snoloco
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2021
I got this idea from the roller coaster channels on YouTube who rank all the roller coasters at an amusement park from worst to best. I thought I'd do the same thing for lifts. This is all just my personal opinion, but I do consider a number of factors including but not limited to the terrain off of it, how fast it is, whether it's a particularly interesting make or model, or unique in any way.
I'll do Gore to start, but I have other lift rankings that I'll post later.
10. Village Chair:
Someone had to be last, and it wouldn't be hard to give it to the Village Chair. It only serves one trail, and can't really be used as a beginner lift because it is isolated from the ski school at the main base. I often see it running completely empty.
9. Sunway Quad:
I put Gore's other beginner lift one spot higher. While it is slow, it does have a loading carpet which reduces the stops somewhat. It also never has a line, and does serve a few trails that can be interesting to intermediate and above ability levels. I rarely ride it because you can get to the same trails off the gondola or Adirondack Express.
8. North Quad:
The first lift that's not truly a beginner lift. It has some nice terrain off of it, but is plagued by excessive slows and stops to the point where I avoid it if possible.
7. Hudson Chair:
I would rank this one higher, but the fact that it is rarely open keeps it in this spot. When it is open, I find that Oak Ridge often ends up being the only trail worth skiing, because Peaceful Valley is primarily just a connector to Burnt Ridge, and 46er and Moxham are rarely open.
6. Topridge Triple:
This lift features nice views, serves 2 really good trails in Topridge and Uncas and one not as good trail in Pine Knot, but serves only 3 trails and is a long windy lift that stops often.
5. Northwoods Gondola:
This lift and the next one are neck and neck, both geographically and in this ranking. This lift is the only enclosed lift at Gore, and provides the easiest access to the summit. Lapping the front side trails is also possible, but the 3 trails to get you down there are not all that good, which is why this lift is 5th and the next on this list is above it.
4. Adirondack Express:
If this lift ran at that speed it did when it originally opened, then it would be number 1 on this list, no question. However, it has been slowed down a lot, which drops it down to number 4. It is the easiest way to lap the front side trails, and provides access to the summit via Wood In and the High Peaks Quad. It's also a very windy ride.
3. High Peaks Quad:
This is one of the newest, and by far the most scenic lift on the mountain. The views from the upper section of the lift are breathtaking. It serves some of Gore's most unique terrain on the "Dark Side" including several glades. While it is a long ride, it also has very comfortable chairs. The only reason it's here and not further up is because I find it takes a lot of "filler" to get to and from the best parts of each run.
2. Burnt Ridge Quad:
This lift is one of the most comfortable rides on the mountain. While it doesn't serves as many trails as some of the other lifts, what it lacks in quantity it makes up in quality. Echo, Sagamore, and Backwoods are in my opinion among the best trails at Gore. They are long, mostly uninterrupted runs with great views the whole way down.
1. Straightbrook Quad:
This is the steepest at lift at Gore and serves a ton of awesome terrain in not that long of a ride time. Whether it's a powder day, or a spring day, or even a groomer day, you can't go wrong with this lift or the terrain off it.
Note that in this ranking, I left out all the beginner surface lifts. In future rankings, I'll do the same. If a resort has any private lifts that are never open to the public, then I will leave those out too.
I'd be interested in hearing if anyone would rank Gore's lifts differently, or if they have an entirely different resort where they want to rank the lifts.
I'll do Gore to start, but I have other lift rankings that I'll post later.
10. Village Chair:
Someone had to be last, and it wouldn't be hard to give it to the Village Chair. It only serves one trail, and can't really be used as a beginner lift because it is isolated from the ski school at the main base. I often see it running completely empty.
9. Sunway Quad:
I put Gore's other beginner lift one spot higher. While it is slow, it does have a loading carpet which reduces the stops somewhat. It also never has a line, and does serve a few trails that can be interesting to intermediate and above ability levels. I rarely ride it because you can get to the same trails off the gondola or Adirondack Express.
8. North Quad:
The first lift that's not truly a beginner lift. It has some nice terrain off of it, but is plagued by excessive slows and stops to the point where I avoid it if possible.
7. Hudson Chair:
I would rank this one higher, but the fact that it is rarely open keeps it in this spot. When it is open, I find that Oak Ridge often ends up being the only trail worth skiing, because Peaceful Valley is primarily just a connector to Burnt Ridge, and 46er and Moxham are rarely open.
6. Topridge Triple:
This lift features nice views, serves 2 really good trails in Topridge and Uncas and one not as good trail in Pine Knot, but serves only 3 trails and is a long windy lift that stops often.
5. Northwoods Gondola:
This lift and the next one are neck and neck, both geographically and in this ranking. This lift is the only enclosed lift at Gore, and provides the easiest access to the summit. Lapping the front side trails is also possible, but the 3 trails to get you down there are not all that good, which is why this lift is 5th and the next on this list is above it.
4. Adirondack Express:
If this lift ran at that speed it did when it originally opened, then it would be number 1 on this list, no question. However, it has been slowed down a lot, which drops it down to number 4. It is the easiest way to lap the front side trails, and provides access to the summit via Wood In and the High Peaks Quad. It's also a very windy ride.
3. High Peaks Quad:
This is one of the newest, and by far the most scenic lift on the mountain. The views from the upper section of the lift are breathtaking. It serves some of Gore's most unique terrain on the "Dark Side" including several glades. While it is a long ride, it also has very comfortable chairs. The only reason it's here and not further up is because I find it takes a lot of "filler" to get to and from the best parts of each run.
2. Burnt Ridge Quad:
This lift is one of the most comfortable rides on the mountain. While it doesn't serves as many trails as some of the other lifts, what it lacks in quantity it makes up in quality. Echo, Sagamore, and Backwoods are in my opinion among the best trails at Gore. They are long, mostly uninterrupted runs with great views the whole way down.
1. Straightbrook Quad:
This is the steepest at lift at Gore and serves a ton of awesome terrain in not that long of a ride time. Whether it's a powder day, or a spring day, or even a groomer day, you can't go wrong with this lift or the terrain off it.
Note that in this ranking, I left out all the beginner surface lifts. In future rankings, I'll do the same. If a resort has any private lifts that are never open to the public, then I will leave those out too.
I'd be interested in hearing if anyone would rank Gore's lifts differently, or if they have an entirely different resort where they want to rank the lifts.
