Worst 10 lifts in the East?

[Riverskier]

Re: Tempest Quad. Seems odd that they have not upgraded that yet. Seems so logical to replace it and open up that side of the resort to more traffic and spread out the crowds.

It is really the only lift at SR that needs upgrading (some will eventually need to be replaced due to age, but that is another story). The White Cap lodge is underutilized, and I am sure more daytrippers would use that lodge if there was a HS quad there.

 

[gmcunni]

Okay, so we have the thread for the best 10 lifts, what about the worst?

Criteria could be whatever you want;
-Bad placement/terrain options
-Poor service history (breaks down, or is otherwise closed a lot)
-Too slow, too fast
-Too low/high of capacity
-Always long lines
-Bad color
-etc, etc..

Note why it is that you don't like a lift

not tryng to be a hater here but can we include Magic Red chair on Best AND Worst list? if you consider lift failure history and the fact that the entire place shuts down when that lift is offline? i know (think) the black chair will be running this year but until it spins . . . .

 

[steamboat1]

Birdland double at MRG. It serves the only beginner area on the mountain but in order to get to it or get down from it you have to ski intermediate terrain.

 

[Smellytele]

It is really the only lift at SR that needs upgrading (some will eventually need to be replaced due to age, but that is another story). The White Cap lodge is underutilized, and I am sure more daytrippers would use that lodge if there was a HS quad there.

SHHH!!!! Better that they don't. Let them go to South Ridge. (or Barker).

 

[Smellytele]

Slidebrook "express".

 

[BenedictGomez]

Sterling and Madonna double chairs at Smuggs.

Only on the weekend.

Funny story; I had a season pass to Smuggs from 98 to 03 and never once went skiing on a weekend, so from my perspective it was always a joyous:

1) Board lift to mountain top
2) Ski down right onto the chair
3 Repeat process

Last February I went up and experienced my 1st-ever Saturday at Smuggs and was shocked at what I saw. Couldnt believe my eyes. lol

 

[deadheadskier]

Agreed. I've never liked the set up there and it probably has alot to do with my opinion on Okemo. That said I have not gotten to Jackson Gore so Okemo is still on my radar. Daughter being at college near by might get me there soon.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

If you don't mind waiting 30 minutes in lift lines on weekends, go for it.

Midweek, Smuggs is a dream. I can see why many wouldn't want an increase in uphill capacity during a midweek powder day. I've just always found the lift lines unbearable on the weekends. Not suggesting HSQs, fixed grip triples would do the trick for me.

 

[ceo]

West Mountain double at Sugarloaf. Ridiculously long and slow and serves basically nothing other than a bunch of vacation McMansions. Silliest thing is that it's a one-sided double-double (double-nothing?), indicating that they thought they'd need the extra capacity some day.

 

[steamboat1]

The new Big Spruce HSQ (Sensation) at Stowe. The lift no longer goes to the top of Spruce Peak & the best skiing on that mountain was eliminated or at least not easily accessed anymore. If you ask me they ruined that whole mountain.

 

[Riverskier]

West Mountain double at Sugarloaf. Ridiculously long and slow and serves basically nothing other than a bunch of vacation McMansions. Silliest thing is that it's a one-sided double-double (double-nothing?), indicating that they thought they'd need the extra capacity some day.

I read somewhere that it is one of the longest lift rides in the country at 20 something minutes.

 

[ceo]

Base area Quads at Okemo - all three of them. One of the most annoying things about skiing at Okemo is having to always take a lift, purely for the purpose of getting to the other lifts that you actually do your skiing off of. I couldn't believe they repeated this horrible design over at Jackson Gore to create the same annoying problem.

In the case of Jackson Gore, I assume the reason they did that was to have a minimal number of trails crossing the railroad tracks (possibly a requirement from Vermont Rail).

 

[4aprice]

The new Big Spruce HSQ (Sensation) at Stowe. The lift no longer goes to the top of Spruce Peak & the best skiing on that mountain was eliminated or at least not easily accessed anymore. If you ask me they ruined that whole mountain.

I was going to mention this but my reason is a little different in that it has ruined the Stowe - Smuggs interconnect. Not that the areas will ever get together and reopen it but a man can dream a little can't he? Upper Main Street was a great trail too.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Bkroon9175]

The two lifts at Tenney were horrible. You could take a nap on the summit double. And the maintenance was questionable.

 

[john1200c]

Summit Triple at Attitash, keeps the traffic down but is a it slow for my liking....

 

[thetrailboss]

The two lifts at Tenney were horrible. You could take a nap on the summit double. And the maintenance was questionable.

Unfortunately one of the downfalls to Tenney (or 10e or whatever it was last called). So sad. Such potential.

 

[BenedictGomez]

my reason is a little different in that it has ruined the Stowe - Smuggs interconnect. Not that the areas will ever get together and reopen it but a man can dream a little can't he?

My own impression of this is that Stowe was more the party that wasnt keen on it. I think they perhaps viewed that more skiers would come over from Smuggs than would go from Stowe to Smuggs (again that's just my impression).

I do 100% know that it sure wasnt something that they advertised, and I only recall one actual multi-day package sold that included an interconnect ticket as part of it (and again, that package wasnt advertised, I think it may have just been some ski clubs that were in on it, perhaps a dieing legacy item, etc....).

 

[steamboat1]

My own impression of this is that Stowe was more the party that wasnt keen on it. I think they perhaps viewed that more skiers would come over from Smuggs than would go from Stowe to Smuggs (again that's just my impression).

I do 100% know that it sure wasnt something that they advertised, and I only recall one actual multi-day package sold that included an interconnect ticket as part of it (and again, that package wasnt advertised, I think it may have just been some ski clubs that were in on it, perhaps a dieing legacy item, etc....).

Many years ago Stowe used to sell single ride coupon books that could be used anytime. One coupon equaled one ride on any lift at the area. If I remember right there were 10 coupons in a book. We'd use one coupon to ride the Big Spruce chair & then traverse across the frozen lake on top & ski into Smuggs, buy a lift ticket at Smuggs & ski there all day. At the end of the day take the Sterling chair & traverse back to Stowe. Most people went from Stowe to Smuggs for the day, not the other way around. It did certainly cut the time it took to drive from Stowe to Smuggs & since most people were coming from the south this was the common thing to do if you wanted to ski Smuggs.

MRG used to sell single ride coupon books also but weren't used for any interconnect. I'm showing my age again...lol

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

Without a doubt the Sugarloaf HSQ. This thing has many reasons to hate it, first it's a HSQ, but goes about as fast as a 1960's double, it breaks down often, the lines are very long on a weekend, oh and it's only what 15 years old?

Many of Sugarloafs lifts are not positioned ideally, but in all fairness if they had top to bottom lifts the place would be shut down even more then it currently does.

West Mountain gets a pass, because right now it serves it's purpose, which is not for the day tripper, but rather to move people out of the condo's/homes/rentals on the west side. Most people use it once a day.

 

[wa-loaf]

There's some place in VT that still has a single chair! What's up with that? ;-)

 

[gmcunni]

In the case of Jackson Gore, I assume the reason they did that was to have a minimal number of trails crossing the railroad tracks (possibly a requirement from Vermont Rail).

i heard or perhaps even saw something @ O that they wanted to put a bottom to top lift from JG to peak of Okemo.