Lifts that load with a conveyer belt

[Serafina]

We have one (1) lift at my home mountain that has this arrangement. You ski on to a short little magic-carpet style thing, it carries you up, and then the chair swings around and picks you up. I hate taking that lift, because I just don't trust that carpet.

We're staying slopeside this weekend, and our room is right next to that lift terminal. I skied early today, got on the hill at first chair, and off the hill when the cord got skied off to ice and lines started to form for the lift. Right about then our main summit access went off-line, no idea why, and so they're running the magic carpet-loading lift.

I've been sitting on the porch, working and watching the skiers for the last two hours, and I am gratified to find that my mistrust of that carpet was not off-base. This lift is stopping at least once every five minutes because someone has been sent past the loading point, or lost a ski in the loading process, or - a couple of times, very scary - because a little kid has wound up dangling from the chair. This isn't a problem with any of the other lifts on the mountain, so I'm pretty comfy in chalking it up to the funky loading scheme.

I really don't know what the advantage to this arrangement is. I figure there must be one, or why wouldn't they have reconfigured the loading zone to be the standard ski-up-to-the-line-and-load. Beats the heck out of me what it might be, though.

 

[Skisailor]

The advantage is that they can run lifts faster with the carpet loader.

The trick is to NOT shuffle forward once on the carpet. (Something you see many skiers doing). Just stay put wherever you are deposited until the chair arrives.

I have no problems with these lifts but where they are new, the lifties really need to do some lift loading education.

 

[Serafina]

Good grief. There was just an enormous commotion, lot of people shouting "STOP! STOP! STOP!" and then the sound of the lift stopping again (second time in 5 minutes). This time the problem was with an occupant three chairs from the terminal - way up in the air by the time the lifties stopped the thing - who had lost a ski getting on. Person was one of our mountain ambassadors, too, so it's not just inexperienced skiers who are having trouble with this thing.

They may be able to run the lift faster in theory, but if they have to stop it 15 times an hour because of some loading mishap, I think they'd be better off settling for a slightly slower trip on average. The newer lifts on the mountain don't use this technology, so I reckon management is aware of the problem. It's freaky, getting the Liftie's View on the thing. I don't envy that ambassador skiing off the lift into a very crowded summit area on one ski. Glad I'm not in that chair!

 

[Skisailor]

Sounds like a problem with the way they are running that particular lift. ??

Almost all of the lifts at Bridger Bowl plus many lifts I've ridden in the east have carpets and I've never experienced the problems you are witnessing.

 

[Serafina]

No idea...I've never before had a chance to see the lift in continuous operation. I knew it stopped a lot, but I didn't realize it stopped this often. It's been a couple of shifts of lifties at this point, and only in the last half-hour, as traffic has started to slack off, has the rate of lift-stoppages also slacked off. I'm guessing that it's more attributable to the number and type of person who is riding the lift than it is to lifties not doing their job properly. Or a combination of the two factors...

 

[Pequenita]

Conveyor belt lifts are take some getting used to. Both @Ringrat and I wrote about almost biting it on them earlier this season, and we probably have 60+ years of lift-served skiing between us.

 

[abc]

Conveyor belt lifts are take some getting used to. Both @Ringrat and I wrote about almost biting it on them earlier this season, and we probably have 60+ years of lift-served skiing between us.

what seems to be the problem?

I've used them. I thought it was a breeze.

 

[Pequenita]

what seems to be the problem?

I've used them. I thought it was a breeze.

I can't speak for others, but my instinct/habit is to shuffle up to the loading area. Or at least even with the other people on my chair. The conveyor belt doesn't allow you to shuffle easily, and then you're caught off balance when the chair arrives. Old habits die hard is all I'm saying.

 

[marzNC]

When the first conveyor loading lift was installed at Massanutten, the lifties spent some effort to tell people what to do. When they help to train people, it makes a difference. When the conveyor loading was added to the other beginner lift, there was no question that it does not stop as often as it used to and it runs slightly faster than before. Beginners figure out what to do pretty quickly.

In contrast, it's the advanced skiers who have trouble with the conveyor loading that was added to the Supreme triple at Alta. When there isn't a lift line, they try to ski on without stopping, so are going too fast and are in danger of going off the end of the conveyor before the chair reaches them. Supreme has some very nice blue groomers that are great for intermediates, along with advanced/expert terrain. So adding the conveyor and running the lift a little faster seemed like a good idea to me. Personally, I find it easier than having to do a fast shuffle/slide to get into position.

When there is snow/ice on the conveyor, it can be a problem because folks keep moving instead of coming to a stop when they land of the conveyor belt. At Massanutten, if it's really bad they run the lift the regular way without the conveyor. Of course, in Virginia that's pretty rare.

 

[marzNC]

For those unfamiliar with conveyor loading.

 

[Ski CT]

I can't speak for others, but my instinct/habit is to shuffle up to the loading area. Or at least even with the other people on my chair. The conveyor belt doesn't allow you to shuffle easily, and then you're caught off balance when the chair arrives. Old habits die hard is all I'm saying.

I totally agree. I rode one this year at Breck for the first time, pushed off a little too hard at the starting gate, and it threw me off balance when I hit the belt. Dialed it in the second time, though.

 

[volklgirl]

The Loki Quad has been in use at Crystal now for 2?, 3? years. There are padded gates at the load point, so no chance of people just skiing up and onto the conveyor at all. Yes, the first few times we used it, it needed an adjustment in timing as we almost ran out of real estate on the conveyor before the chair finally came up to us, but since then we've had no issues. It certainly is easier for the little ones and most beginners as it's the lift closest to the learning area, so the first lift they get to use after the magic carpets. I'm getting to almost like it.

 

[marzNC]

The Supreme lift at Alta has gates, but they are timed to the chairs instead of having a sensor that requires at least one person to be at a gate before they open. That why it's possible to ski thru while still carrying a little speed. Seem to be two types of sensors, either an electric eye or need a little pressure from a leg or knee.

 

[Pequenita]

Yeah, I think for me, I've been timing when to ski into the loading area for so long, it's just something new to get used to for something else to dictate the timing. It's not a difficult apparatus, just new.

 

[Serafina]

I think my distrust of them has to do with ice in the landing zone for the belt. If it's nice soft snow, you stop in the proper place, but if that strip after the belt is icy, all bets are off. Most of the times I've taken it, it's been icy there, and I've had to use my poles to keep the belt from pushing me too far. Belt has a bad tendency to push the fresh batch of skiers forward in such a way that it's easy to find your tips riding up over the tails off the people loading the chair in front of you.

 

[SkiGAP]

The Supreme lift at Alta has gates, but they are timed to the chairs instead of having a sensor that requires at least one person to be at a gate before they open. That why it's possible to ski thru while still carrying a little speed. Seem to be two types of sensors, either an electric eye or need a little pressure from a leg or knee.

Not sure I have experienced a sensor one - I am used to the ones timed to the chairs and when there are no lines or when shifting gates to fill an empty spot, pushing off to ski through quickly (belt or no belt). Even the sensor ones need to wait for a chair, but I suppose it reduced the wear and tear if the gate doesn't need to open and close all of the time for no reason if no one is there...

 

[SkiGAP]

I think my distrust of them has to do with ice in the landing zone for the belt. If it's nice soft snow, you stop in the proper place, but if that strip after the belt is icy, all bets are off.

Wait - aren't we talking about the chair coming to get you while you are still in motion on the belt? Don't think that I have used any other kind...but maybe...hmmm...now I am not so sure. I'll have to pay attention...

 

[Serafina]

The belt carries you up and deposits you in the loading zone, and the chair comes up to get you. But you aren't loading while you're moving on the belt on this one. There's a short period of time during which you are stationary - unless you started sliding forward after getting dropped off by the belt.

 

[marzNC]

The belt carries you up and deposits you in the loading zone, and the chair comes up to get you. But you aren't loading while you're moving on the belt on this one. There's a short period of time during which you are stationary - unless you started sliding forward after getting dropped off by the belt.

Hmm . . . haven't seen one of those. What ski area?

 

[lisamamot]

Funny, Sunday River added a gates/conveyor to the Spuce lift over the summer; it sails along and I have never seen a loading issue. Gate doesn't open until previous chair is already loaded and in the process of leaving....it is likely sensored as it doesn't open until skiers are there and a chair is coming. I suppose the sensor keeps the next batch of skiers from getting on the conveyor at a less than optimal time.