Saddleback construction

[trtaylor]

Select 'New Kennebago Lift' from the Choose a gallery dropdown.

 

[deadheadskier]

I'm going to assume that under the lift will be a new trail now as well? That T-bar was a classic, but if there a silver lining to be found it's being able to ski under the lift. It could be a great black diamond esque trail ala Sugarbush North.

 

[snoseek]

That is going to be one very windy chair (kinda remidns me of when Cannon took out summit t-bars and cut profile.genious). Storm day skiing off the summit=over.


I'll also add that that t-bar kept a large percentage of skiers off the summit as it was steep and long. Am I the last person that is perfectly o.k. with surface lifts?

 

[billski]

I've got a representative from Saddleback coming to the ACE club meeting on October 23rd in Westford Mass. They will have pictures/slides, plans to show us. Feel free to join us.

 

[phil]

I'll also add that that t-bar kept a large percentage of skiers off the summit as it was steep and long. Am I the last person that is perfectly o.k. with surface lifts?

No your not the last person comfortable with surface lifts. I originally learned to ski at Sugarloaf back in the T-bar era and I also regularly skied Saddleback.
After many years off skis I returned with my 12 yo son (2nd year skiing) and he met his first T-bar at Titcomb in Farmington, when we got stuck in snow on the way north. He loved them. When we skied 2 days at Saddleback he spent most of it on the Kennabago lift. (Note that he was also skiing with out poles with a cast on his arm from a playground injury.

I rode the Kenebago lift and was a bit anxious given all the publicity about what a difficult lift it was. I did not think that it was anywhere as difficult as the old #2 T-bar at Sugarloaf (Where Double Runner is Now)

 

[billski]

Am I the last person that is perfectly o.k. with surface lifts?

Count me as #3. I used to ski Okemo when it was ALL Poma Lifts. We loved it because they were so damn fast and ran no matter what the weather/wind. We were usually burned out before the lifts stopped. Haven't skied there since they took out the Pomas. When I was at Black last winter I took the T-bar just for old-times sake. Brought back awesome memories.

 

[prisnah]

I'm attempting to do an article on this and the remainder of their 10 year plan in the November issue of the publication I work for. Some pretty big stuff in store over the next few years as far as skiing in Maine goes.

 

[salsgang]

In order to succeed, Saddleback needs to sell Condo's and houses... and only having a T-Bar to the top is a big psychological barrier for most potential property owners I think. Good business move, but I do empathize with folks that will miss the T-Bar and more wind holds certainly is likely... but I providing easier access to more parts of the mountain isn't such a bad thing IMO.

 

[thetrailboss]

Wow...T-bar to Quad is a big change. I would have figured it would have been a double.

 

[deadheadskier]

Personally,

I think upgrading the Rangely double to a modern triple chair should have been a greater priority. I've only skied there once and found lift lines on it to be 10-15 minutes. Not really a big deal, but that lift services the majority of the mountain and terrain that target condo buyers would be most interested in. Having it modernized would be a better selling feature than a quad to terrain that maybe 15% of the skiing populous is going to ride.

 

[billski]

In order to succeed, Saddleback needs to sell Condo's and houses... and only having a T-Bar to the top is a big psychological barrier for most potential property owners I think. Good business move, but I do empathize with folks that will miss the T-Bar and more wind holds certainly is likely... but I providing easier access to more parts of the mountain isn't such a bad thing IMO.

Agreed; business is business. I'll support what a resort wants to do (sans Stowe) in order to sustain itself, and I can selfishly continue to ski.

Personally, I'd want the fastest transport to the top. It can be damn cold there in January.

 

[AndyEich]

Personally, I think upgrading the Rangely double to a modern triple chair should have been a greater priority...

I agree completely. Few people who actually *should* be skiing the upper mountain mind the T-bar. The main double is the one that has long lines and has a bigger impact on the opinions of so-so skiers.
________
Bondage live

 

[Tin Woodsman]

I agree completely. Few people who actually *should* be skiing the upper mountain mind the T-bar. The main double is the one that has long lines and has a bigger impact on the opinions of so-so skiers.

I just thinking this recently myself. It probably doesn't fit with their philosophy (or budget), but the Rangely lift should be a HSQ, as it's the key people mover out of the base area. Not sure why you would want the Kennebego lift as a quad. I'm a strong advocate for the Sugarbush set up where the trunk lifts are high speed and high capacity while the upper mountain off the radar lifts are fixed grip and lower capacity. This enables you to move peope out of the base area during the peak periods while spreading out the crowds without overloading any particular terrain pod. Replacement of the Rangeley is in the master plan though, so I guess we'll see what they do with that.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I just thinking this recently myself. It probably doesn't fit with their philosophy (or budget), but the Rangely lift should be a HSQ, as it's the key people mover out of the base area. Not sure why you would want the Kennebego lift as a quad. I'm a strong advocate for the Sugarbush set up where the trunk lifts are high speed and high capacity while the upper mountain off the radar lifts are fixed grip and lower capacity. This enables you to move peope out of the base area during the peak periods while spreading out the crowds without overloading any particular terrain pod. Replacement of the Rangeley is in the master plan though, so I guess we'll see what they do with that.

From what I remember...fixed grip quads have a similar hourly capacity to high speed detachable quads..yes they are half the speed but the spacing between the chairs is also half as much..

 

[billski]

From what I remember...fixed grip quads have a similar hourly capacity to high speed detachable quads..yes they are half the speed but the spacing between the chairs is also half as much..

That could be true if you could run at capacity. What detachables gives you is the ability to load and unload with fewer fupahs, which inevitably lead to lift stops, delays. If you notice, detachables hardly ever need to stop any longer.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

From what I remember...fixed grip quads have a similar hourly capacity to high speed detachable quads..yes they are half the speed but the spacing between the chairs is also half as much..

Generally correct, as billski points out. You get fewer stops with detatch chairs b/c they're easier to load/unload though they are more sensitive to wind hold, so better for lower mtn lifts in the East. Regardless, if you have aspirations to be a player, you generally want your longest lift that serves the most terrain and loads next to the base lodge to be a detatch. It would also enable Saddleback to play the early opening/late closing game by downloading, if they so choose.

 

[SIKSKIER]

I'm going to assume that under the lift will be a new trail now as well? That T-bar was a classic, but if there a silver lining to be found it's being able to ski under the lift. It could be a great black diamond esque trail ala Sugarbush North.

Agreed.That looks like a sweet sraight shot!It also looks like that guy from Maine Drilling and Blasting got too close to the explosives and blew holes in his shirt!

 

[riverc0il]

That is going to be one very windy chair (kinda remidns me of when Cannon took out summit t-bars and cut profile.genious). Storm day skiing off the summit=over.


I'll also add that that t-bar kept a large percentage of skiers off the summit as it was steep and long. Am I the last person that is perfectly o.k. with surface lifts?

I am with you on all of those points. But Saddleback did need to install a chairlift to the summit to ensure its long term fiscal health as its terrain is limited without access to the summit. Most average skiers (the bread and butter of the industry, financially) avoid or may never have even skied on some types of surface lifts, let alone one of the most challenging t-bars currently still running. Snow boarders are also alienated with t-bars as well (at least your typical resort going non-expert). I just wish the t-bar could have been left for windy days when the chair won't run.

 

[riverc0il]

I'm attempting to do an article on this and the remainder of their 10 year plan in the November issue of the publication I work for. Some pretty big stuff in store over the next few years as far as skiing in Maine goes.

Their plans are not based in reality. For their plans to be realized, they really need their real estate plans to bring home the bacon and tons of new skiers and riders to show up to help pay for everything (unless the new owners have really deep pockets and don't care about losing their shirts). I love Saddleback, but I just don't see their plans happening.

 

[riverc0il]

Personally,

I think upgrading the Rangely double to a modern triple chair should have been a greater priority. I've only skied there once and found lift lines on it to be 10-15 minutes. Not really a big deal, but that lift services the majority of the mountain and terrain that target condo buyers would be most interested in. Having it modernized would be a better selling feature than a quad to terrain that maybe 15% of the skiing populous is going to ride.

I disagree. Installing a quad to the summit will decrease traffic patterns on the Rangely Double because more skiers and riders will venture forth to the summit. Thus, a summit chairlift solves two lift issues with one installation. Its not like the summit features super challenging expert terrain. There are a lot of steep cruisers as well as a winding cruiser that are flat as a pancake and any upper intermediate could spend an afternoon on the summit if not for the t-bar that creates trepidation, especially when the sign at the lift shack says expert t-bar riders only.

Ideally, as previously noted, the double really should be a HSQ and serve as the primary people mover on the mountain. But a t-bar replacement will help serve to reduce lift lines on the double. I think they could have put a double instead of a quad chairlift in for the summit. Not sure why they felt they needed a quad?