I can see the top from here!!! What ski areas did you not make it to the top (and why)?

jaytrem

Always a bit of a bummer when you can't make it to the top of the highest lift. Where and why has that happened to you?

1. Black (NH) - Late season and the double wasn't running. Must get back!

2. Granite Gorge - Only open to the mid-station that day.

3. Dartmouth - Pretty sure Holt's is higher. Had a great day powder day on Winslow, so I guess I can't complain.

4. Rotarun - Was only open about 3/4 of the way up. Tried another day, but the lights turned off as we were headed there.

5. Pomerelle - The higher lift doesn't run for night skiing.

6. Troll - All t-bars all the time. "You shoulda been here yesterday the conditions were amazing". Everything froze up for my day there. Cool place, wish we had better conditions.

7. Cypress - I have never ever ever seen snow go from soft wet mush to solid ice so fast. Flash freeze! We were headed to the top lift but quickly realized it would in no way be fun, called it a day headed off to Squamish. I guess this would be the only one I walked away from.

8. Fernie - Biggest bummer of the bunch. Polar Peak chair was new that season. Just got a big dump, too big it unfortunately. Need to do avy work and dig out the lift.

Honorable Mentions (screw it I'm walkin')

1. Heavenly - Too windy on my only day there, only open to the top of Powder Bowl. Decided to hike the rest of the way and ski down to NV.

2. Four Season - Mostly tubing that night on the carpet, but put the skis on for a few runs. Chair wasn't running, but it's probably a 50' vert hike, so why not.

What ya got???

NewEnglandSkier13

The one time I skied Saddleback in 2014 Kennabago was on wind hold. I think I've made it to the top of everywhere else I've skied, even if it took multiple trips before it happened.

Edit: Not sure if it counts, but I haven't been to the top of the old double at Big Squaw, although it hasn't been running for years the first time I skied there.

ski_it

Well to be picky, nothing went to the top of Saddleback (and many other mountains), because of the AT I'm told. One time I got off the T-bar & started to hike up and the liftie came out and made us leave our skis behind.

I know, I know, highest lift.

PS: Can't think of one right off...

pagamony

Little Cherry Peak, Utah, 2020. Groomer broke down on the a summit slope so they closed the summit lift during remove and repair ops. It was a bluebird day, of course. sigh.

JimK

Feb 2019, skied with friends for three days at Big Sky, MT. First time ever at Big Sky. 2-3' of new snow fell during my visit, but very few trams running to the summit. It was always closed when I went by and I never made it up there :'(
Good consolation prize:

Feb 1989 was one and only day I've ever been to Jay Peak, VT. Nice day with a breeze that was barely noticeable at the base. Yet they had the tram on wind hold. Lower mtn skiing was fine, but disappointed not to get to summit terrain :s

I've only visited Stowe three times in my life. First time was a couple days in 1971. I was recovering from a broken arm and my parents only let me ski Spruce Peak, while I envied my older brothers over on the big mtn. I went back for the second time for one day in 2010 with my son and finally made it to the summit. We had a great day together and skied Mansfield gondi and forerunner quite a bit:

Skied Stowe again a couple years later including more summit runs.

Digression: Ski area summits that I have been to and really enjoyed are Jackson Hole, Crested Butte (hike to), Heavenly (super scenic lake views), Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge (hike to above Imperial chair), Aspen Highlands (rode Highland Bowl snow cat, but did not do the full hike up Highland bowl - maybe this winter?), Taos (hike to Highline Ridge, 2012 pre-Kachina chair), Snowbird, Wildcat...this list could get pretty long. Maybe start another thread with photos :*

IBRAKEFORTBARS

jaytrem;d-2946 wroteAlways a bit of a bummer when you can't make it to the top of the highest lift. Where and why has that happened to you?

1. Black (NH) - Late season and the double wasn't running. Must get back!

2. Granite Gorge - Only open to the mid-station that day.

3. Dartmouth - Pretty sure Holt's is higher. Had a great day powder day on Winslow, so I guess I can't complain.

4. Rotarun - Was only open about 3/4 of the way up. Tried another day, but the lights turned off as we were headed there.

5. Pomerelle - The higher lift doesn't run for night skiing.

6. Troll - All t-bars all the time. "You shoulda been here yesterday the conditions were amazing". Everything froze up for my day there. Cool place, wish we had better conditions.

7. Cypress - I have never ever ever seen snow go from soft wet mush to solid ice so fast. Flash freeze! We were headed to the top lift but quickly realized it would in no way be fun, called it a day headed off to Squamish. I guess this would be the only one I walked away from.

8. Fernie - Biggest bummer of the bunch. Polar Peak chair was new that season. Just got a big dump, too big it unfortunately. Need to do avy work and dig out the lift.

Honorable Mentions (screw it I'm walkin')

1. Heavenly - Too windy on my only day there, only open to the top of Powder Bowl. Decided to hike the rest of the way and ski down to NV.

2. Four Season - Mostly tubing that night on the carpet, but put the skis on for a few runs. Chair wasn't running, but it's probably a 50' vert hike, so why not.

What ya got???

Fun facts about Four Seasons in Fayetteville, NY: its original name was 90 Acres. Also, the tubing hill, back in the 70s, had a rope tow. Finally, where the double is located there was a j-bar. From satellite pictures it appears the double terminates lower than the old j-bar terminal. That means the summit has some lost terrain.😬

IBRAKE

NewEnglandSkier13

Actually I can add Sunday River because I've never been there when Oz was open.

TomWhite

Sunday River counts for me as well. Oz was never open when I was there.

DrJeff

IBRAKEFORTBARS;c-44012 wrote
Fun facts about Four Seasons in Fayetteville, NY: its original name was 90 Acres. Also, the tubing hill, back in the 70s, had a rope tow. Finally, where the double is located there was a j-bar. From satellite pictures it appears the double terminates lower than the old j-bar terminal. That means the summit has some lost terrain.😬

IBRAKE

Another fun fact about 4 Seasons.

It was the first place that I ever skied back in December of 1979 when it was still called 90 Acres. I rode that noted J-bar was the first lift that I ever rode, as their rope tow area hadn't received any snowmaking love the season I started when I was ready to go up the hill for the 1st time.

Blue Elan rental skis, Spademan plate bindings, Caber rental boots and my instructor was a highschooler from Fayetteville. named Cary! Still remember all that very vividly 40+ years later!

rickbolger

Dutchess, I never made it to the top of the "new" chair

Skied Saddleback a couple of times, never made the top. I believe the lunar surface was warmer on those days.

Crested Butte has the High Lift which I have not used. Similarly, Copper has some sort of surface lift I haven't attempted.

Snowbasin UT has a gondy or tram or something that serves the Olympic run which I believe is the highest there.

Dartmouth as mentioned above, other side of the street wasn't open. (if that is highest)

I was going to say Stowe, having only skied the gondy, but appears to be the highest lift.

Just to be a contrarian, I have not made it to the lowest lift served portion of Timberline Lodge, OR.

jaytrem

Ohhh, gotta add Timberline to mine, top is typically not open in the winter.

I was thinking Big Sky and Oz at Sunday River would be popular answers.

Lowest lift, eh? That might be a bit trickier to remember.

lotsoskiing

Copper
Keystone (never made it back to the furthest lift)
Loveland
Panorama, BC
Loon
Waterville
Bromley- was there for a race; never went to summit

xlr8r

Jupiter at Park City and 9990 at The Canyons. On a family trip many years ago when I was too intimidated to go up lifts without a groomed way down.

ceo

Sun Valley. Only time I was there, on a trip with my father when I was in college, the entire upper mountain was closed. So we drove to Jackson Hole, where I definitely skied the top.
Serre-Chevalier, France. Didn't make it to the one little Poma that went to the highest peak (above the main summit buildings).

xlr8r

xlr8r;c-44035 wroteJupiter at Park City and 9990 at The Canyons. On a family trip many years ago when I was too intimidated to go up lifts without a groomed way down.

Oh and almost forgot Sugarloaf. Was New Years 2016 and Timberline was not open yet, only got as high as Skyline.

Cannonball

Nakiska AB. Pretty interesting one. When you unload at the top of the Gold Chair there is a pristine Dopplemayr platter lift sitting right there heading higher up into some nice looking snow fields. At the time I was there I just assumed it was randomly closed for the day. After looking into it, it turns out... "this lift was built to service the 1988 Olympic downhill start and has never opened to the public. It is still used by ski patrol for avalanche control on the summit. (liftblog.com)"

https://liftblog.com/platter-nakiska-ab/#:~:text=This%20lift%20was%20built%20to,three%20towers%20and%20nine%20carriers.

jaytrem

Bridger has the same deal as Nakiska, though not built for the Olympics.

conrad

Waterville Valley for me. The old High Peaks chair was broken for the season and due to be replaced with a t-bar. Also, on a technicality, Hunter Mountain. Zephyr goes slightly higher than the other lifts and was on wind hold when I visited.

ski_it

It does...? You're right once again. It does, by maybe 10 ft. So that's why its a PIA skating over there?

Harvey

jaytrem;d-2946 wroteAlways a bit of a bummer when you can't make it to the top of the highest lift.

Ever, or does just one time count? :)

Ski at Gore often and many times I don't make it to the top.

https://nyskiblog.com/i-never-made-it-to-the-top/