Timberline lift failure

**PaSucks** · 02-20-2016, 10:05 PM

So Timberline, West-by-God,
Had a lift tower snap today! The nightmare of every 6 year-old skier.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/25-people-f...ry?id=37080245

**SKIORFORGETIT** · 02-20-2016, 10:08 PM

fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

**TBS** · 02-20-2016, 10:18 PM

Is TWV run by Powdr corp? Seems like similar lift maintenance standards...

**pipedream** · 02-20-2016, 10:37 PM

Well that's not good news from my home hill. I've had my fair share of rope rides off that Leitner triple as a kid, but holy fuck, I never thought that kind of failure would happen. Then again, when I was 10 I seemed to be the only guest concerned about a dead tree leaning over the cable on their other chair (I spoke up and it was gone within a week).

Vibes to those affected. This is not going to be pretty for the mom & pop op which has already been struggling to stay afloat during this shitty winter in the mid-Atlantic.

**TeleBlade** · 02-20-2016, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by PaSucks

So Timberline, West-by-God,
Had a lift tower snap today! The nightmare of every 6 year-old skier.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/25-people-f...ry?id=37080245

Lift tower snapping is usually caused by tower filling with water and freezing. Tower tube can split. Part of annual lift inspection is to tap the towers with a hammer. Normally they sound hollow when tapped. If the tower has water in it, it sounds very different.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 02-21-2016, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by pipedream

Well that's not good news from my home hill. I've had my fair share of rope rides off that Leitner triple as a kid, but holy fuck, I never thought that kind of failure would happen. Then again, when I was 10 I seemed to be the only guest concerned about a dead tree leaning over the cable on their other chair (I spoke up and it was gone within a week).

Vibes to those affected. This is not going to be pretty for the mom & pop op which has already been struggling to stay afloat during this shitty winter in the mid-Atlantic.

Only a week? Gee wiz.

**Vt-Freeheel** · 02-21-2016, 06:38 AM

Looks like the welds holding the mounting plate or tower head to tube failed. That is an odd failure, perhaps exacerbated by douchebags bouncing the chairs.

SB · 02-21-2016, 07:04 AM

I rode this lift the day before this event. It's junk and I was surprised it took this long. The shit head owners have been skimming off the top 4evah and fixes are nearly always the cheapest possible bandaid.

Everyone I know is praying this is last nail in the coffin for current owners. There is an investor set to take the place over if not paid back in full by 2/28.

Last Thursday one of the biggest homes on the Mtn burned to the ground. The family that was staying there, renters, got out ok.

Injuries from the tower cross member fails were light. Multiple broken ribs and busted nose were the worst. Could have been real bad. Always put the fkn bar down!

SB · 02-21-2016, 07:06 AM

These towers are bolted construction btw.

**Marshall Tucker** · 02-21-2016, 07:29 AM

I've heard horror stories on the current owner for years but being so far south don't know whats true what isn't. Good nothing serious, though ribs are never fun.

**wolfelot** · 02-21-2016, 08:31 AM

Well that's a problem. Hopefully everyone is ok. This could be good for Timberline if it gets the current owners out and get an influx of cash in.

**bagtagley** · 02-21-2016, 08:44 AM

Fuck. We were all set to go up, but had to bail last minute. We definitely would have been there then.

SB · 02-21-2016, 12:13 PM

This tower is half way up the mtn, just above the pump house. Not further down the mtn like the story sez. The other lift has a old electric motor that over heats and they only load every other chair and usually only two at a time. Place is fkd which is sad because its actually a nice little ski hill. Hopefully the new guy can get it back on track.

Wurd is he is an arms dealer and already owns a resort in TN, Chatahoochie or sumthing like that. Apparently he is building a HUDGE house up on the mtn as I type this.

**daviski** · 02-21-2016, 08:24 PM

This sucks, I'm glad injuries were minimal.

**KenJongIll** · 02-21-2016, 08:31 PM

The only ski "resort" I've ever heard of in TN is Ober gatlinburg...no idea who owns it but it's not in "Chattahoochee"or even Chattanooga.

**pipedream** · 02-21-2016, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by scottyb

This tower is half way up the mtn, just above the pump house. Not further down the mtn like the story sez. The other lift has a old electric motor that over heats and they only load every other chair and usually only two at a time. Place is fkd which is sad because its actually a nice little ski hill. Hopefully the new guy can get it back on track.

Wurd is he is an arms dealer and already owns a resort in TN, Chatahoochie or sumthing like that. Apparently he is building a HUDGE house up on the mtn as I type this.

Well that's gone and f'd up the approach for sending the pump house. Not that I know anything about that

:

Originally Posted by KenJongIll

The only ski "resort" I've ever heard of in TN is Ober gatlinburg...no idea who owns it but it's not in "Chattahoochee"or even Chattanooga.

Yeah, Ober Gatlinburg is the only ski area in TN. Catalochee ski area is just over the border in NC... remember that time those knuckledraggers from Portland went there? The Internet does:

**tyreed70** · 02-21-2016, 10:10 PM

Scary stuff, Im fat and this is always a fear .....

**TahoeJ** · 02-21-2016, 10:27 PM

That's messed up. Seriously, though, how freakin' scary would that be to be sitting on a chair when some shit like this goes down? I'd have issues trusting chairs for a while after something like that. I'm sure we've all looked down before and thought about it.

SB · 02-22-2016, 08:25 AM

Tline owners calling it a "malfunction" and in denial that they have done anything wrong.

WTF?

The remaining lift is highly suspect and being beat like a dead horse.

**jimmy** · 02-22-2016, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by scottyb

Wurd is he is an arms dealer and already owns a resort in TN, Chatahoochie or sumthing like that. Apparently he is building a HUDGE house up on the mtn as I type this.

Cataloochee, it's in NC. Wondered who was building that house, HUDGE $$$$$$$$$.

http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Tony-Waddell/30623694

SB · 02-22-2016, 08:46 AM

a picture sez a wurd

SB · 02-22-2016, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by jimmy

Cataloochee, it's in NC. Wondered who was building that house, HUDGE $$$$$$$$$.

http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Tony-Waddell/30623694

Dood! What up?

Been looking for ya but never able to hook up. Hope all is well.

SB · 02-22-2016, 08:52 AM

one moar

**jimmy** · 02-22-2016, 08:59 AM

Hey scottyb it has been a weird season so far, this was more weird than I needed. JohnL and I rode that chair Friday from 4-6:30. He got stuck on it Saturday, he was not too far up, above the terrain park so he just got a wild ride and got evacuated the old fashioned way, by some patrollers with a rope.