Loon South Peak Expansion

[sull1102]

I suspect that the detach behind this is the future Lincoln Express 6-pack(that chair seems just a bit too wide to be the current quad and I know mgmt has talked about wanting to upgrade this lift on that 2030 plan they've had in the works) and this is their plan to replace the tent over at South Peak finally... I also noticed that one of the listing maps says "only 200 yards away from the future South Peak Village shops and restaurants" pointing over to where the Escape Route parking lots are now. I was unaware they were planning a whole village over there.

 

[bigbob]

I suspect that the detach behind this is the Lincoln Express and this is their plan to replace the tent over at South Peak finally...View attachment 64352

I was told the other day that it is for the property owners.

 

[sull1102]

Oh that'll be interesting if they have it as a members only type setup, the typical Loon crowd will not be thrilled with that

 

[thebigo]

I was told the other day that it is for the property owners.

Heard the same thing from loon employee.

Current south peak quad is in good shape with minimal hours due to the short season over there. May be a good fit for western expansion at pleasant.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Heard the same thing from loon employee.

Current south peak quad is in good shape with minimal hours due to the short season over there. May be a good fit for western expansion at pleasant.

I think the comment you responded to was in relation to the new lodge being for property owners, not any sort of new lift.

 

[bigbob]

South Peak Quad was running on diesel yesterday. Electric motor gave out.

 

[thebigo]

Black mountain glades showed up in the WMNF project center earlier this week. There is no map but sounds like an access trail off the top of north peak towards the saddle between north and black, filtering down to a skier bridge and ultimately brookway. 2700' is about the length of the hiking trail shown on the map.

question is whether they can do anything to improve wind resistance of the chair. I have never been past walking boss woods but that entire area looks fun from the lift.

The proposed action includes construction of access routes for the Black Mountain glade skiing area and glade improvements to facilitate downhill skiing. Construction includes tree removal and grading. Glade improvements include tree limbing and brush removal to thin the understory, dead tree removal. The project would be implemented by Loon staff and external contractors.
An entrance and exit route, each about 20 feet wide are proposed to facilitate skier access at Black Mountain. The entrance route is about 2,700 feet in length and the exit route is about 1,700 feet in length. The entrance route would be located adjacent to the top terminal of the North Peak Express lift and extend east along the ridgeline of Black Mountain. The exit route would be located at the bottom of the glades and would feature a skier bridge, about 15 feet long and 12 feet wide, to provide a creek crossing at the exit before connecting to the Broadway ski trail below the Camp III Lodge. To construct the proposed routes, Loon anticipates using equipment such as a small excavator and side-by-sides to clear trees and grade the route. Construction access would use existing ski area work roads, ski runs, and lift corridors to construct the proposed access routes. The permit boundary would be modified to incorporate the Black Mountain trail network.
The 300-acre Black Mountain glade trail network would be cleared of tree limbs, small trees, and brush at pertinent areas to broaden options for trail navigation and connecting open spaces. Dead trees may be removed to facilitate use of the glades by removing them as a barrier and/or safety hazard. Tree limbing and brush removal would be done by hand using hand-held equipment such as chainsaws and loppers. Limbs would be left on-site to naturally decompose.
Project disturbance is estimated to be about 3 acres of grading for access route construction. Project implementation is anticipated to begin in 2025, with the goal of having the area ready for the 2025/2026 season.

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www.fs.usda.gov

 

[chuckstah]

Black mountain glades showed up in the WMNF project center earlier this week. There is no map but sounds like an access trail off the top of north peak towards the saddle between north and black, filtering down to a skier bridge and ultimately brookway. 2700' is about the length of the hiking trail shown on the map.

question is whether they can do anything to improve wind resistance of the chair. I have never been past walking boss woods but that entire area looks fun from the lift.



View attachment 66350

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www.fs.usda.gov

That area is plenty fun. It's all accessible from a traverse starting at the area boundary/ out of bounds sign at the very top of WB. Find a local and head over when it's deep. The bartender and plenty of locals that used to hang at the bar at The West Basin Lodge, Babe's I think, showed me the way, and all of the other off map stuff. This info is a few years old, as I haven't been to Loon awhile but likely still relevant.

 

[deadheadskier]

What's it like out there off the map now? Is this a situation where they're taking homemade glades and just bringing them on the map like Cannon did with so many? Or is it an area that needs to get a lot of work done to be viable?

I guess I'm thinking of places like T Brook at Cat or Angel Food at Stowe. I could see the temptation for marketeers to add such terrain to an official map. But, those in the know would rather leave well enough alone.

 

[deadheadskier]

Chuck answered my question. If something already exists there, no need to put it on a map

 

[snoseek]

I went out here quite a few times back in like the 90s and it's a pretty good pitch. To put in on the map it would indeed need some substantial clean up. It also needs a fair amount of snow.

 

[bigbob]

Nothing to add to the lift capacity, but is the pulse gondola going to be built this summer? Might help with the parking.

 

[machski]

Nothing to add to the lift capacity, but is the pulse gondola going to be built this summer? Might help with the parking.

Yes, but it won't help with parking. The lift is owned by RiverWalk and will terminate in their backyard. I am unsure if public will be able to ride this or if it will be just for guests/owners of RiverWalk

 

[thebigo]

I hunted around both the escape route side and hotel side on closing day and could find no evidence of work. however among the Dopp projects in the east this summer, the loon pulse is likely the lowest priority and most flexible schedule.

 

[machski]

I hunted around both the escape route side and hotel side on closing day and could find no evidence of work. however among the Dopp projects in the east this summer, the loon pulse is likely the lowest priority and most flexible schedule.

Should also be one of the easiest installs as it will not require aerial tower installs and it is relatively short and level.