Disastrous Weekend for New Hampshire's Vail Properties

[RustyK]

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2022/02/ ... roperties/

Most of Northern New England saw a significant amount of snow on Thursday and Friday, but it also brought a bit of r*in and ice. Because of this, many ski resorts in New England had operational issues with their chairlifts. Shockingly, this included various Vail Resorts-owned mountains in New Hampshire. A detailed breakdown of what happened over the weekend is below.

[daytripper]

Headline is wrong, it should say disastrous season for NH Vail properties.

[mogwai]

I thought the idea of detachable lefts was to pull the chairs and let the lift run continually to avoid ice ups - but I guess that only happens at properly run hills??? I am pretty sure none of the new england resorts did this, this past weekend.

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[BoozeTan]

wasnt just NH. My friend went to Stratton on Friday only to find the same issues. one or two lifts running, everything total ice.

[easyrider16]

I thought the idea of detachable lefts was to pull the chairs and let the lift run continually to avoid ice ups - but I guess that only happens at properly run hills??? I am pretty sure none of the new england resorts did this, this past weekend.

I always wonder about this, too. Like how come they don't put all the bubble chairs inside the shed when there's a storm coming? My guess is that it's not so easy to take those buggers on and off, and probably requires manpower that operators don't have right now. It'd be cool if someone with actual knowledge could weigh in, though.

[spanky]

I thought the idea of detachable lefts was to pull the chairs and let the lift run continually to avoid ice ups - but I guess that only happens at properly run hills??? I am pretty sure none of the new england resorts did this, this past weekend.

I always wonder about this, too. Like how come they don't put all the bubble chairs inside the shed when there's a storm coming? My guess is that it's not so easy to take those buggers on and off, and probably requires manpower that operators don't have right now. It'd be cool if someone with actual knowledge could weigh in, though.

No “actual knowledge” on my part. I’m just here to point out that Mt. Snow had all their bubble chairs off the lift the night of the MLK storm. Even with the chairs in the barn, they still didn’t get the lift running till noonish. Coincidentally another Vail resort?!?!?

[jimmywilson69]

even if the chairs are off, you still have to climb the icy ladder on each tower, tie off, beat the ice off each sheave train, try not to kill yourself on the way down and do it again. its clear that all mountains are short on staff to do this. Some way more than others...

[Stormchaser]

even if the chairs are off, you still have to climb the icy ladder on each tower, tie off, beat the ice off each sheave train, try not to kill yourself on the way down and do it again. its clear that all mountains are short on staff to do this. Some way more than others...

Why don't they put a weather cover over the sheave assemblies?

[Nikoli]

even if the chairs are off, you still have to climb the icy ladder on each tower, tie off, beat the ice off each sheave train, try not to kill yourself on the way down and do it again. its clear that all mountains are short on staff to do this. Some way more than others...

Why don't they put a weather cover over the sheave assemblies?

Good idea! We should patent, make and market these.

[throbster]

even if the chairs are off, you still have to climb the icy ladder on each tower, tie off, beat the ice off each sheave train, try not to kill yourself on the way down and do it again. its clear that all mountains are short on staff to do this. Some way more than others...

Why don't they put a weather cover over the sheave assemblies?

Or heat them

[newpylong1]

A weather cover is more realistic and I am surprised it has not been done. Heating not really - you would need to bring power to each tower and then how do you put a heating eliminate on a rotating wheel?

[throbster]

A weather cover is more realistic and I am surprised it has not been done. Heating not really - you would need to bring power to each tower and then how do you put a heating eliminate on a rotating wheel?

I dunno... technology. Would you have believed we would have smart phones 25 years ago?

[mogwai]

Isn't the hall rope spinning creating enough friction / heat to keep from icing?

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[spanky]

If all the detachable chairs are stored away, then why is it that the fixed grip lifts always run before the detachable chairs on “inclement” weather days?

Fixed grip lifts have sheave trains too.

[throbster]

Isn't the hall rope spinning creating enough friction / heat to keep from icing?

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If they ran the lift overnight while the storm is happening