TomWhite
I started thinking "someone could", then I said, I will start this thread. Difficult chairs/gondolas to evacuate were being discussed in the Aurora lift thread. I can think of two basic reasons to make lift evac difficult, terrain and cable height. Since most ski areas have depression towers for most sharp incline changes, cables don’t tend to be exceptionally high. Terrain can have at least two sub-categories, difficult to ski and difficult to simply walk/maneuver especially in ski boots. There could be an overall ranking. I’m not declaring authority over anything, just because I’ve started this. Maybe Joshua could do the ranking. I’ll put a sub-category to the one’s I start with. If people don’t have interest in that, fine. I’ll also include operating status: operating, closed, removed.
Resort Lift Category Status
Attitash Top Notch terrain-w removed
Loon White Mt. Exp. Gondi terrain-w operating
Pico Little Pico Triple terrain-w operating
Black Mt., ME Summit Triple cable ht. operating
TomWhite
Resort Lift Category Status
Attitash Top Notch terrain-w removed
Loon White Mt. Exp. Gondi terrain-w operating
Pico Little Pico Triple terrain-w operating
Black Mt, ME Summit Triple cable ht. operating
TomWhite
No, I couldn't get it into table/column form.
ADKskier
Sugarbush's Slide Brook Express Quad is a no brainer. I would say the Summit quad at Whiteface would be difficult just because of how steep it is. Jay Peak Tram below the chutes.
Jay Peak Tram- Terrain- Operating
Whiteface Summit Quad-Terrain- Operating
Sugarbush Slide Brook- Terrain- Operating
ski_it
Of course I haven’t been there in decades but recall Little Whiteface went over some rough terrain. Looking at the map, what about the (new to me) Gondy ?
ADKskier
ski_it;c-64320 wroteOf course I haven’t been there in decades but recall Little Whiteface went over some rough terrain. Looking at the map, what about the (new to me) Gondy ?
Actually good call I didn't even think of it. That's some pretty sketchy terrain and only one access point about halfway up. How about Cannon mountain tram? that has to be a nightmare if they ever had to Evac. I always think of steepness and machines getting to people. But Having skied McCauley last weekend there is a point where you're about forty of fifty feet up. Would be a tough spot to do an Evac.
NewEnglandSkier13
The terrain under the quad at Mont Adstock would be very difficult to conduct an evac from. It's extremely steep and rugged sidehill much of the way.
TomWhite
In the Aurora thread, Joshua spoke of 'a body of water under the lift'. I can't believe I forgot my nightmare in the original list. The Barker 4 had a never frozen pond under the start. That net never made me feel safe. How would evac be done there? I could put a "w" after terrain, for walk and water. Only Jesus could handle that one!
Sunday River Barker 4 terrain removed
obienick
Same with the Polar Express at Wachusett — starts right over a pond. I always get a chuckle with the fallen poles and gloves on the ice when it does manage to freeze.
I’d guess patrol would have an inflatable raft/boat?
conrad
skelley19
obienick;c-64329 wroteSame with the Polar Express at Wachusett — starts right over a pond. I always get a chuckle with the fallen poles and gloves on the ice when it does manage to freeze.
I’d guess patrol would have an inflatable raft/boat?
Yes there is a row boat stored right near the pond. My friends and I also get a laugh out of the amount of poles, goggles, cards and other stuff that gets dropped in that area. There was a rental ski in the middle of it last season.
I always remembered thinking the upper lift line of the summit triple at Gunstock was pretty remote and rugged rocky terrain but I could be misremembering as I didn't think it was as bad when I road the quad that has since replaced it. Perhaps it was made better during construction of that lift?
TomWhite
I always remembered thinking the upper lift line of the summit triple at Gunstock was pretty remote and rugged rocky terrain but I could be misremembering as I didn't think it was as bad when I road the quad that has since replaced it. Perhaps it was made better during construction of that lift?
You're correct, it's about 2/3s up the same lift line where the summit HSQ goes up a steep rocky face. On occasion you'll ski tracks down it from a crazy person. It's a difficult walk and no one would be asked to ski it in an evac.
Gunstock Panorama Quad terrain-s/w operating (s/w = ski n walk difficult)
ceo
Peabody Quad at Cannon goes over a brook in a steep little ravine right after the start. I've always thought that would be a tricky evac.
I'll also put in a vote for the late lamented Spillway East at Sugarloaf, where it had a really long, high span over Sluice Headwall. Maybe not a difficult evac per se, but kind of a scary one.
I vaguely recall they had to evac the triangular Hall double at Southwick's Zoo in MA some time recently, and that goes right over the alligator pond. :# I'm guessing they used a boom lift for that one.
riverc0il
From the other thread, I suggested M1 at Smuggs, Red at Magic, and Tram at Cannon would all be challenging (at least over the steepest and rockiest terrain, not an issue near the base or summit).
I haven't seen the new lift, but I assume the upper part of Black at Magic could be a bit awkward with the rocky double fall line and no way for lower level skiers to ski out.
Tram at Jay already mentioned, people could really freak out if lowered from its highest point. Not much of the tram is over nasty terrain. But where it is steep and rocky... well, it is steep and rocky, if only for a few turns. I think the height would be the bigger issue for most people getting evacuated.
I think M1 would be the worst. I can't even imagine what it would take to get people safely off the chair if the steepest part of the lift had icy/rocky conditions without any snow below it (above Red Fox Glades/below Robin's Run).
Would be cool to hear thoughts from some patrolers. I suspect they are much more concerned with frost bite on really cold days. But have any patrolers ever ridden a lift and thought "gosh, that would be a super hard evac..."
TomWhite
I rode the chair with a Pleasant Mt. patroller yesterday. His backpack included a private evac set. In the need to evacuate a lift, they need to get patrollers off first. That makes sense. I never noticed but the summit triple has a steel loop bolted on each chair for such. He would use that for person evac. A minor problem for them is having the rescue rope getting caught in the trees as they throw it up.
ceo
Yup, Cannon has a rack of self-evac kits at the base of each lift, for patrollers to take with them.
ceo
A bunch of years ago, the Roosevelt Island Tramway in NYC suffered a total electrical failure and had to be evacuated. It had a pair of rescue carriers that had never been used, so it took a while to get one set up for the car that was over the East River. For the one that was over East 60th St, they brought in a big crane with a manbasket.
Stan51
When I patrol, I carry 150' of 6 mil rope, a web harness and a belay device. If the lift goes down, we aren't much use to the patrons if we are stuck on the lift with them. We usually have to toss the evac rope over the haul rope to rig it.
