Saddleback aims to open

mapnut

https://www.facebook.com/SaddlebackMaine/?hc_ref=ARQzIoB5P16KPvfXwaNgGz61nfQ_BXHtSdXPICSSLpC45WB_hZsGyyIvvWR3tN4avyE&fref=nf“Dominoes have fallen into place.” Not a good metaphor, but they’re ready to start tearing down the Rangeley chairlift, rebuilding the T-bar, and, they say, “rebuild the Rangeley”, which is either confusing or optimistic or both.

rickbolger

did the property transfer?  

Remski

Positive news is good news. Fingers crossed for an opening this season.

obienick

Sounds to me like they hope to get a Rangeley replacement up for the winter. Pretty late to start IMHO

TomWhite

SADDLEBACK MAINE

September 17 at 11:13am · 

Afternoon Saddlebackers! We wanted to check in and let you know the dominoes have fallen into place and we are able to amp up efforts to reopen the mountain. We are pleased to announce physical work is starting at Saddleback.The first step will be taking down the existing Rangeley lift. This process will be carried out by Jim Quimby, Jared Emerson and the Mountain Operations team, weather permitting. Following this, the next step will be construction and repair of the T-Bar and also the Rangeley chair lift.

We know your single biggest question here is going to be, when are you going to open? The only thing that is going to hold up or delay this process is Mother Nature. As work progresses and we are able to establish a firm timeline, you will be the first to know. We thank you for your continued support and patience through this process.Best regards, The Saddleback Team————————-IBrack suggests the Saddleback Team plans to rebuild the Cupsuptic for this season. If possible that makes sense. But “construction and repair” (above) don’t seem to go together. Maybe it’s Aussi speak! Of course we SJers are reading everything in detail. I suggest, that if the T-bar will be the lift to get people onto the mountain to start the season, then wouldn’t they say that repair, not Rangeley dismantling, would be the priority. Did we ever hear what has made the Rangeley “unusable”?

IBRAKEFORTBARS

Per the Saddleback comments on their FB page they clarified they indeed found it best to open on time this year that they only replace the Rangeley chair with a new fixed grip quad and repair the existing Cupsuptic t-bar to be fully operational.

IBRAKE

skipro77

TomWhite

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“IBRAKEFORTBARS”>Per the Saddleback comments on their FB page they clarified they indeed found it best to open on time this year that they only replace the Rangeley chair with a new fixed grip quad and repair the existing Cupsuptic t-bar to be fully operational.

IBRAKE </blockquote>

I think this is a very good way to reopen and have access to the whole mountain for this season. I actually suggested this in an email to their staff. I also told them about a FGQ 350 mi. to their north that is available. I hope they can open by Christmas. Their second paragraph just doesn’tsays 

TomWhite

Hum. I didn’t finish my draft. I actually deleted it. When I got back on the page it appeared and was even posted. Whatever, I hope they get the Cupsuptic repaired and running.

IBRAKEFORTBARS

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“TomWhite”>Hum. I didn’t finish my draft. I actually deleted it. When I got back on the page it appeared and was even posted. Whatever, I hope they get the Cupsuptic repaired and running.</blockquote>

They should. Looks like foundational work needs to be done at the t-bar’s base terminal and perhaps some of the tower footings. The motor, towers, sheaves, and hangers may all well be structurally sound.

IBRAKE

IBRAKEFORTBARS

I’ll even add this: if the Hall ends up staying in place following the repairs perhaps Doppelmayr (who inherited Hall through its acquisitions through the years) could modify the lift to utilise spring boxes from the hangers versus telescoping masts. If this lift is subject to strong winds these are less likely to be buffeted about than the metal masts. That way the lift is even less likely to risk derailing or general inoperability due to high winds.

IBRAKE

obienick

What’s wrong with the Cupsuptic?

ME2VTskier

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“obienick”>What’s wrong with the Cupsuptic?</blockquote>

Scroll down…http://www.newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/viewlift.php?id=94

joshua_segal

There was a “condo owner/Magella” meet-and-greet last Sunday". Representatives of SB announced that they had decided that they would have a limited opening that started off with the T-Bar and hopefully transitioning to an operating replacement for the Rangeley Chair by the end of January.

Also mentioned was the possibility that they would operate only weekends and holidays.  No representatives from Australia were at the meeting.  Just the CEO, Fred LeMontagne and COO, Perry Williams.

The Aussies plan to close on the property at the end of this month, but we’ve heard that a few hundred times before..

NewEnglandSkier13

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“IBRAKEFORTBARS”>I’ll even add this: if the Hall ends up staying in place following the repairs perhaps Doppelmayr (who inherited Hall through its acquisitions through the years) could modify the lift to utilise spring boxes from the hangers versus telescoping masts. If this lift is subject to strong winds these are less likely to be buffeted about than the metal masts. That way the lift is even less likely to risk derailing or general inoperability due to high winds.

IBRAKE </blockquote>

The Cupsuptic isn’t in an area where wind is much of an issue. It’s sometimes the only upper mountain lift open at Saddleback, when everything else is on wind hold. I don’t know if you remember my trip report from Lonesome Pine Trails, but Doppelmayr had supplied new telescoping Ts for the old Hall T-bar there.

TomWhite

</blockquote>

Getting the T-bar ready for service seems to be a realistic way to go. Removing the Rangeley and building a FGQ by the end of January doesn’t seem realistic. But at least they want to get it done, and soon.

newpylong

That time frame for replacing Rangley is absolutely doable if the installer has the time. Will be tight though.

Peter

It might help that Doppelmayr has a slightly lighter project load than last year at this time.  The Leitner-Poma Group out sold them for the first time since the merger of Doppelmayr and CTEC in 2002.  Of the 14 Doppelmayrs this year, one is already finished and a few are being installed by third parties.  Last year they had 18.

obienick

What will they have to do, just backfill? Doesn’t seem too hard.

Dopp has all 3 new chair installs in the New England before you count Rageley. No company has had that workload here since Dopp in 2004.

There is one benefit: there is no way the work will get done for opening day. So the crew(s) can focus entirely on Rangeley once the others are done.  But the footings will need to be in the ground by late November.

joshua_segal

</blockquote>

For those not familiar with SB, the full mountain is available with either the Rangeley Chair or the Cupsuptic T-Bar.  However, riders don’t do well on T-Bars.  On days when the Rangeley didn’t run, there were lots of stops due to mis-loads/falls of snowboarders on the T-Bar.