Lifts that need replacement

[deadheadskier]

I dont get that. They're 2 different mountains. If anything, the first lift I'd upgrade at Smuggs would be Sterling.

Three thoughts behind that....

Skiers are lemmings for High Speed lifts. Look at Stowe. The Forerunner line can be 20 minutes and there's barely a five minute line on the Lookout Double.

Second thought is that Smuggs markets itself as a family ski area. The best low intermediate "family" terrain on the mountain is off Madonna II.

The combination of those two scenarios would reduce traffic on Sterling, which I think would be a good thing. That terrain gets chewed up quick due to it's traffic. Adding a high speed lift over there would only exasperate that problem. I wouldn't want to see more than a fixed grip triple on Sterling.

 

[4aprice]

My though is that if you move the base of Madonna I up to Link, then more people will need to ride Madonna II to access the base of Madonna I. Madonna II will then have much longer lines, but Madonna I's lines might decrease, or at least the ride will be shorter. Therefore upgrading Madonna II to a high speed quad makes sense. Even if Madonna I remains as is, upgradeing Madonna II will shorten Madonna I's lines as a lot of people would prefer to ride a fast comfortable lift, even if it accesses less interesting terrain.

Again I have not been to Smuggs, but their antique lifts is the main reason why. I am not going to drive over 8 hours round trip to wait in lines all day, and only get 10 or so runs in. The terrain looks awesome, but not worth the drive plus waiting in lines. That is why I think their best strategy would be to upgrade the three other main lifts, Morse, Sterling, and Madonna II, and make Madonna I a Castlerock like pod for classic skiing.

There is only one way to add an upper mountain lift since apparently expansion to the east is verboten. (the ultimate being up Morse and over to Whiteface). Take the Madonna II chair and move its terminus over to the top of the corner where Chilcoot bends back toward the base, run something up the ridge to the summit or top of Catwalk. (you can almost access everything from there). Madonna has and always will be subject to closures. There's your chance for a HS lift, along with Sterling if its going to be done (not my personal choice). It would end a little higher then the current MII and I believe there is some terrain to open below the Chilcoot Corner dropping down Morse toward Mid Madonna. Leave Madonna I as is.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[BeefyBoy50]

I figured this was relevant:
http://www.newenglandskihistory.com/skiareaexpansions/Vermont/smugglersnotch/whitefacemtn.php

 

[Savemeasammy]

Three thoughts behind that....

Skiers are lemmings for High Speed lifts. Look at Stowe. The Forerunner line can be 20 minutes and there's barely a five minute line on the Lookout Double.

Second thought is that Smuggs markets itself as a family ski area. The best low intermediate "family" terrain on the mountain is off Madonna II.

The combination of those two scenarios would reduce traffic on Sterling, which I think would be a good thing. That terrain gets chewed up quick due to it's traffic. Adding a high speed lift over there would only exasperate that problem. I wouldn't want to see more than a fixed grip triple on Sterling.

I could see moving the base of Madonna I up the hill to where link intersects liftline. Then perhaps Madonna II could be reconfigured so that it starts closer to the lodge somewhere (although I wouldn't put it down where Madonna I starts now). And, yes, I see the logic in upgrading to a HSQ for MII. The sport of skiing is mostly populated by intermediates and beginners, and if resorts want their money, they need to cater to them. One would think that Smuggs would want to address their uphill capacity given their desire to sell timeshares. I think a HSQ would spark a lot of interest for people who avoid Smuggs.


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[MadMadWorld]

I dont get that. They're 2 different mountains. If anything, the first lift I'd upgrade at Smuggs would be Sterling.





I don't think you've skied Smuggs if you think those trails are EVER (and I do mean ever) "crowded". Hell, even on President's Saturday those trails arent really "crowded". Unless your definition of "crowded" is, "I had to wait 20 seconds for someone in my line". That's just not a beef or a complaint in my world.

Regardless of that subjectivity, you're not even in the right zip code on this matter.

The most crowded trails off Madonna I are clearly Upper Chilcoot and Upper Drifter, which are summit intermediates, which are (near) always the most crowded trails at any venue. You're forced onto those trails unless you hit Liftline, which virtually nobody does given it's (IMO) one of the hardest on-map trails east of the Mississippi, so they de facto receive the highest skier volume.

That's not what I said. They aren't crowded but because of the terrain the snow quality goes downhill quickly.

 

[jimk]

Summit Triple at Attitash

Next candidate

 

[MadMadWorld]

There is only one way to add an upper mountain lift since apparently expansion to the east is verboten. (the ultimate being up Morse and over to Whiteface). Take the Madonna II chair and move its terminus over to the top of the corner where Chilcoot bends back toward the base, run something up the ridge to the summit or top of Catwalk. (you can almost access everything from there). Madonna has and always will be subject to closures. There's your chance for a HS lift, along with Sterling if its going to be done (not my personal choice). It would end a little higher then the current MII and I believe there is some terrain to open below the Chilcoot Corner dropping down Morse toward Mid Madonna. Leave Madonna I as is.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

They researched this back in the day and even did some surveying (the lines are still skiable after a big storm). They found that winds in that area would have made that spot unworkable.

 

[deadheadskier]

Next candidate

where is the second pic from?

 

[MadMadWorld]

Yea I'm curious too.

 

[Savemeasammy]

where is the second pic from?

That's what I want to know. That looks like a great trail.


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[Edd]

Jesus, that's 4 of us that we're wondering. I was thinking it was this trail far skiers right on the Attitash side.

 

[deadheadskier]

Old Upper Giant Killer poma line at Pico maybe?

 

[MadMadWorld]

Old Upper Giant Killer poma line at Pico maybe?

It looks like it but the overhead lines are wrong. It could be the very bottom of it.

 

[Savemeasammy]

The road looks way too close for it to be poma line. It could be some place in the mid-atlantic that most of us have never heard of...!


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[steamboat1]

This belongs in the guess the ski area thread.

 

[dmw]

Crotched poma line?

 

[xlr8r]

Mittersil

 

[Edd]

Mittersil

That's a good guess, I think. I was assuming it was Attitash earlier because of his post.

 

[Cornhead]

Greek Peak, chair 5 triple, the only lift I've been lowered from, I just missed having to be rescued from it last year too. It doesn't have footrest either, never bothered me, I don't usually use them, but my snowboarding Son hated riding it.

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[SkiingInABlueDream]

Well, the picture's filename is "mittersill" which is perhaps a clue, unless the poster intends to mislead. If it is Mittersill, is it the line of the old chair that got displaced by the new chair?