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Lift Operations

Chairlifts. Chairlifts are composed of a haul rope strung between two end terminals and intermediate towers, carrying fixed-grip or detachable chairs. A bullwheel in each terminal redirects the rope, while sheaves (pulley assemblies) on the towers support the rope well above the ground. Each sheave is equipped with a safety “brittle” bar which stops the lift if tripped and must be reset by maintenance. The bullwheel with the electrically powered prime mover is called the drive bullwheel and the other is the return bullwheel. At the return bullwheel there is a safety bar which stops the lift if tripped by a guest who “rides the bull”. It must be manually reset into position for the lift to be restarted. All lifts are equipped with back-up power units. There is a communication line running between terminals over each tower. 

  1. Triple Chair. CTEC fixed-grip triple chair. 09:00-16:00 daily

  2. Grizzly Peak. Riblet fixed-grip double chair. 09:00-15:30 daily

  3. Willow Creek. Riblet fixed-grip double chair. 09:00-16:00 Thursday-Sunday

  4. Stache Express. Garaventa CTEC detachable triple chair. 09:00-16:00 daily

  5. Palisades. CTEC Stealth detachable quad. 09:00-15:30 daily

  6. Cole Creek. CTEC Stealth detachable quad. 09:30-15:30 daily

  7. Midway Express. Borvig fixed-grip double chair. Disassembled and abandoned.

  8. Miami Beach. Riblet fixed-grip double chair. Disassembled and replaced by Stache.

  9. Magic Carpet. Surface lift. 09:00-16:00 daily

  10. Sunkid. Surface lift. 09:00-16:00 Friday-Sunday

 

Lift Operations. Patrollers may be asked to briefly step in for a lift operator at the top of the lift. Here are the basics of the job.

  • Monitor guests approaching the ramp, ensuring they are ready to exit

  • Instruct guests exiting the lift to clear the area below as quickly as possible when they fall

  • Slow the lift if directed due to winds or for guest safety exiting the lift

  • Stop the lift if a guest does not get off the chair and “rides the bull”

 

YELLOW “Slow” - slows the lift

RED “Stop” - stops the lift for normal operations

BLACK “Ring” - push twice to notify operator at the bottom to resume normal speed

RED “Emergency Shutdown” - stops the lift in an emergency situation, when normal braking features fail. Do not routinely use this button to stop the lift!

Ivory phone - call Dispatch or lower operator

Black phone - back up phone to bottom lift operator

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