ve guessed

 

[PAabe]

These KSL cats with the buyout now are responsible for Blue Mountain's mobs of people, ice glaciers, choke points, and high-mileage lifts.

I might be a bit uneasy going up the quad or sixer there next year if I show up

 

[Domeskier]

Looks like this lift is getting replace with a bubble six: https://liftblog.com/2022/04/01/new-six-packs-coming-to-blue-mountain-and-camelback/

Blue Mountain's getting one too. I sure hope they ordered heated seats and tablets for them.

 

[PAabe]

The bubble was proposed before but I don't think it is a great fit. Good for marketing, sure. Not necessary for a 4 minute ride up the top on a 40 degree day, annoying to be looking through at night, and they'll get scratched and the tar beat out of them by the clientele, especially at night.

 

[PAabe]

Blue one is interesting, I do agree that the intersection there can be dangerous at the bottom of vista/burma. Not sure that dumping out 50% more skiers at the top will improve the intersections at Blue in general though. Also curious if this will affect their early and late season operations, since main street holds snow better than the valley.

 

[Domeskier]

Yeah, bubbles in the time of covid are hard for me to get behind. I could see early season at Blue being affected if they need to blow snow down to the valley to open anything but the Vista chair. I don't see it affecting late season much. I have never seen them close with just the upper mountain open. I'm happy they are finally replacing the Main Street doubles, but I wish they kept the same footprint to make it easier to lap Barney's without going to the valley.

 

[PAabe]

Yeah the doubles are slow but I always liked not having to do the run out at the bottom - the the awful weaving crowd going down it, the terrible snow surface as a result, and then having to traverse that flat area again on the way up the lift, which stops a dozen times on the way up since they cant figure out how to load six people across a lift at once - I always found it just as fast to take the doubles, especially if there is any sort of line at the bottom

Yeah, bubbles in the time of covid are hard for me to get behind. I could see early season at Blue being affected if they need to blow snow down to the valley to open anything but the Vista chair. I don't see it affecting late season much. I have never seen them close with just the upper mountain open. I'm happy they are finally replacing the Main Street doubles, but I wish they kept the same footprint to make it easier to lap Barney's without going to the valley.

 

[ne_skier]

Agreed, the bubbles on the Camelback lift is simply a PR stunt and will likely prove to be more of an annoyance to staff and skiers than it would help them. The bubbles themselves will likely wind up being scratched/stickered to hell, and given the 4-minute lift ride their usefulness will likely be limited.

I haven't been to Camelback since 2018 so I can't really judge, but there is a legitimate question on how this will affect crowding. Trails like Honeymoon were usually jam-packed, but otherwise, it wasn't horrible. If it's worse today, perhaps they could try to "fix" this issue by getting rid of the adjacent Bailey double, however that would likely end up biting them in the ass on sellout days or during wind closures, an issue that the aforementioned bubbles would exacerbate.

The next project Camelback will likely embark upon will be replacing the Marc Antony and Cleopatra lifts with one fixed quad. Marc Antony is a 1982 Borvig double without any recent modifications to my knowledge. Cleo was originally built in 1964, one year after the resort's opening, however everything except the tower tubes was replaced with Borvig parts in 1992. When I frequented Camelback, Marc Antony would run 10:30 to 6 on weekends and holidays, while seeing Cleo run was extremely rare. According to the snow reports, I saw this past season, I don't believe either lift ran (if someone knows otherwise please correct me), and being old Borvigs their time is likely coming.

 

[IceEidolon]

If Blue's putting a new liftline down the dead space between Valley School and Terrain Run, maybe they'll also make a cut-through to get some traffic off Shuttle?

If Blue's short on snowmaking firepower, they just need to automate either Easy Out or Come Around - either would free up enough air (12 guns converted from 525 CFM Spraying Systems Snowjet to 250 CFM BoraxN 3m) to cover Terrain Run 50/50 with BoraxN 6m and low E towers like Burma/Coming Soon. If they want all Borax, convert both upper mountain trails.

If I had to guess, though, they'll install mostly or only low E towers, just spaced a little tighter than Burma and with some manual hydrants in between, just in case - and then they can run that entire trail instead of two old school poleguns.

I'll be curious to see the final alignment and how they handle the traffic changes it'll require.

As for Camelback, the marketing value of the only bubble lift in the region is pretty big - not that they have the capacity to serve the existing demand on busy days. I'm more curious who'll roll out more substantial snowmaking improvements - Blue's believed in automation since the 90s (Paradise), Camelback has been on the low E train about as long. Now Blue's putting up low E guns and Camelback is adding HKD automation.

 

[Domeskier]

As for Camelback, the marketing value of the only bubble lift in the region is pretty big.

They'd have to define the region very narrowly - Blue's new lift will have bubbles, too.

 

[drjeff]

Bubbles are GREAT when a liquid precipitation event rolls through.

If I am not mistaken, those type of storms will roll through there numerous times during a typical season.

 

[Domeskier]

Bubbles are GREAT when a liquid precipitation event rolls through.

If I am not mistaken, those type of storms will roll through there numerous times during a typical season.

That is true. However, both Camelback and Blue like to close up shop entirely or shut down early on days (including weekends!) when significant rain is in the forecast. Maybe the bubbles will change this practice??

 

[Not Sure]

That is true. However, both Camelback and Blue like to close up shop entirely or shut down early on days (including weekends!) when significant rain is in the forecast. Maybe the bubbles will change this practice??

Pretty much a waste of money. The only benefit I can see is a fresh snow melting off the upper chair dripping on my head and legs, first world problem
The Valley chairs at Blue are great for lapping Barneys ,the main st side doesn’t get very crazy line wise. The downside is the seats are very uncomfortable and suck when it’s really cold.
Should be interesting.