Northridge Express

[vonski]

being a weekend warrior, if NRX is down for the season or down every weekend I certainly would not be happy with my Ellen only pass this year! that would make o sense at all. like I said before, NRX accesses the best variety of terrain from one lift on the mountain, not to mention the vertical obtained and length of the runs. They are perfect. One is just getting tired when they reach the bottom of NRX. I personally like the length of the runs obviously. I always felt when I have skied STowe in the past that the runs are just a bit too long. Just my $.02.though.

[Tin Woodsman]

maybe they need to go back to not running it during the week so it can work on weekends at least.

How about shutting it down on the weekend when the stress of a heavy load causes it to fail. As a 1991 HSQ it is near the end of its service life and needs to be replaced. On another note, get the SBX going asap. With the stairs at South, waits for bus and general dislike of buses in general I ski one area or the other. Passes were sold for 2 interconnected [not bus linked] mountains, get with it.

Wait - SBX isn't running today either? That's weak sauce. Certainly enough snow at the bottom.

Must have been the "cold" weather.

Cue barkbiter informing us what wusses we are for needing the SBX when he just walks back and forth via the lift line.

[vonski]

sugarbush website says delayed opening tomorrow,with sooner than later opening hopeful.

[HowieT2]

sugarbush website says delayed opening tomorrow,with sooner than later opening hopeful.

That blows. The best part of the mtn is accessed off the nrx. You can't do laps going all the way down to the gmx. I hope the snow tomorrow makes up for any delayed opening.

I skied south today. Beautiful bluebird day. I think we've had more of these already this season then all of last year. Did OG and jester with the wife in the morning and they were both good. Then into paradise woods (sans wife obviously) for a couple of runs before lunch. It is still thin in there, but nor bare enough to keep me from going back for a couple of laps after lunch. Then I hit middle earth and swore I would take it easy on groomers for the rest of the day until I came upon moonshine. I couldn't resist, it was fun. Doing the snow dance although not expecting much.

[klop]

I was stuck on the northridge for 25 minutes today right at the wind tunnel at the bottom of Bravo. A patroller we rode up with later told us that the chain drive that brings the chairs around after they detach at the top was broken. Lift mechanics were moving them around by hand. Apparently they were within minutes of a rope evac until they figured out a way to move the chairs by hand. We did get a free hot choco out of the deal - thanks.

[Plowboy]

Nice "A HOT CHOCO" Was it Hersey's OR Ghirardelli

[Lostone]

I really don't think there is enough snow under the SBX.

Then into paradise woods (sans wife obviously) for a couple of runs before lunch. It is still thin in there, but nor bare enough to keep me from going back for a couple of laps after lunch.

That is at the top of the mountain. The bottom of Slidebrook is 1200' If you saw Lower Domino, you'd understand what I'm saying.

[madhavok]

After finding crowded conditions at South today, especially with Spring Fling and half of snowball closed for racing (gay), I would have used SBX to head over to north.

[summitchallenger]

Heard this morning that North Ridge was down again. Got to the mountain and first ride on GMX was with a patroller who told me that the cadence chain broke on the summit terminal, and the decision was made to try to jimmy-rig the lift so that they could unload it versus evac. It took four guys to push a chair around each of the chain links, while another guy had to override the safety brakes. 45 minutes or so later it was unloaded. This lift has had so many problems I have heard...including the fact that the software was somehow deleted a few years back and Poma had to manually retype it (they found a printout).

With that in mind, I propose a sacrifice and exorcism ceremony next weekend. There will be a burning of a mock Les Otten scarecrow, much like Guy Fawks day in the UK, and the priest/minister figure will bless the lift.

[win]

I am late getting to this post. Sorry! My poor new Lift Maintenace manager, Scott, was so excited to come to Sugarbush from Keystone. He didn't realize that we needed an exorcist for Northridge. Several totally unrelated issues have been driving him crazy, but fortunately he is a real pro, and I have been impressed with his problem solving ability.

After correcting the electrical problems, Saturday's problem was a good old fashioned mechanical problem. A link on the chain that pulls the chairs through the upper terminal broke and pulled a piece of hard plastic that the chairs glide on through the drive. Our team had to physically help pull the chairs through the terminal to get the 30 people off the lift. This is not a part that is in stock, so Scott was able to find some plastic and manufacture a replacement and install it by noon the next day. It was a pain for all to lose the lift for that long, but I was pleased to see how our team could jump in and solve a problem without waiting for days for a new part to arrive.

I rode Northridge on Monday and performed an exorcism. Hopefully that was what was needed.

[vonski]

Thank you Win. Explain to Steve that this is the best lift on the mountain. Keep it a priority.

[vonski]

edit oops, Scott! not Steve.