Detachable vs Fixed Grip Lifts

[tirolski]

Ok so we've got "so far off the radar" and "off the radar" which I assume is a bigger list. Are there other variations of off the radar?

In NY, who is on the radar? Hunter. Holiday Valley? Complete list please.

In VT who is on the radar?

Cell phone reception sucks in the daks, allegedly.
So there’s that.

 

[Harvey]

So yeah, they can be great but you can f things up with em too. I’m gonna refer back to my point earlier that there’s places and times they work and others maybe not so much.

I often hear that people want a HS lift on the North Side at Gore. They say it because it is really slow. Not sure, but I think they run it slow too.

Here's a question or seven.

Do high speed chairs attract more skiers?

If the answer is no, and every chair in the country was a high speed, would there be negative impacts beyond possibly profitability?

If yes, would trails, parking, lodges be more crowded, so you'd need more of all?

To RA's point where does it makes sense to add a HS lift? What are the criteria? Is it just long wait times at ski areas with uncrowded trails? Long wait times at ski areas that aren't profitable?

I do think the 3 HS lifts make Gore a better experience, but if you include their capex budget in the calculations are they profitable?

 

[tirolski]

Do high speed chairs attract more skiers?

It can get more folks to the top faster, if they’re present.

If the answer is no, and every chair in the country was a high speed, would there be negative impacts beyond possibly profitability?

If yes, would trails, parking, lodges be more crowded, so you'd need more of all?

If more folks show up.
We all know places get busier because of good snow and nice weather (not counting holidays).

To RA's point where does it makes sense to add a HS lift? What are the criteria? Is it just long wait times at ski areas with uncrowded trails? Long wait times at ski areas that aren't profitable?

If the lift lines are too long and there is ample terrain to spread out the masses.

I do think the 3 HS lifts make Gore a better experience, but if you include their capex budget in the calculations are they profitable?

Ask their beanie counters.

 

[MarzNC]

Do high speed chairs attract more skiers?

For a 4-season resort like Boyne Mountain or Jiminy Peak, having a high speed chair with 4+ seats has value during the "green" seasons. $15+ for a ticket, usually weekends only. Would not get the same interest with a slow double/quad.

To RA's point where does it makes sense to add a HS lift? What are the criteria? Is it just long wait times at ski areas with uncrowded trails? Long wait times at ski areas that aren't profitable?

Had Timberline in WV upgraded to a fixed-grip quad instead of a HS6, not sure the buzz around DC would be nearly as enthusiastic for making the 2-3 hour drive for day trips on weekends. The place will never get that busy, just because of the location. Will be more obvious how crowded the trails will be on Saturdays after the 2021-22 season since there were capacity limits for loading last season, which was the first under the new owners.

 

[raisingarizona]

Is covid going away and the wfh crowd going back to the office?

One thought is that it’s more ideal if you have an ample sized unloading area and at least 3-4 equally popular trails leaving directly from the top terminal. As far as capacity is concerned, that can be adjusted with the spacing of the chairs.

 

[Ripitz]

There is high speed and then there is high speed 8. It’s only needed and fully loaded during the busiest times. Really only a few days a year. The rest of the time it’s silly. As for negative impacts, my buddy sent me a video last year riding the Big Sky Ramcharger 8 by himself. Poor guy looked like he has no friends. Great way to make someone feel extra lonely.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Do high speed chairs attract more skiers?

Not directly. Indirectly they help with favorable lift lines. Lifts that attract non-Snoloco type of people are ones that are unique. The Peak-to-Peak gondola or the single chair, for instance.

Every chair in the country was a high speed, would there be negative impacts?

Nope, provided your downhill capacity matched uphill capacity. Fewer lower value liftie jobs, more higher value lift maintenance jobs.

To RA's point where does it makes sense to add a HS lift? What are the criteria?

Base areas at resorts where there are upper mountain lifts or back bowl lifts. Get people on the hill quickly during peak demand, e.g. 10:00. Or pods with sustained demand. Or somewhere there are lots of eyeballs for the impression of a modern set of facilities.

 

[Brownski]

A “high speed lift” - whether a 4, 6 or 8- does attract more skiers. Just like vertical, it’s an easy yardstick for casual customers. They see vertical over 1k and a bunch of detachable lifts and the take away is that it’s a big operation

 

[raisingarizona]

There is high speed and then there is high speed 8. It’s only needed and fully loaded during the busiest times. Really only a few days a year. The rest of the time it’s silly. As for negative impacts, my buddy sent me a video last year riding the Big Sky Ramcharger 8 by himself. Poor guy looked like he has no friends. Great way to make someone feel extra lonely.

The busiest times are when they make their money so there is definitely a good argument for the 8 pack value.

I’ve spent 5 months now in Caliente, Nevada so far this year and I gotta say……I love lonely ?

 

[raisingarizona]

A “high speed lift” - whether a 4, 6 or 8- does attract more skiers. Just like vertical, it’s an easy yardstick for casual customers. They see vertical over 1k and a bunch of detachable lifts and the take away is that it’s a big operation

When we skied at Taos two years ago we mostly lapped the HS quad chairs.

I think our mindset was if you are going to travel and spend a bunch of money being there we wanted to get in as much skiing as possible. The two or three chair waits for a fast ride up made sense.

Taos is my favorite place to ski now since it has the terrain, good lifts and there’s practically no one there.