Sugarbush Files with USFS to upgrade VH to a Quad

[flakeydog]

if you can see the pic, there was a magic carpet up to VH.... but as i remember, it only went up to the bottom of the stairs next to the mushroom. You could also walk up about 2x faster than it took to ride the carpet.

[Hardbooter]

In the original plans for Clay Brook, the "new" valley house chair was shown coming down to a base area somewhere close to where the patrol building is below the mushroom. I remember talking with various senior sugarbush employees/owners about that. They confirmed, at the time, that they'ed like to see the valley house chair come down near bravo and that they wanted to reengineer the top area. Hopefully that's still the plan. Personally I think it would be nice to able to ski down the mall across coffee run and right to the base of the chair. I'm not sure that's in the cards though even if the base was relocated.
BTW, I remember the magic carpet in front of the valley house. It was there for a few years not too long ago.

[southvillager]

if you can see the pic, there was a magic carpet up to VH.... but as i remember, it only went up to the bottom of the stairs next to the mushroom. You could also walk up about 2x faster than it took to ride the carpet.

I seem to remember that it went up looker's left...up toward the launch pad for the zip line. But my memory is very, very fuzzy. I do remember walking up instead of waiting on the carpet.

[flakeydog]

I think there may have been a couple of iterations on the magic carpet there. at one point it had a cover over it that really gave this space that carnival-like atmosphere and still only got you halfway there. Also there was the Spring Fling Triple chair up there too giving another reason to hang out up there.

It is a tough space because over to the left it is a bit steep, in the middle it just gets in the way of people skiing down and over to the right it doesnt really take you anywhere. There really is a lot going on in this space... you have the VH lodge, mountain ops bldg, the mushroom, the SB lift/lift line, a ski trail, and a river running though the whole thing. Because of this, i think the base of the lift needs to stay essentially where it is, even if you removed some or all of the buildings.

On another note, curious about the top.... i am picturing the traverse passing behind the top of the new lift (with the help of some blasting) and the lift having a lower terminus (as mentioned). I am wondering if the access to Stein's and the reverse traverse be dramatically altered? If Bravo goes down, at least you can work your way over to HG on the traverse. Steins should really be skied from the top and the traverse allows access to some woods areas as well as alt route to HG and other parts of the mtn. I would like to see the new lift access the same terrain as before if possible.

[Hawk]

Personally I would rather they brought the top of the lift back further into the woods beyond the current location about 30 to 40 feet. People could go off the lift to the left and ski snow ball. To the right I would circle back the trail and install a culvert style tunnel so you can access Steins, the Mall and Reverse Traverse. Nothing to big just big enough to allow the through traffic from the Valley house Traverse to go over the people heading to Steins/Mall/Reverse Traverse. I have seent this in Chamonix. A 10 foot diameter corregated culvert about 20 feet long. They could put fence on both sides so the skiesr above would be protected from falling off.

[Tin Woodsman]

On further review, I like the current idea:

1) It will speed the ride, as the current double has a max speed of 350 feet/min while most modern fixed grip lifts are in the 500 feet/min range. That's should knock 2-3 minutes off the ride time.

2) The quad is likely to be under-utilized until and unless it's really needed when Bravo goes down. Ultimately, I don't see it putting a lot more traffic on that pod b/c most skiers will refuse to walk up the hill or will be attracted to the HSQ like moths to a light. As such, the primary impact of the quad will be to make it more wind-resistant due to the heavier weight vs. a double or triple. That can only be a good thing.

3) If/when the VH lodge exhausts its 9 lives, you always retain the option to lengthen the chair and bring it down to the base - it's not wildly complicated. As mentioned in this thread, they'd need to have a long, hard though about how to both reconfigure the base area and accommodating the overflow from the chronically undersized GH lodge, but you are certainly not precluded from lengthening the chair if/when the opportunity presents itself.

4) The only practical manner to smooth out the traffic at the top if to have the cross traffic from the VH traverse move around/beyond the summit terminal. otherwise you are facing the prospect of people crossing each other if those getting off the lift are doubling back to Steins/Reverse Traverse. The tunnel idea seems expensive and impractical in comparison, though that's just my $0.02.

[Hawk]

Actually the tunnel is not expensive at all. It is just a corregated steel tube burred in the earth. They are going to blast, move earth and regrade all around the top of the lift to make this work out. That is way more expsensive.

[slatham]

I am just glad they are doing something on the mountain!! With CB and RB done, its time to focus on why people come to Sugarbush in the first place - to ski! VH, Village, HG are all in need of replacement. Snowmaking needs to be upgraded. Glad to this is the next plan, and not another condo complex. Though I can't argue with the priorities thus far, now its time for on mountain investments!

[angler]

I am just glad they are doing something on the mountain!! With CB and RB done, its time to focus on why people come to Sugarbush in the first place - to ski! VH, Village, HG are all in need of replacement. Snowmaking needs to be upgraded. Glad to this is the next plan, and not another condo complex. Though I can't argue with the priorities thus far, now its time for on mountain investments!

It's way past due for mountain improvements. With the winters (or lack of) east coast mountains need to create their own mountain and the only way to do that is make quality snow and lots of it. Maybe they should visit Stowe and see how it's done.

[ducky]

So where are they going to move the pot smoking shed to?

[angler]

So where are they going to move the pot smoking shed to?

Where the snow is!

[Hawk]

So I think I now understand better where the top of the lift is going and I think it is a good solution. While standing at the top of the mall yesterday, someone pointed out that the new lift would land right where the trail is now just below the current location. This would allow the same access to Steins, Reverse Traverse and the mall. There would be very little change to the tops of the trails. The Valley House traverse would be modified to go behind the new lift and not cross under the lift. Basically they would remove that huge concrete counter weight and the steel structure and cut out some of the trees and rocks. You will now be able to fly right behind the lift and not have to hit the brakes. This makes total sense to me. I guess my tunnel is not needed.

[win]

I haven't read all the entries but here are the facts. We are keeping the VH Lodge. We plan to replace VH double with a fixed grip quad at some point and have started the permitting process, but the timing is not deceided yet. We plan to site the upper terminal to made it less exposed to the wind and allow access to all the trails that it currently serves.