First NE bubble chair?

[Smellytele]

With all the "excitement" last year about the Bluebird at Mt. Snow. I didn't realize that it wasn't the first "bubble chair" in New England. Does anyone where the first one was?

 

[Masskier]

It might of been Mt Snow, many years ago ( 70's)??

 

[Nick]

they had another bubble chair?

My first bubble chair experience was actually in the summer while paragliding in Stubaital. It was only a 2 seater though and the orange bubble was so scratched up it was like going up the mountain in a plastic bag. No heat or music or anything either. Geez.

 

[drjeff]

With all the "excitement" last year about the Bluebird at Mt. Snow. I didn't realize that it wasn't the first "bubble chair" in New England. Does anyone where the first one was?

As "scary" as this sounds, and it's a sure sign that time does really fly by when one is having fun, this season will actually be the 4th year of operation for the Bluebird at Mount Snow

Mount Snow did used to have 2 skis on "bubble" chairs back in the 70's that operated into the mid 80's. One of them basically ran along what it now the Ego Alley Triple chair line to a point about 2/3rds of the way up the mountain and the other ran basically along the line that the current Grand Summit Express runs now from the base area to the summit. I've actually been a Mount Snow skier long enough that I did ride the base to summit "gondola" before it was taken out and replaced by the then known as "Yankee Clipper" HSQ (since renamed as the Grand Summit Express HSQ). It was basically a detachable double chair that had sliding "doors" that wrapped around the front of the chair that you closed and opened your self. There's still a few of them around the Mount Snow area at various restaurants and even one that has been "restored" and mounted on a display stand in the Mount Snow base area that you can sit on/in and see how it operated back in the day

 

[WoodCore]

Bubble chairs existed in the 60's at Windham, Onset/Bobcat (aka Crotched Mtn), Mount Snow and a few others that I can't confirm. Not sure which one was first but Mount Snow would be my guess.

 

[Smellytele]

I knew of the Onset/Bobcat (aka Crotched Mtn) back from the late 60's. Not sure when Snow had their other ones nor did I know about Windham.

 

[4aprice]

Not NE but Vernon Valley (aka Mountain Creek) had one back in the 70's. Unfortunately it didn't last too long as a lot of the Bubbles got destroyed.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[WoodCore]

Windham's bubble chair.......

http://www.chairlift.org/pics/windham/wind7.jpg

 

[DoublePlanker]

The Mount Snore "bubbles" closed around you instead of a safety bar. They were awful lifts.

 

[steamboat1]

I know I rode the bubble chair at Windham. They were great for safety meetings.

 

[jaytrem]

The Mount Snore "bubbles" closed around you instead of a safety bar. They were awful lifts.

Mt Snow actualy had 5 enclosed lifts at one point (6 if you count the aircar). 2 were the skis-on-godolas as described above. The other three were regular doubles with the standard pull down bubbles. I don't remember the bubbles 1st hand at all but there is a picture of me with one in the back ground. So I'm guessing at least one lasted until around 1974-75, not sure when they were installed.

 

[steamboat1]

According to chairlifts.org the Windham bubble was installed in 63. The Mt. Snow bubble 64.

 

[Nick]

That Windham bubble looks like the one I was talking about in Stubaital. although googling now it looks like that lift (Elferbahn) has been replaced with a Gondola.

 

[Madroch]

I remember the pull down bubbles at mt snow- I think one was #9 (snow dance) one may have been #15 (canyon) and I think maybe #7 (sundance)

 

[SIKSKIER]

I skied Onset when it was first installed in 1969.Its the only one I've been on.Don't know if others work like that one but what I liked about it was it was a two piece unit.You could have the bottom half down and lift the bubble open when not needed.This Onset brochure was actually a pic of Windhams bubble.