Colorado Copper Mountain Receiving Two New Lifts

[Average Joe]

The Chondola at Beaver Creek has 10-passenger cabins! One cabin for every 5 chairs:
https://liftblog.com/2015/07/17/lift-profile-centennial-chondola-at-beaver-creek/

I wonder how much larger the loading area is than Copper's. Sounds like the terminals are huge.

To add, the loading platform at Stratton is more than halfway around the base terminal. There are four or five parallel rows of skiers so the loading locations vary, but usually a group can load in a short distance......unless: twin tips, snowboards, mixed groups, a latecomer from the singles line.......I'm sure Copper will adjust their methods and figure out a way.
They can always bring over a few Tokyo subway platform workers if all else fails

 

[KingGrump]

To add, the loading platform at Stratton is more than halfway around the base terminal. There are four or five parallel rows of skiers so the loading locations vary, but usually a group can load in a short distance......unless: twin tips, snowboards, mixed groups, a latecomer from the singles line.......I'm sure Copper will adjust their methods and figure out a way.
They can always bring over a few Tokyo subway platform workers if all else fails

Them New Yorkers have tons of experience getting into a subway car. The Folks at Copper is a bit more laid back.

 

[Average Joe]

Them New Yorkers have tons of experience getting into a subway car. The Folks at Copper is a bit more laid back.

Maybe the "Medical" Dispensary is too close to the lifts?

 

[KingGrump]

Sounds like the dust up with the ski/board racks plagues many of the new gondolas. Fat ski & twin tips between around for while. One would think they would have it figured out by now.
It may be along the line of buying the cheapest rack available once they paid for the main components of the gondola. I am sure the lift companies have the rack from the last century on fire sale.

Stratton had the same issue of skis/boards falling out of the sky when they installed new cabins few years back. We had to take our skis.boards into an already too tight cabin. Something about the racks tilting out at the wrong angle. I told customer service why don't they just put a bungee cord on top of the skis/boards. They give me a look and said "We ca't do that." I followed up with, "Well, it's good enough for Jackson."
Took them a good part of the season to fix that issue.

 

[Green08]

@Lift Blog can you provide any insight into the ski racks on Copper's new gondola cabins?

Hard to find example of Sigma Diamond cabins with racks in North America. Vail and Killington both employ vastly different racks than Copper's new lift.

 

[PinnacleJim]

@Lift Blog can you provide any insight into the ski racks on Copper's new gondola cabins?

Hard to find example of Sigma Diamond cabins with racks in North America. Vail and Killington both employ vastly different racks than Copper's new lift.

Yes the old Killington cabins were very different, but the new Sigmas being installed on the K! I will bet have the same racks as Copper. See my post above for the issues that have been experienced with the new cabins and the racks.

 

[tball]

I might be complaining at some point, but I don't see a reason to be concerned about the cabins now.

The old Eagle rarely had significant lines, and the new lift is a huge capacity upgrade. Last year I rode the old Eagle as my first lift every Saturday morning in March as well as a bunch of other busy days including MLK and Pres weekends. I only waited in a significant line once. It was about 10 minutes one of those March Saturday mornings. Every other time it was walk on or just a couple minute wait.

I'm pretty sure the new Eagle is going to chew thru just about any crowds Copper can throw at it for a while. IKON may change things, but hard to image skier visits will increase to the level of the increased Eagle capacity anytime soon. The Flyer is a different issue and really did need the capacity upgrade as it had significant lines more often.

I'm just going to keep reminding myself those gondola cabins aren't really for us skiers as much as they are for moonlight diners and brides.

Edit: so how about a six pack to get rid of the line at Timberline and an HSQ to eliminate the long slow Lumberjack ride?

 

[SBrown]

I might be complaining at some point, but I don't see a reason to be concerned about the cabins now.

The old Eagle rarely had significant lines, and the new lift is a huge capacity upgrade. Last year I rode the old Eagle as my first lift every Saturday morning in March as well as a bunch of other busy days including MLK and Pres weekends. I only waited in a significant line once. It was about 10 minutes one of those March Saturday mornings. Every other time it was walk on or just a couple minute wait.

I'm pretty sure the new Eagle is going to chew thru just about any crowds Copper can throw at it for a while. IKON may change things, but hard to image skier visits will increase to the level of the increased Eagle capacity anytime soon. ...

That’s why I think 6 to a cabin would work best. They did not need to be crowding 8 in the cabins yesterday. No one was there.

 

[TexasStout]

Well, they are helping you, but it's still difficult to get all 8 people inside the cabin in the time and space allotted. The lift was stopped MULTIPLE times today.

Y'all are making me more pleased with each posting in my decision to not renew my RMSP+ with Ikon this year as I opted for Epic local for a change of pace.

 

[mikel]

I guess you dodged a bullet. Between Eagle and Flyer and still no gondola at WP you would have been upset

 

[coskigirl]

Y'all are making me more pleased with each posting in my decision to not renew my RMSP+ with Ikon this year as I opted for Epic local for a change of pace.

Yeah, I'd still take the Ikon with these issues over the Epic.

 

[Green08]

Yes the old Killington cabins were very different, but the new Sigmas being installed on the K! I will bet have the same racks as Copper. See my post above for the issues that have been experienced with the new cabins and the racks.

Pictures of the ski racks on the Sigma Diamond cabins at Killington are different than those at Copper.

does not look the same as Killington:

 

[mike_m]

I'm sorry, but this thread is getting really irritating. The new lift opened Monday, just 10 days after originally planned. Copper has over 1,000 acres of terrain open on the first week in December, including some of the best green, blue, and black trails in Colorado, and some of the best snow conditions in memory. The only area not open are the runs straight down to Center Village, so you might have to take an extra bus ride to access the other side of the mountain. (Horrors!) Most areas in the country, and the world, won't be open for weeks. The gondola loading procedure wasn't perfect on the first bloody day. (Horrors again!) Come on, folks, chill out and count your blessings! A phenomenal early season on a great mountain with terrific snow! Think of the starving skiers in India!

 

[Lift Blog]

@Lift Blog can you provide any insight into the ski racks on Copper's new gondola cabins?

Hard to find example of Sigma Diamond cabins with racks in North America. Vail and Killington both employ vastly different racks than Copper's new lift.

Not really as I haven’t ridden either lift yet. I am biased, but I think Jackson Hole’s new gondola got it right. 4 standard ski slots, 3 fat ski slots and 4 snowboard slots on each cabin. Plus enough staff to get everything loaded correctly in the allotted time and space.

 

[mike_m]

The ski loading procedure will be no doubt be adjusted as needed to accommodate the slots. Those same slots are in gondolas all over the world.The staffing also, I imagine, after the first few learning days.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Anybody on site got any updates on the Flyer status? Cable up and spliced yet? Based on the trail report east to west is still closed....

 

[mikel]

I haven't been over there in a couple of days but I might later this afternoon otherwise it will be Sunday. Earlier this week all the work was being done up top.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

I haven't been over there in a couple of days but I might later this afternoon otherwise it will be Sunday. Earlier this week all the work was being done up top.

interesting...makes sense I'm sure they prefer a relatively flat area that spans a couple tower span of open terrain to splice

 

[Jtlange]

So, from some employee knowledge I got today. Flyer cable is supposed to be up Monday. That is the only thing keeping them from re opening Sierra and opening Copper Bowl.

 

[mike_m]

Ballpark ETA on Flyer opening: probably about 7-10 days.