"Old School" Lifts that You've Ridden

NewEnglandSkier13

What “old school” lifts have you ridden and what would you consider an “old school” lift?

I’d consider an “old school” lift any of the old Halls, any Heron, most Borvings, Muellers, Riblets, and any other lift that just feels classic.

Here’s my list: MA

T-Bar, Otis Ridge (Dopp.)
Double, Otis Ridge (Poma)
Double, Blue Hill (Hall)
Double Rope Tow, Bradford (Homemade)
Stinger Rope Tow, Bradford (Homemade)
Hornet Triple, Bradford (Borving)
Hornet T-Bar, Badford (Mueller) (lattice!!!) ME
Rope Tow, Powderhouse Hill (Homemade)
Big T-Bar, Camden (Hall) (RIP :( )
Double, Camden (Hall)
Novice Double, Black Mountain (Von Roll)
Flying Squirrel T-Bar, Mount Abram (Hall) (now tubing lift)
Skyline Double, Mount Abram (Hall)
Maine T, Mount Abram (Hall)
Way Back Machine, Mount Abram (Hall)
Cupsuptic T-Bar, Saddleback (Hall)
Sandy Double, Saddleback (Hopkins) (very rare!!!)
Rangley Double, Saddleback (Mueller, Dopp-CTEC) (lattice!!!) VT
T-Bar, Quechee (Poma)
J-Bar, Suicide Six (Borving)
2,000 Foot Double, Suicide Six (Borving)
Sheehan Double, Middlebury (Poma) (teardrop chairs!)
Black Triple, Magic (Polihg, Yan) (very rare!!!)
Red Double, Magic (Heron) NH
Rope Tow, Abenaki (Homemade)
Rope Tow, Veterans Memorial (Homemade)
T-Bar, Veterans Memorial (Heron, Hall) (very rare!!!)
Crow’s Nest Double, McIntyre (Hall)
Hawk’s Nest Double, McIntyre (Hall)
Pinnacle Express, Granite Gorge (Borving)
East Double, Chrotched (Hall)
Valley Double, Pat’s Peak (Mueller) (lattice!!!)
Vortex Double, Pat’s Peak (Hall)
Peak Double, Pat’s Peak (Mueller) (lattice!!!)
Platter Pull, Black Mountain (Mueller, Poma) (lattice!!!)
East Bowl Triple, Black Mountain (Borving)
Summit Double, Black Mountain (Mueller) (fingers crossed!) (lattice!!!)
Snowcat Triple, Wildcat (Riblet)
Bobcat Triple, Wildcat (Riblet)
J-Bar, Dartmouth (Poma) (RIP :( )
Holt’s Ledge Double, Dartmouth (Hall, Dopp.-CTEC)
Barnyard Triple, Ragged (Hall, Borving)
Village Green Double, Ragged (Hall)
Spear Mountain Triple, Ragged (Hall, Von Roll) (RIP :( )
Gunshy Double, Gunstock (Dopp.) (RIP :( )
Tiger Triple, Gunstock (Dopp.)
Double, Whaleback (Poma)
Spruce Triple, Sunapee (Riblet? Dopp.?)
North Peak Triple, Sunapee (Dopp.)

Let me know if you’d like pictures of any of these wonderful lifts!!!!!!

IBRAKEFORTBARS

Upper Snowdon pomalift at Killington (still standing!)

Not sure how “classic” the South Ridge triple chair by Yan is/was but that thing was a blast to ride up, especially against the two tower-mounted bullwheels! RIP South Ridge triple :'(

NewEnglandSkier13

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“IBRAKEFORTBARS”>Upper Snowdon pomalift at Killington (still standing!)

Not sure how “classic” the South Ridge triple chair by Yan is/was but that thing was a blast to ride up, especially against the two tower-mounted bullwheels! RIP South Ridge triple :'(</blockquote>That is one lift that I wish I had the chance to ride! Two turns!

mapnut

The one-of-a-kind 1963 (?) Cianbro chairlift at Eaton Mountain, ME, which now hasn’t run for 10 years or so. The first chairlift I ever rode, and I had no idea there was anything unusual about it. Apparently it would take a lot to upgrade it, and Mr. Beers hasn’t scraped together enough dough yet.And of course the Sugarloaf gondola, and all 5 Constam T-bars.

IBRAKEFORTBARS

Here’s my old-school lifts from my experience:

NY Labrador Mt Badger double chair, Hall (my very first lift ride) Razorback double chair, Hall (moved to the Ptarmigan trail in 1980) Razorback t-bar, Hall (RIP :'( ) Jacopie T-bar #1, Hall - taken down in the summer of 1985 for a new Borvig triple Jacopie T-bar #2, Hall - still in use

Song Mt Riblet center pole double chair Hall T-bar #1 - still standing but no longer in use Hall T-bar #2 - taken down summer of 1989 for a Riblet triple Thunderbird Hall T-bar - this lift came from the defunct Ironwood a Ridge Ski Area Bunny Hill J-bar, Hall - RIP :'( - replaced with a double chair a few years ago

Toggenburg Hall double chair Main slope T-bar, Hall - RIP :'( Borvig triple chair

Skaneateles Ski Club Hall T-bar Homemade rope tow - RIP

Chuckstah

The Skimo

Chuckstah

The Skimobile at Cranmore, and upper Cannon T-bars are two that have not been mentioned. Could probably include the original Cannon tram also.

IBRAKEFORTBARS

I ought to add in all the t-bars I rode in Switzerland at Sörenberg and my beloved Flumserberg (family of mine owns a chalet there) but I have no idea if they’re Meuller or Städeli or Roebling. They’re all lattice tower; here’s one of them!!!

steamboat1

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“IBRAKEFORTBARS”>Upper Snowdon pomalift at Killington (still standing!) </blockquote>

Lower Snowdon poma up Conclusion (it’s been awhile).

NewEnglandSkier13

I must add the Platter Pull at Black, NH (Meuller, Poma)!

NewEnglandSkier13

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“IBRAKEFORTBARS”>I ought to add in all the t-bars I rode in Switzerland at Sörenberg and my beloved Flumserberg (family of mine owns a chalet there) but I have no idea if they’re Meuller or Städeli or Roebling. They’re all lattice tower; here’s one of them!!! </blockquote>My guess would be Mueller based on the design. Compare it to this abandoned Mueller t-bar at Mount Watatic: http://newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/viewlift.php?id=259

joshua_segal

I’m not a “lift purist” like many of the posters on this list.  So I have a five that are particularly memorable to me:1. The yellow Killington Double with its loading mid-station for late and early season skiing.  One of the chairs and towers can be seen at the jct. of Rte. 4 and route 100 (on the south side of Rte. 4).2. The 3 stage 3.5 mile Killington Gondola.  Not the greatest skiing, but a great place to eat lunch on a day that was too good to go in for lunch.3. The Red Poma at Okemo.  It was the longest Poma in New England and it was the fastest way to get 1500′ or so of vertical in a pre-HS-detachable world.4. Either of the 2-passenger gondolas at Mt. Snow.  It was a theoretically unique way to protect the skier from the cold - but when you needed it worst on windy days, they couldn’t run them!5. The Skimobile at Cranmore.  Not real fast; not a lot of skiers per hour, but definitely a unique part of New England skiing history.

catamount82

My top three:Mt. Mansfield SingleMad River Single*Montreal Jet T-Bar (Jay Peak)

newpylong

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“joshua_segal”>I’m not a “lift purist” like many of the posters on this list.  So I have a five that are particularly memorable to me:1. The yellow Killington Double with its loading mid-station for late and early season skiing.  One of the chairs and towers can be seen at the jct. of Rte. 4 and route 100 (on the south side of Rte. 4).2. The 3 stage 3.5 mile Killington Gondola.  Not the greatest skiing, but a great place to eat lunch on a day that was too good to go in for lunch.3. The Red Poma at Okemo.  It was the longest Poma in New England and it was the fastest way to get 1500′ or so of vertical in a pre-HS-detachable world.4. Either of the 2-passenger gondolas at Mt. Snow.  It was a theoretically unique way to protect the skier from the cold - but when you needed it worst on windy days, they couldn’t run them!5. The Skimobile at Cranmore.  Not real fast; not a lot of skiers per hour, but definitely a unique part of New England skiing history.</blockquote>

The old yellow peak double had its second lease on life as the Needle’s Eye chair. For some reason I haven’t seen that someone moved a tower and chair to Bridgewater Corners. I will have to be on the look-out. 

sugarloaf

Mt Washington Cog skiing in March of 2005

IBRAKEFORTBARS

I remember reading an article in a 1984 issue of Skiing magazine about the Red Poma and the changes at Okemo under the new ownership. The Poma was replaced with a triple chair that year, changing Okemo from a “what’s that?” into a “how do I get there?” place. I believe the old Poma liftline became the Nor’Easter trail. In the next few seasons one Poma after another was displaced by a triple or quad chair.

IBRAKE

Kayaker

I’ll add all the Pomas at Atlantic Forest (NELSAPped) and the now defunct single chair at Gunstock.  Not to mention various rope tows now long gone and the Cranmore SkiMobile.

phil

Old School lifts I have ridden would include  t-bars #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, the gondola, and the now named Bucksaw chair at SugarloafRangeley Chair, Sandy Chair, Cupsuptic T-bar, Kennebago T-Bar at Saddleback as well as the older lower t-bar thereboth t-bars at TitcombThe original 3 t-bars at Sunday RiverThe Constam chair at Pleasant (now Shawnee) and I think there was a T-bar then tooThe t-bar and pomas at HickoryThe Maine T-bar and WayBack machine at AbramSnowdon Poma at KillingtonAll lifts at EnchantedLookout Double, Tollhouse & Mountain tripple at StoweHigh Peaks Double at GoreThe two doubles at Blue Knob

orangegondola

Too many to list, most are on my site, but there may have been a 3.5 mile gondola in the mix and a certain red heron chair.

z1000307470

A few highlights:Mt Tremblant single, Stowe single, MRG pre upgrade singleMt Snow chain chairs, Mt Snow 2 passenger enclosed chair/gondolaAll Okemo pomas, Hickory pomas, Killington poma, Burke poma Bobcat, Plattekill, Campgaw, Big Tupper  t-barsOriginal Gore, Killington, Stowe gondolasThe bubble chair at Vernon ValleySouth Ridge Triple at KillingtonMany rope tows and double chairs