Finally got to ride the Kancamagus 8 at Loon, often referred to as Kanc 8, and styled on the logo as Kan8amagus. It's a Doppelmayr D-Line model installed last summer. It's the third lift to serve the West Basin terrain at Loon, as it replaced a high speed quad, which replaced a double-double.
The lift statistics are as follows:
Length: 3992 feet
Vertical: 1065 feet
Capacity: 3500 riders per hour
Speed: 1080 fpm
Flat light made it difficult to take good pictures, but I did the best I could. This was taken near the top of the lift first thing in the morning.
The bottom terminal is inside a large building. This building also houses the chairs, which are parked inside every night. This lift is bottom drive, but you'd hardly notice. It has a Doppelmayr Direct Drive (DDD). The motor is attached directly to the bullwheel and there is no gearbox. Not only is this more efficient and more reliable, but it is also extremely quiet. There are return terminals that are louder than this drive terminal. There are loading gates and a conveyor. This is important because it helps to line up all 8 people so they all sit down at the same time.
The top is a standard Doppelmayr D-Line station.
The lower section of the lift, taken late in the day.
This lift has individual seats with contoured backs. And yes, they are heated. It seems to work better on some chairs than others, but is definitely noticeable, particularly on cold days like the day I took these pictures. The bubble of course does a great job keeping the wind out, and since 8 pack chairs are very heavy, the lift will almost never go on wind hold. The safety bar locks in place once it is down, and each foot rest has a bar between your legs, so it is impossible to fall out. The safety bar and bubble automatically raise at the top.
Last but not least, this lift has excellent capacity. Even with no organization (European style line for European style lift), the line pictured was under 12 minutes. Also, just look at the size of the bottom terminal. It's as big as the lodge, if not bigger.
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