Sugarloaf Bucksaw Chair....RIP

[Mapnut]

You guys didn't know there was a T-bar to the top of Sugarloaf in the 80s? It connected with the Bateau T-bar, and Cinder Hoe is its line. It may have been put in for the downhill race course, but I don't think it ever got much use. So I don't think a new one would work that well either. https://skimap.org/data/448/74/1254321806.jpg

 

[Jully]

Yeah there was. I'm so disappointed that they don't have it anymore. Plus timberline is annoying to get to. A T-bar would just make it much easier to get to the snowfields and I would definitely go to SL more if it was there and ran on a regular basis.

Did anyone hear why it didn't happen a few years ago with they announced it?

 

[machski]

One issue is the new lift standards. A surface lift installed now cannot cross any ski trail or glade. SR is considering a poma on MM for racing but they would have to permanently close over easy to do so. So where do you run a t-bar up to the Summit without crossing a trail at SL? (Bateau is grandfathered in by the way since it was installed way before the standards changed)

 

[Newpylong]

Wouldn't it easier to just configure the midstation on Locke for offloading vs install a new lift?

 

[ss20]

Wouldn't it easier to just configure the midstation on Locke for offloading vs install a new lift?

No, they should replace the Snowdon quad.

 

[deadheadskier]

No, they should replace the Snowdon quad.

Huh? He was talking about Sunday River not Killington

 

[DoublePlanker]

The old timberline t-bar alignment looks like it could still be used. Just put a t-bar parallel to the timberline quad and block off any trail crossings. There aren't any on the map. Perhaps at the summit it would be difficult. But even if its terminus is just short of the timberline quad, that would be better than what they have.

IMHO, it sucks when you have to tuck on a novice trail over to the bottom of the timberline quad and then ride the slow, long quad just to get to the summit.

 

[SIKSKIER]

There are plenty of tree at the summit.The east and backside are the barren areas.

 

[ss20]

Huh? He was talking about Sunday River not Killington

In a thread about Sugarloaf without mention of SR.

 

[deadheadskier]

Missed that. Haha

 

[dlague]

In a thread about Sugarloaf without mention of SR.

I was thinking I missed something.

 

[Riverskier]

In a thread about Sugarloaf without mention of SR.

Machski mentioned SR and the comment was related to the discussion, as it involved discussion of surface lift regulations. The Locke comment was in response to that.

 

[machski]

Machski mentioned SR and the comment was related to the discussion, as it involved discussion of surface lift regulations. The Locke comment was in response to that.

Correct. Just trying to note that while it seems surface lifts might be the way to go, the new regs on trail crossings make it tough to place them into already developed sections of mountains now.

 

[ceo]

The base of the Timberline T-bar was roughly where the crosscut from the top of Bateau to Binder and the Timberline trail crosses the Timberline Quad liftline. Putting a new T-bar there would only require closing the crosscut from the top of Skyline, and there's already plenty of ways to get over there. And closing Cinder Hoe, of course.

 

[goldenboy80]

Forget a t-bar up Cinder Hoe, Magic Mountain wouldn't even stand for that. Back in the heyday, Sugarloaf didn't have any money but they scraped together what they had and built a gondola from a kit that ran "trouble free" for over 30 years. I want to see Ethan Austin out in front of Carrabassett Valley Academy with a squeegee planning a car wash. I want to see CNL executives selling girl scout cookies to buy steel and sheave trains. Then put on the hard hats, borrow a helicopter from someone and get to work. John Christie and Amos Winter didn't wait until someone handed them $10 million to get moving. To paraphrase a mild-mannered, presidential candidate, "Let's make Sugarloaf great again!"

 

[steamboat1]

Forget a t-bar up Cinder Hoe, Magic Mountain wouldn't even stand for that. Back in the heyday, Sugarloaf didn't have any money but they scraped together what they had and built a gondola from a kit that ran "trouble free" for over 30 years. I want to see Ethan Austin out in front of Carrabassett Valley Academy with a squeegee planning a car wash. I want to see CNL executives selling girl scout cookies to buy steel and sheave trains. Then put on the hard hats, borrow a helicopter from someone and get to work. John Christie and Amos Winter didn't wait until someone handed them $10 million to get moving. To paraphrase a mild-mannered, presidential candidate, "Let's make Sugarloaf great again!"

I'm with you. Place just isn't the same without a bottom to top lift.

 

[skiMEbike]

I'm with you. Place just isn't the same without a bottom to top lift.

Kind of agree. Putting aside the whole IF/How often any kind of top to bottom lift would run @ Sugarloaf....From an advanced skier perspective, it's kind of a novelty (with potential marketing benefits) & only helps to disperse the lines at the base area lifts (SQuad & WTree). For me, it doesn't provide much benefit other than I get to take my first run from the summit. Beyond that who really cares, because a typical day at the loaf involves one run from the base area and then it's all Skyline/King Pine/Timberline....I don't think I would ski Sugarloaf as much if I were "forced" to ski down to the base on every run. Any top to bottom lift NEEDS to have a mid-station of some sort, otherwise it would just be even more of a waste....I think the idea of a base to summit lift with a load/unload at Bullwinkles would be best...Until then, Skyline & Timberline do just fine.

 

[Jully]

^^ This. Who knows, maybe the removal of Bucksaw will pave the way for a lift up that way! Maybe they will start plans for a lift like that in about fifteen years haha.

Bullwinkle's to me is so out of the way with the current lift set up right now. I feel like it would be used a lot more if there was an unload anywhere near it.

 

[deadheadskier]

The concept of a base to summit lift with a mid station at Bullwinkles is a cool idea. The challenges I see with that is for one it would be a heckuva long ride if you took it the whole way and it's also a long slog from the base lodge. The old gondola location was at least convenient to the lodge.

The reality is that a ttb lift a Sugarloaf would be massively expensive and you likely would never get the ROI. The loaf has had record skier visit seasons recently and with its location I don't see the business increasing that much unless Cumberland County, ME grows in population considerably. So, that investment would take away from other needed improvements and push them long off into the future. If I'm running the place I'm not making that investment knowing it would only run to the summit what 50% of the time? That's been my experience with Timberline skiing there and that chair is supposedly better aligned for the wind direction.

 

[steamboat1]

If/when the snowfields are open it's even a longer ride now to get back to them no matter how they'd decide to configure a base to summit lift. Personally I didn't mind having to ski all the way to the bottom when the gondi was running.