Lifts

 

Over the last 60 years, Sugarloaf has developed an extensive lift system. Upgrading and maintaining this system is a top priority and will be critical to ensuring the all-around high quality ski experience that Sugarloafers expect. The goal is to be able to keep all of our lifts turning, even in conditions when most skiers would choose to stop using them, and to provide a quick and uninterrupted trip to the top, allowing skiers more time to enjoy Sugarloaf's incredible terrain. 

Lift Replacements

Replacement of key lifts will be a crucial part of the Sugarloaf 2020 plan. The options for lifts are numerous, and we will continue to vet all possibilities against what will have the greatest immediate impact on the skiing experience.

  • Spillway
    During the summer of 2011, the Spillway chairlifts will be replaced by a new, state-of-the-art, fixed grip quad, built by Dopplemayr. The lift will be installed in the same path as the existing Spillway East lift, at a cost of roughly $3 million. The new quad will feature a conveyor loading system, which will improve the lift loading experience, reduce lift stoppage time, and allow the lift to run at speeds of up to 500 feet per minute, making it the fastest fixed-grip lift on the market. The lift will travel 3,746 feet, rise 1,457 vertical feet, feature a total of 16 towers, and will be powered by a 400 horsepower motor. An additional 400 horsepower Cummins Diesel engine will serve as a backup. The new lift has been designed to be as wind-resistant as possible. It will travel at a lower height, and will be installed closer to the treeline to reduce its exposure to wind. The specially designed chairs will be heavier than a standard four-person chair, making them more wind-resistant and less susceptible to chair-swing. 
  • T-Bar, Timberline, Double Runner, West Mountain
    Several options are currently being evaluated for the next lift to follow Spillway in the replacement strategy. These options include (in no particular order) a possible t-bar to the summit to ensure access on even the windiest days, a replacement of the Timberline lift with a new extension to the Bullwinkle's area, a fixed-grip quad to replace the Double Runner Chairs, and a replacement for the West Mountain Chair. We will continue to examine each of these options, paying particular attention to the ways in which traffic patterns may change following the opening of Brackett Basin and the replacement of the Spillway chair.
  • Village to Summit Signature Lift
    The vision of a signature lift travelling from the base of the mountain straight to the summit is an exciting concept, and it is hoped that the improvements to Sugarloaf's existing infrastructure outlined in this plan will pave the way for the type of signature lift that Sugarloafers once enjoyed in the legendary gondola.

Wind Mitigation

Techniques such as wind fencing and new sheave train designs work to reduce the effects of winds on lifts. These techniques have already been utilized to great success on the Double Runner Chairs, SuperQuad, and #3 T-Bar, and additional wind mitigation work is planned for the Timberline and King Pine lifts.