Bridger Bowl to spend a shitload of money, install 2 new lifts

**KoKopeLLi** · 01-21-2013, 05:32 PM

Bridger plans to spend 4. something million dollars to replace the Alpine lift with 2 Triple chairs and kiddie carpet approach gates. Work to be completed in the 2013 - 2014 season

I guess I don't stay in the loop enough on ski mountain plans but this seems like a bizarre decision on how to " provide better access to the mountain"

**WAlove** · 01-21-2013, 05:55 PM

Alpine is old, hard to get parts for those ribblets. Bradley's terrain is on hold due to wolverines and old growth trees. They want to have an upper mountain lift for beginners, away from the bgully avy terrain. Question is how high will the top shack be for the lift going to the north end of n bowl. Old proposal looked like it was above three bears.

**Sirshredalot** · 01-21-2013, 05:58 PM

This has been in the works for a long time as part of the plan to rationalize/modernize the layout from how it was pre-backcountry gates/slushman's/bridger and deer park replacement.

The way I understand it: the riblets were no longer sustainable in any case, so the goal has been to make things a bit less traverse-heavy while maintaining or increasing uphill capacity.

**Lexi-Bell** · 01-21-2013, 06:56 PM

Open Call-Out:

When has Bridger Bowl ever really screwed up?

I mean like really blew it big time.

Are you still pissed they got rid of deer park? Ruined your favorite s/c stash with slushmans?

OP you really think you know better than Elliot and the board?

How would you spend that money to improve BB?

Can't wait for loading carpet triples to whisk me up to pow-town, mmmmm yeahhhh.

**concretejungle** · 01-21-2013, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by Lexi-Bell

Open Call-Out:

When has Bridger Bowl ever really screwed up?

I mean like really blew it big time.

They sold me a season pass.

**alpinista** · 01-21-2013, 07:16 PM

Better to do it now before they fail a Forest Service or insurance company inspection and have to shut the lift during operation. Compliance was one of the motivating factors behind Mad River Glen doing a 1.8mil refurb of the single chair.

**08-15** · 01-21-2013, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by KoKopeLLi

Bridger plans to spend 4. something million dollars to replace the Alpine lift with 2 Triple chairs and kiddie carpet approach gates. Work to be completed in the 2013 - 2014 season

I guess I don't stay in the loop enough on ski mountain plans but this seems like a bizarre decision on how to " provide better access to the mountain"

It isn't all about advanced skiers. I know several kids who don't ski Alpine because they are scared of that lift. For them, and I guess many other beginning and intermediate skiers, these two new lifts will indeed provide better access to the mountain.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-21-2013, 07:22 PM

Wow dude, I don't think he's trying to give BB grief, I think he's honestly wondering why they're replacing a possibly less used lift. IDK, maybe it just needs replacing.

**08-15** · 01-21-2013, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

Wow dude, I don't think he's trying to give BB grief, I think he's honestly wondering why they're replacing a possibly less used lift. IDK, maybe it just needs replacing.

Yeah, and I was just trying to explain why it might be a good idea to replace it with a lift that doesn't regularly hit kids in the head when loading or getting off.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-21-2013, 07:51 PM

Sorry, I was responding to Lexi, but 2 people were faster.

**bushman** · 01-21-2013, 07:53 PM

Tree skiing off the Alpine lift is da tits. The booter at the bottom of the meadow is shweet.

**08-15** · 01-21-2013, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

Sorry, I was responding to Lexi, but 2 people were faster.

Don't worry, what would TGR be without flame wars based on misunderstandings?

**KoKopeLLi** · 01-21-2013, 08:59 PM

The left lift seems like an unnecessary waste of non profit dollars. Essentially replacing one old ass riblit with 2 triples accessing 0 more terrain acres... Meh

**nrainey80** · 01-21-2013, 10:16 PM

The left line would allow intermediate skiers to access Brush Run w/o having to navigate/clog up the N. Bowl road or traverse across 3 bears. The right side lift would be purely for beginners/intermediates looking for soft, low-angle stuff and those accessing Bradley's. I think BB has done a ton for core skiers in the past 5 years with Slushman's and the open boundary policy. If you go back further, It wasn't that long ago they started controlling and opening D-route. BB recognizes that, although there are 100s of Slushy season pass holders, there are also hundreds of families that support the place. I love both sides and I can't wait to get my son on some skis this year (2 yrs old)!

**Lexi-Bell** · 01-21-2013, 10:45 PM

I'm supposing any re-investment of funds that don't allow you access to *new* terrain are a waste of money? Also take another look at the map, Im pretty sure you will have improved access to existing terrain.

As Al pointed out, center bar chairs that are 40 years old tend to be difficult to load for skiers and next to impossible to maintain. The replacement will largely benefit beginner, intermediate, and younger skiers, who make up a signifcant portion of The BB population.

As a father of two kids <10 I can say that loading a triple with a loading ramp vs. A center bar without is night and day. This improvement will benefit my family's skiing more than any other project could hope to. The new chairs will allow us to ski the terrain in a much safer and enjoyable manner.

So, kokopeli, Ill ask you again, since you chose to ignore this question before, maybe you have a better use for these funds? I would genuinely like to hear how this money could be better spent improving BB.

**powfiend** · 01-21-2013, 11:40 PM

how about a magic carpet to the top of the ridge? Cant really improve bridger bowl in my opinion without removing all the college kids who dont know how to cleanly ski rowdy lines but try to anyways. The amount of side stepping/slipping that occurs on all your good narrow straightlines and above allot of the big features is tragic....

**concretejungle** · 01-21-2013, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by powfiend

how about a magic carpet to the top of the ridge?

Well shit if that's the other option.

Also, I get what they're trying to do I think. Provide more terrain for beginners and intermediates and if they keep them over there it's less intimidating. Alpine lift sucks and is honestly scary for most beginners. Shit, I don't like it and I'm at least an advanced intermediate.

**RootSkier** · 01-22-2013, 12:11 AM

If you ski in Montana and would like to frequent areas that will never replace a piece of shit lift just to service the same terrain and potentially improve the customer experience, I have plenty of suggestions for you.

**Norseman** · 01-22-2013, 12:12 AM

The big-ass wet slab avy's this spring were a wake-up call and a perfect confirmation of a large part of the original plan... to abandon the 3-bears traverse under the biggest start zone on the mountain. The new layout makes sense to me.

A-1 has some great terrain directly serviced: brush, baby bear, powhog, etc. Should be fun!
A-2 will be a good self-check-in-daycare area for the beginners.

**baseWeldr** · 01-22-2013, 07:45 AM

effectively makes the ridge ski longer, the 3bears road should go away, tho a lower traverse to the north will surely develop...

advanced-er skiers wont lose anything cuz we can still take the goldilocks traverse from Nbowl road back north into the bears, the former upper alpine areas become mini stashes now...

I dunno but the riblets are spendy to fix, lightweight in the wind and tough for people to load... seems like $4m for two (and the loading carpets) isnt such a bad price/investment... the carpets look silly but really do make the whole thing go more smoothly, certainly has reduced my quad-rage from frequent stops....

I wish the right one would have gone to the top of bradleys, that knob could b a very cool feature allowing for many routes down, but a bumped out meadow or snakey tree shots is sortof counter to the clientele intended for that area I guess...

.02

**hick** · 01-22-2013, 09:40 AM

I no longer question anything Randy Elliot wants to do at B Bowl. The dude is the fuck'n man! Seriously. The hill has only improved in the last decade IMO and every change is very well researched and thought out. We have it very good around here. Ski resorts fucking suck, ski hills rule. B Bowl is a kick ass ski hill! At least the board doesn't rent out the mountain to Calgarians after every dump and hose the locals. Now that is a fuck you, a la Turner Mtn. (my old home mtn.). I digress, my point being that B Bowl takes pretty damn good care of us.

**butterscotch** · 01-22-2013, 10:06 AM

My hope is that A-1 steals a few people from Bridger lift and reduces the junk show that North Bowl Road has become.

Hopefully, it'll be a buyer's market for those alpine chairs since many people already got a Bridger one.

**NWFlow** · 01-22-2013, 01:06 PM

Hopefully they get rid of the road from the top of the old so the apron skis another couple hudred feet longer.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-22-2013, 01:20 PM

Somehow, I don't think BSF is ever short on funds.

**Bunion 2020** · 01-22-2013, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by hick

I no longer question anything Randy Elliot wants to do at B Bowl. The dude is the fuck'n man! Seriously. The hill has only improved in the last decade IMO and every change is very well researched and thought out. We have it very good around here.

^^^^ this.

Elliot and the Board are thinking long term.