Greek Peak Conditions

[Emily]

I find the 85 to 90 percent hard to believe. I've been selling production equipment for over 30 years. If machines are maintained on a regular basis they can last a long time. Granted some have better bones than others like the Hall lifts that are running after 60 years.
We also rebuild and upgrade older machines to today's standards at a much lower cost than new. If the towers on chair 5 are in good shape a new drive terminal and controls would likely put it good shape for years. Spare parts for Hall lifts are still readily available. I agree those chairs are uncomfortable so they could also be replaced.
Chair 2 is a Frankenlift that just needs to be replaced. It's likely hard to find spare parts for that lift.

You would know better than me with your heavy equipment background. That's a bit out of my toolshed. I just thought the statistic was interesting, as you can keep anything going forever as long as you maintain it. Chris Diamond spent his career in the ski industry starting with Preston Smith at Killington. He ran Mount Snow for a number of years and then ran Steamboat. Before he retired, he ran Vail's mountain division. He also published a couple of ski industry books.

It would be interesting, as an example, to see how much money was put into lifts like chair 2 over the years to keep it running (chair replacements, drive replacements, grips, etc.)

I couldn't locate a digital copy of Chris' article but did find this one from 2015 that places a lifespan of a high-speed quad at 23.8 years. Granted the article is eight years old, but an interesting read.

https://liftblog.com/2015/09/21/the-lifespan-of-a-high-speed-quad/#:~:text=If you figure the average,machines will be in 2022.

 

[Tjf1967]

Once at band camp.

 

[Ethan Snow]

Some friends who skied Greek Peak today texted me and said they had to be evacuated around 2:00 from chair 2. I don't know the details, as I haven't spoken with them.

I heard about this on Instagram over the weekend. Today at work I met with an integrator from AAI Power Flow Technologies. We were looking around at some old conveyor control systems in our plant that need to be overhauled. We got shooting the shit, and he decided to show me a picture on his phone of "a control panel that he had to look at over the weekend." He later explained that it was the controls for Lift 2 at Greek Peak. Unfortunately, I don't have the photo to share here, but I can tell you it was definitely cannibalized. He said they refused to repair it and the best they could do was rebuild the whole panel from scratch.

It's a controls issue that could have been avoided by simply not allowing unqualified individuals to make modifications to their equipment. It's not a mechanical issue. It's incredibly frustrating how "technicians" always seem to be willing and eager to modify a control system they know nothing about in order to get something running again. Then when it fails even worse, and someone who actually knows what they're doing is called in, they have no clue what they're even looking at. All because someone modified a once well engineered system beyond repair in order to save money. I see this trend happen in industry a lot, and apparently it happens to ski lifts as well.

BTW sorry for magically reappearing on the forum. I love Greek Peak as well, and I thought this was fascinating.

 

[Tjf1967]

I heard about this on Instagram over the weekend. Today at work I met with an integrator from AAI Power Flow Technologies. We were looking around at some old conveyor control systems in our plant that need to be overhauled. We got shooting the shit, and he decided to show me a picture on his phone of "a control panel that he had to look at over the weekend." He later explained that it was the controls for Lift 2 at Greek Peak. Unfortunately, I don't have the photo to share here, but I can tell you it was definitely cannibalized. He said they refused to repair it and the best they could do was rebuild the whole panel from scratch.

It's a controls issue that could have been avoided by simply not allowing unqualified individuals to make modifications to their equipment. It's not a mechanical issue. It's incredibly frustrating how "technicians" always seem to be willing and eager to modify a control system they know nothing about in order to get something running again. Then when it fails even worse, and someone who actually knows what they're doing is called in, they have no clue what they're even looking at. All because someone modified a once well engineered system beyond repair in order to save money. I see this trend happen in industry a lot, and apparently it happens to ski lifts as well.

BTW sorry for magically reappearing on the forum. I love Greek Peak as well, and I thought this was fascinating.

 

[Ethan Snow]

 

[Campgottagopee]

I heard about this on Instagram over the weekend. Today at work I met with an integrator from AAI Power Flow Technologies. We were looking around at some old conveyor control systems in our plant that need to be overhauled. We got shooting the shit, and he decided to show me a picture on his phone of "a control panel that he had to look at over the weekend." He later explained that it was the controls for Lift 2 at Greek Peak. Unfortunately, I don't have the photo to share here, but I can tell you it was definitely cannibalized. He said they refused to repair it and the best they could do was rebuild the whole panel from scratch.

It's a controls issue that could have been avoided by simply not allowing unqualified individuals to make modifications to their equipment. It's not a mechanical issue. It's incredibly frustrating how "technicians" always seem to be willing and eager to modify a control system they know nothing about in order to get something running again. Then when it fails even worse, and someone who actually knows what they're doing is called in, they have no clue what they're even looking at. All because someone modified a once well engineered system beyond repair in order to save money. I see this trend happen in industry a lot, and apparently it happens to ski lifts as well.

BTW sorry for magically reappearing on the forum. I love Greek Peak as well, and I thought this was fascinating.

LoL!
I worked at GP the summer they built the current rental building. It would've been 85 or 86. I worked with the electrician. He was a great guy, if he liked you. He liked me for whatever reason, we got along great. I can't tell you how many phone lines, lights, control panels, fuse boxes, etc, that we rigged up just to work. He would call it, "job security".

 

[Ethan Snow]

Yup! a lot of privately owned companies have an individual like that. Usually extremely valuable and a big PIA at the same time.

 

[Brownski]

I must be missing something. Popcorn and Butter?

It means he’s settling in to enjoy the show. Welcome back, Ethan. You’ve been missed. Stick around awhile maybe

 

[Ethan Snow]

It means he’s settling in to enjoy the show. Welcome back, Ethan. You’ve been missed. Stick around awhile maybe

Thanks Brownski! I'll stick around. I never really left, I still read a lot on here, I'm just not as active.

 

[tirolski]

He later explained that it was the controls for Lift 2 at Greek Peak...
It's a controls issue that could have been avoided by simply not allowing unqualified individuals to make modifications to their equipment. It's not a mechanical issue. It's incredibly frustrating how "technicians" always seem to be willing and eager to modify a control system they know nothing about in order to get something running again.

There’s folks who think, "This ain’t no church.”
Cobjob became a word for some reasons.