The "Sugarbush Thread"

[Newpylong]

If by generator you mean it's an internal combustion engine that turns a shaft then sure, but other than that the similarities end.

It's essentially a horizontal engine, with a transmission and then reduction gears and a right angle drive to distribute the output vertically down to the bull wheel. Highly specialized to each lift.

 

[thetrailboss]

Wow, I had no idea Super Brovo was 30 years old, only been skiing theBush for 10 years, just assumed it was newer.

Technically 27 years old. It was added in '95 when Les Otten came to town with $28 million and lots of hopes and dreams. He added Gatehouse, Bravo, Slide Brook, relocated the old Bravo to North Lynx, moved the original GMX to North Ridge, added the infamous "Slug" (Green Mountain Quad), and upgraded snowmaking. It was impressive. Actually, batshit crazy considering how much work was done in one summer.

 

[cdskier]

Whatever the issue is, it doesn't seem like Sugarbush is overly concerned as their recent social media posts indicate they're focusing snowmaking on getting Bravo open as soon as possible before expanding to HG.

Although in retrospect, if there being an issue with the diesel backup on Bravo is true, that would certainly explain why they didn't consider opening HG terrain with SB for downloading as an option and opened GH first instead.

 

[oldfartrider]

Snow report says they r making snow on Jester as well as Allyn’s traverse and Valley House traverse. I wonder if that’s the new reverse traverse trail.

 

[cdskier]

Snow report says they r making snow on Jester as well as Allyn’s traverse and Valley House traverse. I wonder if that’s the new reverse traverse trail.

?

The "new" reverse traverse hasn't been cut. The ACT 250 approval came too late.

Allyn's Traverse and Valley House Traverse have both been named trails for quite some time. Allyn's Traverse goes from where Jester becomes an all natural trail over towards and past Allyn's lodge to where it runs into the Valley House Traverse. VHT then is that run that you would normally use to get from Super Bravo to the trails on the Valley House side.

 

[oldfartrider]

Ok Reverse Traverse is on the trail map though.

 

[cdskier]

Ok Reverse Traverse is on the trail map though.

Reverse Traverse has been on the trail map for years... (since 1992 to be exact...previous to that it was on the map but labeled Heaven's Gate Traverse all the way across)

 

[HowieT2]

Are you kidding Howie. Anything to do with generators are way out there. I have projects in the pipeline where the generators are 1.5 to 2 years out right now. Not knowing what parts they need but I would bet they have some kind of lead time also.....that is if the rumor is true. ;-)

huh, who knew. Maybe we can all pool our AAA batteries into a backup

 

[HowieT2]

If by generator you mean it's an internal combustion engine that turns a shaft then sure, but other than that the similarities end.

It's essentially a horizontal engine, with a transmission and then reduction gears and a right angle drive to distribute the output vertically down to the bull wheel. Highly specialized to each lift.

Fascinating. I always thought that the lifts ran off electricity and the backup generators just replaced the normal electrical supply. Guess I need to stick to my day job.

 

[cdskier]

Fascinating. I always thought that the lifts ran off electricity and the backup generators just replaced the normal electrical supply. Guess I need to stick to my day job.

An electric motor could die or have a problem without it being an issue with the power being supplied to it. That's the logic why the diesel needs to actually run the lift directly.

 

[Castlerockrisk]

They were running Bravo on the diesel for several hours yesterday, I did not notice any Bravo lift activity today. They were blowing snow above the Valley house today. So hope its a false rumor

 

[slatham]

Ok for the lift experts out there…..I could have sworn hearing of a lift that ran, loaded, for a good part of the season on a “backup diesel engine”. A set up where there was a primary (electric), backup diesel, and emergency diesel (only for offloading). Or was that a figment of my imagination?

Separately, this is a clear scenario justifying the new and improved Reverse Traverse. Hope that gets done next summer.

 

[Newpylong]

Yes that is a possible scenario if a lift is so equipped. GMX (the current one) did this previously. Bravo could have as well the Sugarbush experts would know more.

The Diesel Prime mover is usually sized appropriately to move the lift at or close to Normal speed for long periods. It is not a cheap build option but worth it IMHO.

 

[cdskier]

Yea...GMX was unique in that it had that extra backup. I don't think Bravo has 2 Diesels...

 

[Dickc]

Ok for the lift experts out there…..I could have sworn hearing of a lift that ran, loaded, for a good part of the season on a “backup diesel engine”. A set up where there was a primary (electric), backup diesel, and emergency diesel (only for offloading). Or was that a figment of my imagination?

Separately, this is a clear scenario justifying the new and improved Reverse Traverse. Hope that gets done next summer.

I'm not a lift expert, but I know that a few years ago, Loon ran its Kancamagus quad on diesel for days on end as something was wrong with the electric drive somewhere. I don't know if that backup was a generator, or a direct drive, but I know from other discussions that lits can have TWO diesel backups. I believe, but am not positive, that lifts are only required to have one, so many lifts only have the one, and that can only used to unload the lift.

 

[Newpylong]

Yes you're required to have an APU available to you at all times.

It's either:

-Electric Prime Mover and Diesel APU (evac only)
-Electric Prime Mover, Diesel Secondary (like we're talking about here), and Diesel APU (evac only).

There are no generators, the Diesel APUs are geared directly into the bull wheel like the electric motor, oftentimes with completely separate controls and braking systems. The drive terminal can get very crowded up top.

 

[Dickc]

Yes you're required to have an APU available to you at all times.

It's either:

-Electric Prime Mover and Diesel APU (evac only)
-Electric Prime Mover, Diesel Secondary (like we're talking about here), and Diesel APU (evac only).

There are no generators, the Diesel APUs are geared directly into the bull wheel like the electric motor, oftentimes with completely separate controls and braking systems. The drive terminal can get very crowded up top.

Thanks for thew clarification as I just was not sure HOW they worked, but knew some came with two, and some only one.

 

[ducky]

Bravo was running yesterday and sounded normal. Did a few laps on both sides and was about what was expected, chunks and crushed over icy base. Worried about what came next with 6-8 hours of heavy rain, road flooding etc. Will take some work to get it back.

 

[Kingslug20]

Repeat of last season...

 

[SkiingInABlueDream]

Technically 27 years old. It was added in '95 when Les Otten came to town with $28 million and lots of hopes and dreams. He added Gatehouse, Bravo, Slide Brook, relocated the old Bravo to North Lynx, moved the original GMX to North Ridge, added the infamous "Slug" (Green Mountain Quad), and upgraded snowmaking. It was impressive. Actually, batshit crazy considering how much work was done in one summer.

What was the original Bravo chair line? If it was the same as the current Bravo then they must have shortened the old lift a lot when they moved it to Lynx?