What is your favorite chairlift?

[dblskifanatic]

Aside from last year, skiers and snowboarders alike come together on a chairlift. You meet people, learn of some secret stashes, enjoy seeing others ski or snowboard and sight see amongst other things. People also have their favorite chairlifts - mine is The Pallavicini Lift at A Basin. Peru Express going over Area 51 at Keystone is cool too! Chair 9 at Loveland has incredible views. The Flyer at Jay Peak is cold as cold can get. Stairway to Heaven at Kicking Horse is pretty cool as well.

What is your favorite lift? Why do you like or not like chairlift rides?

This is a cool video dedicated to the chairlift!

 

[urungus]

Single Chair - MRG
Red Chair - Magic
Madonna 1 - Smugglers Notch
Castle Rock - Sugarbush

 

[thebigo]

Wildcat 4

Nothing else is even close

 

[snoseek]

East: Quad at Wildcat, 4runner at Stowe, mitt double at Cannon for the quiet. Single at MRG

West. Pali Abasin. Chair 10 at Kirkwood.

 

[ss20]

Gosh...so many options and it depends on the day/conditions.

Spring 50 degree bluebird day in April- Bear Quad at Killington
Mid-winter non-powder day- Castlerock
6pm February sunset in New York Suburbia- Thunder Ridge summit double
Powder day- wherever I'm skiing that day!!!!

As far as "chairlifts" by themselves without considering conditions... MRG single, Stowe Fourrunner, and I've always had a soft-spot for the Stage 1 of the Skyeship Gondola at Killington....always loved taking the twenty minute+ ride from the bottom at 8:10am on a bluebird Sunday, excited for the full day of skiing ahead.

 

[Smellytele]

east - MRG single, Wildcat quad
West - Abasin Pali, Taos Kachina peak lift

 

[Hawk]

Hands down, aiguille du midi cable car.

 

[Hawk]

In the East I would say MRG single or Castlerock
Out West......So many. Probably the Big Sky Tram.

 

[skiur]

The old south ridge triple at K with the turn. I loved taking people up it for their first time and seeing their reaction to the turn.

 

[ss20]

The old south ridge triple at K with the turn. I loved taking people up it for their first time and seeing their reaction to the turn.

That was a fun lift. It was also the most scenic lift at K, imo. The trees were always frosted in winter snow and on bluebird days it'd glisten with incredible brilliance due to the southern exposure. It's also the only lift you can ride at K and not see a base area or parking lot if you look back. Pipe dream was always a pretty quite trail below as well.

 

[xlr8r]

I love lifts but I find it hard to pick favorites. My favorites tend to fall into two categories.

Double chairlifts that have a pod to themselves:
Outpost @ Pico
Castlerock @ Sugarbush
Mittersill @ Cannon

And mid 90s Detachable Quads by Poma and Doppelmayr:
Sunapee Express @ Sunapee
South Face @ Okemo
Jordan Bowl, and North Peak @ Sunday River
Flying Bear @ Attitash
Super Bravo, Gatehouse, and Slidebrook @ Sugarbush

 

[kingslug]

Whatever one has a ton of snow under it.

 

[raisingarizona]

Over the years,

Jackson tram was #1 for me 20 years ago, with today’s lines not so much.

Sublet (not sure on the spelling there) quad. My favorite in bounds lines at Jackson were off that chair. Laps are often combined with thunder for the experts or meet your maker to paintbrush area combo. Lots of air time available on the upper mountain for the young hucksters. I’m not that guy anymore but I’m glad I was there when I was. Again, the Jackson shit show keeps me away these days.

Snowbird tram. It accesses everything and that mountain is so good.

Today? Probably the Kachina Peak chair at Taos. It’s awesome and when I was there you may have had to wait for four chairs tops.

Many years ago……the single at MRG. When it’s good it’s real good.

gotta give a shout out to my home hill and the Arizona Chondola. When we are getting hit it has great trees for hot laps and the touring options off the top are massive.

 

[mister moose]

Outpost @ Pico

Outpost when it's not running.
South Ridge when it's not running

Any Poma lift
Bear Trap at Mt Snow in a snowstorm
Coleman Brook @ Okemo - love the RR crossing
Sunshine Valley Gondola
Jackson Tram

 

[2Planker]

Cat Quad
White Heat
Castlerock

 

[2planks2coasts]

As far as chairlifts themselves go, as opposed to the terrain they serve, I like the dramatic views. Some rides are as scenic in summer as in winter. Chairs that look like you're heading right for a gigantic cliff face before flying up and over it are fun too.

Palmer at T-Line, Lincoln at Sugar Bowl, Peak Express at Whistler

 

[snoseek]

As far as chairlifts themselves go, as opposed to the terrain they serve, I like the dramatic views. Some rides are as scenic in summer as in winter. Chairs that look like you're heading right for a gigantic cliff face before flying up and over it are fun too.

Palmer at T-Line, Lincoln at Sugar Bowl, Peak Express at Whistler

With that angle I gotta choose the download fir the gunbarrel chair at heavenly. Actually that chair overall is pretty badass.

 

[jaytrem]

Good question. Might be Powder Gulch at Silver Star.

 

[jimk]

Lots of great chairlifts already mentioned that I have experienced like Pali at A-Basin, Single at MRG, Wildcat Quad, 4Runner at Stowe, 10/Wagonwheel at Kirkwood. I also have had some great times on 9990 at Park City, Supreme at Alta. But from a lot of usage in the last half dozen years I gotta say my top fav these days is Mineral Basin at Snowbird. It's so nice back there on a sunny day in winter or especially spring. Old skiers never die, they just head to Mineral Basin:

 

[deadheadskier]

East it's Cat Quad and Forerunner. Both unmatched for available terrain variety and vertical. Madonna and Single Chair are also awesome, but I prefer a HSQ over Fixed Grip

West it's Palvacin at Abasin or Deep Temerity at Highlands