Do you trust the Skyeship?

[Southside_Bobby]

It's getting to the point where riding this lift, or even parking in its parking lot, is definitely a risk to your time.

One day last season, I counted through fifty gondi cabins while sitting in my car. Over 20 of them were out of service. Truly pitiful.

This week, people were stuck on it for over an hour.

On another day last year, I was sitting alone in a cabin as it went through the mid terminal. Just before exiting the terminal, the bottom of the cabin started lifting up horizontally, and then slammed down again. It did a number on my back.

Is this lift even safe to operate any longer?

[snoloco]

I'll still ride it, but I definitely check the app, and stop in areas where I can see if it's running before I ski down any trail to it. It needs a full overhaul like K1, which should be easy to do since it doesn't run in the summer. Will they do it? Probably not. Skyeship isn't the only lift that needs attention. Superstar and Snowshed are 37 years old and on their last legs. But there's no indication of either being replaced anytime soon.

[SPORE]

Maybe Mikey and Tait should take some lessons in communication from SW at JayPeak.

A little communication goes a long way.

[hillbangin]

NOPE - Too long - too slow - too many stops.

And it's horrifically loud.

Glad I don't own a $3M dollar house down there.........

[wtf021]

Checking the app is a must if you plan on parking at Skyeship at 8am on a weekend. I would say at least 25% of the time there is some type of delay. The weekday start at 9am doesn't seem as bad.
Killington is a giant web of deffered maintenance and defered capital upgrades. I'm not sure they will ever dig themselves out at their current pace. It reminds me of a poorly run government agency. I still love to ski there though.

[KingsFourMan]

Hard to believe the Skyship is now older than the original gondola it replaced and will be turning 30 years old this year.

Interesting blurb in Chris Diamond's Ski Inc book about how Pres Smith went way over the top on it with its artwork cabins and music system and cabin heaters that never worked. He said that Killington never realized any kind of a bump from that lift replacement which was needed but without all the nonsense. Pres must have been heavily influenced by what happened when they built the original Killington gondola which put Killington on the map. That old 3 stage gondola was a fun ride from the valley floor to Killington peak and it was great to jump on at the bottom of Needles Eye and go to Killington Peak. Made getting around Killington a lot easier.

[Killington_Lover]

The numerous broken door mechanisms, plywood instead of plexi greeting you at the mid station… definitely long in the tooth. I hope they offer the cabins for sale when they inevitably refurbish. Still kicking myself for not getting one of the old K gondolas from the woods at bear before they were scrapped.

[Downdraft]

My two cents if I was paying the bills and owned the place - that gondola would go for good. As well as that lodge and trail pod below Bear. Not sure if there are any “contracts” with ski in/out but that entire lower skyship pod is useless. Terrain sucks, elevation sucks, use is limited. Get rid of it all, both stages of gondola, just have 1 lift for where stage 2 goes.

[jimmywilson69]

Its a pretty popular point of ingress and egress to the resort that provides another place to distribute cars. Yes the terrain sucks and use is limited. But from a crowd control standpoint it is a pretty important piece of the operations during the "peak season"

[newpylong1]

My two cents if I was paying the bills and owned the place - that gondola would go for good. As well as that lodge and trail pod below Bear. Not sure if there are any “contracts” with ski in/out but that entire lower skyship pod is useless. Terrain sucks, elevation sucks, use is limited. Get rid of it all, both stages of gondola, just have 1 lift for where stage 2 goes.

Well thank god you're not paying the bills or the owner, these comments are assinine.

[SPORE]

My two cents if I was paying the bills and owned the place - that gondola would go for good. As well as that lodge and trail pod below Bear. Not sure if there are any “contracts” with ski in/out but that entire lower skyship pod is useless. Terrain sucks, elevation sucks, use is limited. Get rid of it all, both stages of gondola, just have 1 lift for where stage 2 goes.

They need the parking and lodge space on the busy days.

[Mistergiff]

Get rid of it??? Why would you want to irritate all the ski in / out people? The resort has lots for sale down there right now advertised as such. Sounds like a law suit waiting to happen.

[Killington_Lover]

lol we found and armchair ops manager who is decidedly worse than Tait. Any chance you are related to Nyberg Downdraft? We drive up from that side and it is usually so packed we opt to keep going to the basin or bear.

[GMCrra]

Peak to creek is popular and differentiating even if hard core skiers don't appreciate it. Not sure losing the "3k Vertical - most in new england" is good for marketing either. Hope it gets some love

[Low Rider]

Its a pretty popular point of ingress and egress to the resort that provides another place to distribute cars. Yes the terrain sucks and use is limited. But from a crowd control standpoint it is a pretty important piece of the operations during the "peak season"

"Terrain Sucks" is very subjective. For sure there are familes / kids who love it and come to Killington for it.
I know when my kids were younger, they would do peak to creak all day.
Even as an adult I still enjoy it on occasion for a uniquely Killington experience.