Valley House Chair construction on Sugarbush webcams

[ManyTurns]

My guess is that much of the work isn't very visible. Putting the towers in is visible, but it has to go quickly because helicopter time is both limited and expensive. It's so expensive that a lot of prep work is done in advance and behind the scenes to make the final installation as smooth as possible.

[ThinkSno]

I have no idea of what is actually going on, but I have to agree

Really?

[Hawk]

I think it is a true statement that a lot has to do with the lift manufacturer. They are a very specialized company and crews go from one job to another. Also almost every piece is custom built. Sugarbush did the demo, prepped the site and probably were waiting for parts to get built and delivered. I mean the whole thing was not entirely approved by the governing bodies until the end of spring so I would imagine the order was not finalized until then. That is when fabrication probably started. In reality the crowds do not show up intil after Christmas so what is the rush. As long as Bravo does not go on the fritz we should be good. OOOO did I just say that. LOL Jinx.

[winjr]

Hawk has it correct. These are customized for each installation. Also Dopplemayr has a number of other lifts being installed so the parts manufacturing occurs according to the schedule that works for all. That was the same for the helicopter,r so they had it flying at three different sites in the Northeast sequentially. We also have employees of Dopplemayr dedicated to this project and living here. And, yes we are doing much of the site work, the shack construction and helping with some of the heavy lifting all as part of a detailed construction plan. It does seem like a lot of stop and go, but that is the nature of these things. Items like the drive are manufactured and assembled offsite and brought it to install in the lift shack. Like most construction projects it is interesting to see what comes together in the final days. We wanted the date of November 11th because if the lift is ready and we get three days of the right temperatures we would like to open Snowball and Spring Fling first on November 21st rather than Jester/Downspout first. But we will be prepared for whatever Mother Nature delivers. The new low energy land guns we bought will be great on trails like Jester and Downspout where towers don't work so we can get more water up there early in the season. Snowmaking orientation is today and tomorrow and we are well staffed to begin around the first of November. It is nice to see so many returning veterans as well as new additions to the team.

[HowieT2]

Hawk has it correct. These are customized for each installation. Also Dopplemayr has a number of other lifts being installed so the parts manufacturing occurs according to the schedule that works for all. That was the same for the helicopter,r so they had it flying at three different sites in the Northeast sequentially. We also have employees of Dopplemayr dedicated to this project and living here. And, yes we are doing much of the site work, the shack construction and helping with some of the heavy lifting all as part of a detailed construction plan. It does seem like a lot of stop and go, but that is the nature of these things. Items like the drive are manufactured and assembled offsite and brought it to install in the lift shack. Like most construction projects it is interesting to see what comes together in the final days. We wanted the date of November 11th because if the lift is ready and we get three days of the right temperatures we would like to open Snowball and Spring Fling first on November 21st rather than Jester/Downspout first. But we will be prepared for whatever Mother Nature delivers. The new low energy land guns we bought will be great on trails like Jester and Downspout where towers don't work so we can get more water up there early in the season. Snowmaking orientation is today and tomorrow and we are well staffed to begin around the first of November. It is nice to see so many returning veterans as well as new additions to the team.

I assume once the lift is operational, the state has to come and do load testing.

[winjr]

I assume once the lift is operational, the state has to come and do load testing.

They are responsible for completing the load test and then turn it over to us. This is built into the schedule.

[HowieT2]

They are responsible for completing the load test and then turn it over to us. This is built into the schedule.

on track for splicing the cable on wednesday?
How many people are working that?

[ManyTurns]

I'm hoping that someone will photograph/video the cable splicing on Wednesday. It would make a great youtube video. There aren't many videos of this.

[winjr]

Right now the cable splicing is planned for next Monday and will get some photos up,

[ManyTurns]

Right now the cable splicing is planned for next Monday and will get some photos up,

Glad to hear that. I think there might be a small marketing opportunity here. If you google "ski lift cable splice", the first few results will be youtube videos that show cable splicing. When I did this search, the first result was about "Lift towers and splicing the haul rope," about a lift installation at Vail. The splicing of the cable is very cool... something few people know anything about.

[HowieT2]

Glad to hear that. I think there might be a small marketing opportunity here. If you google "ski lift cable splice", the first few results will be youtube videos that show cable splicing. When I did this search, the first result was about "Lift towers and splicing the haul rope," about a lift installation at Vail. The splicing of the cable is very cool... something few people know anything about.

Totally agree. this should be videotaped and streamed live. marketing opportunity.

[Benski]

Totally agree. this should be videotaped and streamed live. marketing opportunity.

Use the webcam.

[Hawk]

LOL What is your deal with this cable splicing? it is actually pretty boring to watch.

Totally agree. this should be videotaped and streamed live. marketing opportunity.

[ThinkSno]

Maybe for those who have seen it before.

[ManyTurns]

LOL What is your deal with this cable splicing? it is actually pretty boring to watch.

Ha ha, guilty as charged. In the summer I sail, so I am aware of knots and splicing more than most people. I often notice the cable spice on chair lifts.

Wire cable splices are interesting because they're different from typical synthetic (or natural) rope splices. Wire splices are always "long" splices, where rope splices are usually "short" splices. That's because 1) wire needs to go over a sheave and 2) it's too stiff to weave in a short splice.

To take this obsession another step, I've noticed that the cable splices for detachable lifts are much cleaner and much harder to see than for fixed grip lifts. I assume that's because on a detachable, chairs must be able to attach anywhere on the cable.