Okemo Tops The List

[deadheadskier]

Why don't they just go with clear?

 

[gmcunni]

Why don't they just go with clear?

boring

need a color to come up with a catchy marketing scheme

 

[deadheadskier]

So, Okemo is incorporating Orange into the name of the lift?

Orange Express? that sounds like a Florida weather system

 

[gmcunni]

So, Okemo is incorporating Orange into the name of the lift?

Orange Express? that sounds like a Florida weather system

"sunny"

 

[steamboat1]

The quad bubbles I've rode in Quebec (St. Anne, Stoneham) are both clear.

 

[gmcunni]

The quad bubbles I've rode in Quebec (St. Anne, Stoneham) are both clear.

Canadian's have no sense of style, eh?

 

[steamboat1]

The quad bubbles I've rode in Quebec (St. Anne, Stoneham) are both clear.

Canadian's have no sense of style, eh?

If I want tint I get it from my goggles or sunglasses.

 

[drjeff]

Why don't they just go with clear?

History! 10yrs ago now, during Mount Snow's 50th anniversary season, they painted the majority of the lifts that had more than 50 chairs on the haul rope chair #50 gold in honor of their golden anniversary. Those "golden"chairs became very popular to get to ride on amongst kids and adults. The golden color stuck and mountain ops kept breaking out some gold paint every summer when lift repainting occurred.

The Bluebird was the 1st new lift that Mount Snow built since their 50th anniversary season. The mountain ops folks talked with the folks at Leitner-Poma about getting a golden bubble for chair #50. L-P at that same time was building a 6 pack bubble for one of the ski resorts in Sochi that was going to be all gold bubbles (maybe in symbolism of gold medals??)

There was an extra gold bubble, it was shipped to Mount Snow, unbeknownst to their GM, and it remained a closely guarded secret surprise until the folks in mountain ops peeled off the shipping wrap the morning that the Bluebird first opened.

Thats the history of how and why chair #50 at Mount Snow has a golden bubble or is likely to have gold paint on it

 

[Not Sure]

This may seem like a dumb question ....but that has never been a problem for me.
Isn't there more wind resistance with the bubble? More likely to be on wind hold ?, more expensive to operate with the extra weight?
I'm not any more inclined to ski there because of a little less wind, after all I ski at 40mph regularly.

 

[Morewood]

No that's the Jordan Bowl Express.

You are correct xl8r...looked quick and thought that wax the okemo golf course in the background. My bad

 

[thetrailboss]

Interesting list....and narratives. Some good choices and some odd ones. I find it interesting that they have a big picture of the Jordan Express on the bottom of the page--front and center--and yet it is not listed.

 

[tree_skier]

This may seem like a dumb question ....but that has never been a problem for me.
Isn't there more wind resistance with the bubble? More likely to be on wind hold ?, more expensive to operate with the extra weight?
I'm not any more inclined to ski there because of a little less wind, after all I ski at 40mph regularly.

If the bubbles are up there is more wind resistance, but with the bubbles down there is less. They close automacticly so there are less wind holds.

 

[drjeff]

This may seem like a dumb question ....but that has never been a problem for me.
Isn't there more wind resistance with the bubble? More likely to be on wind hold ?, more expensive to operate with the extra weight?
I'm not any more inclined to ski there because of a little less wind, after all I ski at 40mph regularly.

If the bubbles are up there is more wind resistance, but with the bubbles down there is less. They close automacticly so there are less wind holds.

Tree skier is 100% correct, plus you have to also remember that bubble 6 packs are HEAVY! Mount Snow's weigh over 1400lbs a piece before you even put a single person on that comfy roughly 14 foot wide bench. That large amount of weight certainly helps with stability in the wind

 

[jerryg]

Folks, this is not a professional magazine or website - it's Heather Burke's blog. Yes, she writes some ski columns, but her focus is on family trips, not on skiing facts and certainly not as a site that caters to readers of forums like AZ. Like previously said, these are her opinions, period.
To me, a list of best lifts means lifts servicing the best terrain and
#s 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are all fine to be on the list, but the "lift to nowhere," a.k.a. the Chondola, shouldn't be on any list, the bubble chairs are not only overrated, but don't serve any good terrain. Heck, you might as well put the Stratton Gondola on there if those two silly bubble 6-packs make it.

 

[moguler6]

Since she's talking families, this list isn't bad. I know when I was a kid, trams and gondola's ruled. Now, any lift I have to take my skis off for or don't feel the wind in my face, sucks.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Is Jay's tram impressive?: Extremely
Is Jay's tram iconic?: Most definitely
Is it an efficient and comfortable method of conveying skiers up a mountain?: No

I loathe that friggin' ancient, uncomfortable, shoebox. I've been to Jay a zillion times and barely ever ski the good terrain from the summit. I'm not wasting my whole ski day on that stupid thing. $500+ Million in EB-5 money and they couldn't finagle a way to either replace that dang thing or at least add a short 3/4-station lift to the top.

 

[gmcunni]

Folks, this is not a professional magazine or website - it's Heather Burke's blog. Y

wonder if we're giving her a traffic boost?

 

[deadheadskier]

I wonder why they took the old summit double chair out at Jay??

http://newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/viewlift.php?id=285

 

[Domeskier]

That thing looks terrifying.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I wonder why they took the old summit double chair out at Jay??

I don't know, but I'd like to nut punch whoever made that decision too.