Sugarbush replacing Village & Sunny D chairs

bmwskierbmwskier
in Operations/Management Posts: 1,032
They're going to replace both chairs over the summer and move the loading station of Village up a little higher. Both are getting fixed grip quads. 




"Making ski films is being irresponsible with other people's money, in a responsible sort of way..." <div>Greg Stump</div>

Comments

  • NELSAPNELSAP
    Posts: 1,097
    No surprise, both were getting quite old - but sad to see two lattice style doubles go away. Both will be good additions to the mountain.
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    Agreed. Where did you get the intel?
  • djspookmandjspookman
    edited March 2017 Posts: 412
    nm
  • mtsnow123mtsnow123
    Posts: 458
    Cool news. I never rode the Village, maybe it's time. Sunny D can certainly use an updating, but is usually strictly for park riders. There are quite a few adaptive programs and young ski schools going up there. I would rather see that money go into other general lift upkeep. I've never seen so many lift maintenance issues at a larger resort in such few years.
  • newpylongnewpylong
    Posts: 2,493
    Sure other lifts could likely use some cash but the cost of those two will be recouped quick. The Carlevaro and Stadelis cost a fortune to maintain.
  • ciscokidciscokid
    Posts: 5,277
    Please get some pics or vid of the lattice on a sunny day please!

    Um Sam newenglandskier13?
  • NewEnglandSkier13NewEnglandSkier13
    Posts: 5,479
    ciscokid said:

    Please get some pics or vid of the lattice on a sunny day please!

    Um Sam newenglandskier13?

    Sugarbush is a possibility in April or May for me.
    - Sam
  • djspookmandjspookman
    Posts: 412
    ciscokid said:

    Please get some pics or vid of the lattice on a sunny day please!

    Um Sam newenglandskier13?

    I'll be there next Friday, will do! (of Village double that is.. who knows if I'll make it to Mt. Ellen)  Sunny D is a great lift though!
  • ciscokidciscokid
    Posts: 5,277
    In the meantime image
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    Sunny D today. It was snowing to hard for the aforementioned request for sunshine 


    imageimage :D
  • obienickobienick
    edited March 2017 Posts: 1,435
    For reference... Sunny D is a '63 Stadeli with original chairs and drive while Village is a '64 C&S with original drive and Poma chairs.

    Presumably these will be Doppelmayrs like Valley House?

    Rocket's site is reporting this citing a blog post by Win.
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    From an email to passholders today:

    We have several major capital expenditure projects already planned for this summer. We plan to replace both the Village Double and the Sunshine Double with fixed-grip quads, greatly improving our beginner experience. Additional short-term plans include a new motor installation for North Ridge Express Quad, snowmaking pipe replacement on Which Way, two new groomers and a number of other, less visible projects.
  • ski_itski_it
    Posts: 4,667
    Not sure if I've ever ridden either. Maybe Sunshine. Can't say this news gets me excited. At a smaller resort it would be big news but here...
    ISNE-I Skied New England | NESAP-the New England Ski Area Project | SOSA-Saving Our Ski Areas - Location SW of Boston MA
  • zapadazapada
    Posts: 25
    I think it's too late for those hoping to get a last ride on the Village chair. I read somewhere that there was a mechanical issue and it will be shut for the rest of the season, so it may be too late... I also wonder if North Ridge Express at Mount Ellen will be back this season or not; it's currently closed for mechanical issues, they've announced a motor replacement, and they're letting Mt Ellen passholders ski for free at Lincoln Peak for the rest of this season.

    On the topic of lattice-style towers, the old Valley House double that was taken out 2 seasons ago still had its original Carlevaro-Savio towers, though its drive had been replaced by a Poma. I can't remember what kind of chairs it had.
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    North Ridge is done for the season. Put a fork in it. Hopefully the fix will take- that lift has been a mechanical mess ever since it was moved from its former life as GMX when they had the brilliant idea of putting in "The Slug" (now freezing skiers at Jay).
  • zapadazapada
    Posts: 25
    lotsoskiing said:

    North Ridge is done for the season. Put a fork in it. Hopefully the fix will take- that lift has been a mechanical mess ever since it was moved from its former life as GMX when they had the brilliant idea of putting in "The Slug" (now freezing skiers at Jay).

    You're very right about that. It's a real bummer, especially since that's the best lift to ride to ski Mount Ellen - it avoids the flats at the bottom and the SLOW ride up the summit. Fortunately Sugarbush recognizes its value and it should be better for next season. I wonder how much has been spent on repairs since it was moved - it likely would have been cheaper if ASC just put a brand-new detachable quad there 20+ years ago instead of moving the old GMX.

    While others have pointed out that Sugarbush has had more than its fair share of lift mechanical issues, I think it's important to recognize that they've really been addressing it the past 2-3 years. Significant electrical work was done to Gate House, Valley House was replaced, now new Village & Sunny D lifts plus a new motor in North Ridge, and I'm sure many other, less visible (but expensive) enhancements. I really believe they're headed in the right direction...
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    Tons of deferred maintenance left from ASC years. Win and crew have done a great job with some big infrastructure challenges. Heaven's Gate is the one that really needs to be replaced...seems like it limps through each year, though there have been some big issues the past few years.

    Village is getting a much-needed relocation, and the trail work will mean no more traffic barreling down on beginners from the trail above it. Other than its age, I don't see why Sunny D has to go. It serves a very small area that rarely has enough traffic to justify a quad, but maybe it was so old that getting parts was difficult. Hate to see the old lattice towers gone.
  • NJSkiNJSki
    Posts: 445

    So IIRC, that's it for Lattice style lifts at Bush.

    Double chairs are definitely not ideal for beginner/novice terrain, especially when you have an odd number or ratio of adults to kids. For that reason alone, I think this is a needed change.

    Perhaps extending the Sunny-D lift a bit higher, and lengthening the trails it serves a bit to go along with it, would be prudent. This would allow for a larger terrain park, as well as a secondary access to North Ridge Chair and Slide Brook Express. This would come in handy if the GMX were to go down.

      

  • newpylongnewpylong
    edited March 2017 Posts: 2,493
    Well, besides not happening a bit higher is not entirely accurate as it would take lengthening Sunny D over 50% to reach up there. Add up trail and snowmaking alteration costs and increased cost of a longer lift and it likely would not make sense.  If the GMX goes down, they can run Inverness and people can take the Expressway over.
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    Agreed on Sunny D- Not much farther uphill is extremely flat. Lengthening would require realignment of lift line to get by the hump, and Upper Crackerjack is too flat even for terrain park elements. Maybe with a midstation unload would it make sense to have as a potential transfer lift and service the park effectively, but with Inverness and NR there is already a viable alternative to GMX if it goes down, assuming NR gets fixed...
  • lotsoskiinglotsoskiing
    Posts: 3,575
    Village in the sun today

    imageimage
  • conradconrad
    Posts: 975
    Just published a Remontees-Mecaniques report on Sunshine. Plenty of photos to document the entire line.
    The Village chairlift is already documented, see here:
    Original French
    Enjoy!
  • ciscokidciscokid
    Posts: 5,277
    Sweet pics of those lovely old lattice babys.

    Conrad are you done with grad school yet? I remember you in school in Maine eons ago when you were into center pole lifts.

    Stupid question, are either of those 2 old lifts going to any other ski areas?

    Thanks for the pics
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