Wachusett replacing Polar Express summit lift with new 6-pack

[drjeff]

And on a side note, the cost of Polar Beverages will now be going up 25 cents a piece in grocery and convenience stores across the Country!

 

[crystalmountainskier]

Not D-Line. Not $20 million for the lift itself, that number would have to include related projects such as snowmaking upgrades. Also no way in hell it will take 120 people to build.

 

[raisingarizona]

The more I think about this, the more I think this industry is screwed and heading for more contraction if a short HS6 costs $20M these days.

Doing some basic math, taking out the maintenance and operational costs (which I would be curious to know what those estimates are per year) and assuming cash was paid for a 30 year lift, that cost is mind-blowing.

Wachusett would need to sell 666 passes a year for 30 years at $1000 a piece just to cover the cash purchase price of that one lift.

Between worsening temps for skiing / snow and infrastructure costs like that, how does the industry maintain its current participation rate? Assume population growth keeps it going?

I would have guessed maybe $8M for that type of chair.

Owners at Dopplemeyer must be sitting pretty though.

And this is exactly why I keep saying that in 15 to 25 years from now (if climate science is correct) skiing will only be for the wealthiest of wealthy and at only a few locations.

 

[machski]

Seems like that note about "auto-closure, self-locking restraining bars" might be a tell that it's going to be D-Line. I don't think that's a feature available on the UNI-G terminals(?).

Dopp has blended the auto closure bar tech into the UNI-G line.

 

[machski]

What is the cost difference for a D line vs standard? What do you get for that money?

Escort on the lift???

D-Lines use a larger gauge haul rope (adds some wind tolerance along with supposedly a smoother ride), direct drive motor so you lose the transmission mx costs, all I have seen are carpet loaded to an adjustable height load platform, terminals can double as carrier racks either open air (Boyne did that with their Disciples 8 chair) or enclosed terminals. D-Lines also are designed upwards of 1200 FPM line speed, might even be pusing 1300 now. UNI's usually more like 1100 FPM max.

 

[deadheadskier]

Must be a really good salesman to get Wawa on the hook for $20M.

A look at this list shows Stowe's new 6 only costing $6.165M.

Lift Installation Costs - New England Ski Lift Database - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com

 

[drjeff]

Must be a really good salesman to get Wawa on the hook for $20M.

A look at this list shows Stowe's new 6 only costing $6.165M.

Lift Installation Costs - New England Ski Lift Database - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com

Yup, and Mount Snow put in 2 Uni G's 2 years ago for less than 15 million as I have heard

 

[drjeff]

Not D-Line. Not $20 million for the lift itself, that number would have to include related projects such as snowmaking upgrades. Also no way in hell it will take 120 people to build.

The 120 is probably the total estimate of people from the mountain, Dopp, and all the other various sub contractors from the excavation crews to the wiring folks to the truck drivers who will bring the components from either whichever port they arrive at and/or Dopps US factory in UT, etc... Not 120 full time Dopp employees (although most lift companies hire out the subs as part time employees of them during the build process)