Black Mt. NH to add Mid-Station to Triple

TomWhite

Black Mt., Jackson, NH plans to add a mid-station and replace the drive motor to the Triple. Liftblog.com provided a link, I pasted 2 paragraphs.

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Passenger Tramway Safety Board

Black Mountain: Application for modification to Triple chair, TRM 20: Erik Mogensen, from Black
Mountain, and Bobby Farrell, from Elevation Engineering presented. It was determined that one
essential modification would be upgrading the motor from 150 horsepower to 200 horsepower,
as it has been undersized since installed and as the average person’s size/weight has increased
18% since 1947. The modification will also include adding an additional tower to allow for mid
station unloading to service beginners.

A motion was made by Kris Blomback to approve Black Mountain’s application for modification
to the Triple Chair, TRAM 20 to a 200 horsepower motor and mid-station, seconded by Steve
Howell. Chair Petrozzi mentioned he would like to see in future affirmation letters, that
‘applicable requirement’ is plural to be more specific. With no further discussion, the motion was
approved unanimously.

https://www.firemarshal.dos.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt766/files/media/media_document/tramway-minutes-081326.pdf

ski_it

A midstation??? Where? At Valley View?
How about first fixing the unloading area.

riverc0il

A mid-station seems like a strange call as all of the beginner terrain appears to be accessible from the top of the lift. I don’t think those are unreasonably long trails for a beginner. I don’t think this would give them any snow making advantage either. Perhaps they could upload and then have only the upper half of the triple open, and then download. That cannot be that much of a snowmaking advantage, right? Very strange, I see no major advantage given the extra cost.

snowphoenix

The bottom part of Maple Slalom has been cleared out quite a bit recently and it’s now a wide open slope all the way down. Since the bottom part isn’t steep, maybe they’re adding the midstation to essentially turn that into a chairlift-served beginner slope?

shpride

That was my thought too. It could be a good beginner area especially for snowboarders who have a lot of trouble with the poma lift.

From a distance it looks like something is going on at the summit. Either widening or putting in fill over the rocks. I can’t tell exactly but something looks different.

justkeepmovingne

Here’s a wrinkle that either hasn’t been discussed, or I just straight up missed since going AWOL:

https://www.saminfo.com/news/sam-headline-news/special-report-black-mountains-revival-led-by-its-disrupter-in-chief

Article from late March says Black bought 3 used lifts that will be installed for the 2027-28 season. Adding a midstation to the triple suggests it won’t be ripped out… so what in the world are those lifts going to be serving, and what kind of lifts are they?

My assumption is that the summit lift gets ripped out. Maybe something replaces the platter? Then what?

newpylong

We moved the snowmaking from skier’s left to right leading to a new summit valve station behind the unload. You’ll now be able to ski off to the right and over to Upper Beauty now as opposed to skiing under the lift.

newpylong

justkeepmovingne

The Summit Double and Triple are not going anywhere. The Double just got a new drive and controls as well prior to last year.

The lifts are Muellers and reinstalling them is pie in the sky.

justkeepmovingne

newpylong Thanks for providing us with useful info as always! Good to know.

Any chance you know whether one of those Mueller lifts they bought are essentially just to have a bunch of spare parts around for the double?

Also curious where they managed to purchase not one but three Muellers from.

newpylong

That place in Canada that retired a bunch, forgot the name.

I think he wants to install one or more of them.

woodcore

newpylong The lifts are likely coming from Mont Sutton as they retired 3 Mueller lifts at the end of last season to make way for a new Skytrac quad.

justkeepmovingne

woodcore Huh. That’s cool. They’re interesting looking lifts and old school, that’s for sure. Had the chance to see them in January.

Two of those chairs, I believe, are even older than the summit double. Think they were originally installed in 1963 at now-defunct Mont Echo, just a few kilometers northeast of Mt Sutton.

Not familiar enough with the maintenance history to know whether they’re in good condition or not, but re-installing a 60+ year old lift doesn’t necessarily seem like a fantastic idea.

ceo

newpylong Is one of them the former I Ouest? If so, I don’t suppose you’d be willing to sell one of those center-pole chairs. I loved those as a kid and haven’t even seen one since.

ski_it

ceo you’d be willing to sell one of those center-pole chairs.

I hope to God they sell them all if they have them! Interesting design and looks but can’t say I liked riding on them. Head knockers. PTCSD. See Rick & Cisco? that could explain my stupid outbursts. …ok Prob not

justkeepmovingne

ceo Yes, that is one of the three. Yes, some chairs are/were sold by Mt Sutton - see the bottom of this article: https://montsutton.com/en/sweet-farewell-chairlift-1/

ILOVE2SKI

I’m guessing intent is to bottom of steep pitch on Jackson standard?

rickbolger

Is it definitely a new unload? In the past, the whole area around the double chair mid station was called mid station, meaning the triple ends at mid station. Possibly a misunderstanding here?

newpylong

No, a separate “mid-station” for the triple.

rickbolger

Interesting

ski_it

You would think it would mean more maintenance, more employees needed, and more lift stoppages. But if they wanted to expand their ski school it would help.