Okemo's getting a bubble chair with heated seats!

[ski diva]

Big news for Okemo skiers: Okemo is getting a new lift to replace the Northstar Quad, and it'll have a bubble and heated seats. The former is really great for keeping out of the wind; I've ridden the bubble lift at Mount Snow, and on a windy day, it's really, really nice. Heated seats, well, I hate to say it because it sounds kind of wimpy, but really, this sounds awfully nice. The lift will be the only one with heated seats in the Northeast. The only thing I'm not keen about is that it's a six-seater. I think six-packs bring too any people up the mountain at the same time. For me, personally, this isn't a problem since I ski week days and it's not busy. But on a Saturday or Sunday, or during a holiday, it's going to deposit a lot of people at the top all at once. Then again, is a six-seater really much different than a gondola -- only better, since you don't have to take your skis off? And won't it mean shorter lift lines during busy periods?

Anyway, here's a link for more information.

 

[nopoleskier]

WOW!! Heated seats!!! can we have waffles delivered to us too??

 

[Dtrick924]

I had to go look at Okemo's trail map to decipher that this was the summit lift. I always get the lift names confused. I thought it was one of the older fixed quads. I was surprised that this was the lift that they chose to upgrade and not one of the older fixed lifts, although that lift definitely gets windy/cold about 3/4 of the way up to the summit.

I prefer quads to six packs. The 6 packs always seem really crowded when you're trying to cram 6 adults on, especially if it's a mix of skiers and snow boarders. And getting off at the top is even more fun.

 

[bounceswoosh]

FWIW, I don't care for Vail's gondola with the heated seats. I start sweating, which is death for being warm the rest of the day.

 

[Swamp Dog]

how many cup holders does it have? Orange IS the New Black after all ;)

 

[ski diva]

I've been reading some responses to this online, and it's been interesting. A lot of people are complaining that this is way too cushy. Seriously, people, with the exception of the heated seats, is this that much different than a gondola, except you don't have to take off your skis, which for me is a plus? Okay, maybe the heated seats are a bit over the top. And it's not something you'd find at Mad River or in the backcountry. But on a day when it's 20 below zero, remind me to complain.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Humans fear change.

 

[Swamp Dog]

I'm wondering what the claustrophobic factor is going to be like on the inside.

 

[RachelV]

I've been reading some responses to this online, and it's been interesting. A lot of people are complaining that this is way too cushy. Seriously, people, with the exception of the heated seats, is this that much different than a gondola, except you don't have to take off your skis, which for me is a plus? Okay, maybe the heated seats are a bit over the top. And it's not something you'd find at Mad River or in the backcountry. But on a day when it's 20 below zero, remind me to complain.

Vail's new (2 seasons ago now?) gondola has heated seats and wifi.

... I like it.

 

[ski diva]

I'm wondering what the claustrophobic factor is going to be like on the inside.

I've ridden a bubble lift at Mount Snow and didn't find it claustrophobic at all. It really does a good job of keeping the wind out, which can make a long lift ride a lot more bearable when it's blowing out. Also, I don't think you have to have the bubble down, so if it bothers you, leave it up.

 

[Perty]

There are lots of 6 (and 8) packs in the Alps and many of the 6-ers with covers (we used to call them the "George Foremans" as they look like his grill). Very nice on a chilly day and if it's snowing and windy. As ski diva says, it's not compulsory to pull the hood down. They aren't claustrophobic, though the perspex can be hard to see through and they do get scratched.

I had my first heated seat experience last winter in Austria. It was something I had heard about but never experienced. Suffice it to say that they feature on a number of chairlifts in Lech -a resort popular with the uber rich Austrian aristos and minor european royal families (presumably with particularly frost prone blue blooded backsides!!). Leaving aside the environmental issues and the even bigger carbon footprint they must leave, I have to say it was rather nice. There was a bit of an "oooooh" moment as we all sat down and felt the warmth radiating through to our bottoms. It was our last lift home at the end of the day, a long but fast chair and I can see why, had it been colder, it would have been most welcome.

My verdict overall:
Covered chairs-am a big fan. They get you up the hill quickly and in comfort on a cold and snowy day.
Heated seats? Rather absurd and unnecessary, despite the pleasurable sensations!

 

[Christy]

Vail's new (2 seasons ago now?) gondola has heated seats and wifi.

... I like it.

I would too!

They aren't claustrophobic, though the perspex can be hard to see through and they do get scratched.

The bubbles on the one lift on Blackcomb that has them are exactly like that. I don't know how old they are--they might be pretty old.

I think I would love heated seats.

 

[mustski]

I'm with ski diva. I don't see the difference between this and a gondola other than the added bonus of not having to take skis off, carry them in the line, and put them back on. I generally prefer to skip gondolas for this reason... though there was one windy, kind of cold day at Snowbasin that I was happy to have the option. I can see really liking that option in a blizzard!

 

[litterbug]

The bubble doesn't sound bad on a cold windy day or heavy storm, but I'm sure people would keep it down even on decent but cool days just because they could. I like the fact that I'm outside while skiing, so unless the weather was extreme peering through the bubble at the lovely scenery.

As for heated seats, I'm mildly against them. I can see wearing those bun warmer things you can strap on to insulate your butt from a cold seat, but I work hard to find a happy medium of insulation and ventilation that allows me to be comfortable both while skiing and on the lift, and a heated seat is going to throw me off.

But maybe I'm being paranoid. I get so warm on gondolas that I'm soaked with sweat by the time I get to the top even if they're not heated, so anything that changes my personal microclimate makes me nervous. Heated seats wouldn't be as bad, and the bubbles aren't completely enclosed like a gondola. I've also heard that the seats at least some bubble lifts have seats that don't actually stay hot for long. That's why I say I'm only mildly against.

 

[bufly123]

I've used bubble lifts all over Japan & must say they're rather amazing! Though, the ones over there you don't get the option to not have the bubble down..

 

[Kiragirl]

Bubble, yes, except I prefer to see blue and white, not orange snow.
Heated seats, no.
Comparison to gondola, agree, I don't like taking my skis off and carrying them in the line, putting them in the rack, rushing to drag them out of the rack at the top.
6-pack.....NO

So, as usual, I will avoid that lift (as I usually avoided Northstar except when necessary.)

 

[ski diva]

Looks like Sunshine in Canada is getting the same type of lift -- heated seats and a wind cover! The first of its kind in the country.

Go here.

 

[abc]

A bubble chair is basically a gondola which you don't have to take your skis off.

so, if you like gondola, you'll like the bubbles. Whatever you don't like about gondola besides taking the skis off? You'll have those problem with bubble too.

I like gondolas, even don't mind taking skis off. But one thing though, regular chair can run on windy days when gondolass are on wind hold. Bubble chairs will also be a lot more suceptable to wind just like gondolas too!

 

[abc]

I prefer quads to six packs. The 6 packs always seem really crowded when you're trying to cram 6 adults on, especially if it's a mix of skiers and snow boarders. And getting off at the top is even more fun.

I'm not a big fan on these high capacity lifts. Even a 4 pack can be a bit of a scramble at loading and unloading time when there's a mix of boarder and skiers (worse with small children).

Not to mention putting too much people on the slope.

FWIW, I don't care for Vail's gondola with the heated seats. I start sweating, which is death for being warm the rest of the day.

Even without the heated seat, the bubble will be horribly hot in spring time!

Though, the ones over there you don't get the option to not have the bubble down..

Yes, I've been on one of them. The lowering and raising of the bubble is automatic. It was so unbearably hot in spring time I only rode it once and avoided it the rest of the week.

In practice, the bubble will always be down because they ARE the safety bar. On a 6 pack, there will ALWAYS at least one person who wants the "bar" down.
.... ... ...

So you may guess I'm not a fan of bubble chairs? That's actually not so. I've been on many and loved them. I'm just not a fan of big (6 or 8 pack) chairs with bubble which you don't have the flexibility to leave it up on hot days.

I've also been on a few chairs with heated seats. Those are nice too (I believe they've been turned off in hot days).

But putting two of them together is over-doing it.

 

[2ski2moro]

I rode these in Austria. In Zillertal, when the weather was really nice, the bubble stayed up. In SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser, the bubble and the heated seat was really nice during the blizzard. After we exited, the bubble came down on the way back to the loading area to keep the snow off the seat.

The bubble was not connected to the safety bar or footrests on any of the bubble lifts I rode.

The only objection I have to the 6 pack is that many people were not familiar with the off-loading area. Many people just didn't seem to get the concept of exit straight off the chair. I can't count how many times someone cut across my path. My solution was to hang back a little and go around them.