Gondola cable snaps

**LongShortLong** · 09-15-2020, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by jonesy

There's also this

Neither of these seems lightweight though. The hydraulic sheer ain't cheap, though it could be quiet. The hammer sheer seems awkward to position. Angle grinder, bandsaw, hacksaw seem like they might be slow, but definitely portable. A hot wrench would be noted in the forensic report, so it's not that. Ranger Ed Abbey would favor the hammer's simplicity.

The unraveling rope seems the greatest danger, and may not be too hazardous. The sheaves will restrain it somewhat. When the rope finally fails, the two ends move away from the perp, so zero chance of being flayed. Some chance of falling off the tower if it rocks.

**paulster2626** · 09-15-2020, 01:06 PM

Can't they put some sort of electric fence around the towers? Easy to shut off in the event of an emergency.

I feel bad for the management of this thing. They must've been so happy to get everything back together, and now this again. Hopefully once everyone is vaccinated with the Bill Gates tracker they'll catch this person.

**jonesy** · 09-15-2020, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by LongShortLong

There's also this

Neither of these seems lightweight though. The hydraulic sheer ain't cheap, though it could be quiet. The hammer sheer seems awkward to position. Angle grinder, bandsaw, hacksaw seem like they might be slow, but definitely portable. A hot wrench would be noted in the forensic report, so it's not that. Ranger Ed Abbey would favor the hammer's simplicity.

The unraveling rope seems the greatest danger, and may not be too hazardous. The sheaves will restrain it somewhat. When the rope finally fails, the two ends move away from the perp, so zero chance of being flayed. Some chance of falling off the tower if it rocks.

Umm yeah that was a cool yet simple tool. However, I don't see it practical on a suspended cable.

**Telemahn** · 09-15-2020, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by altasnob

Seems like Earth Liberation Front stuff, like the burning of the two elk lodge at Vail in 1998, or burning of U of Washington Urban Horticulture in 2001 (they didn't like GMO research that they wrongly believed was being done there).

The idiots got a few things wrong and burned up the work of some of the best restoration ecologists in the PNW. None of the work they opposed was actually being done at CUH.

**The AD** · 09-15-2020, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by Hammer-Down

if you have the technology to cut a large cable, you can probably deal with fences and barb wire

True, but it would slow the perp down. They need to get up to the cable undetected.

**robbo mcs** · 09-15-2020, 10:57 PM

In the forensic analysis of the first cable cut you can see that the cut lines are slightly curved. Knowing the thickness of the cable, you can infer the diameter of the cutting instrument, around 25-30cm, quite large. So likely a battery powered circular saw or conrete cutter. The police are unlikely to publicise this, although obviously they know. Also, sounds like they probably have actual footage of the second incident

Also, the perpetrators may have sent a letter, manifesto etc. The police would be unlikely to publicise this. Firstly because giving it publicity helps achieve the aims of the perpetrators. However, secondly they keep it secret, to see if it surfaces anywhere. For example, say someone posted on this thread with similar information, or wording, the police would know they had inside information.

Definitely wasn't me .... not allowed in your country at the moment

**nickinbc** · 09-16-2020, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by robbo mcs

Also, the perpetrators may have sent a letter, manifesto etc. The police would be unlikely to publicise this. Firstly because giving it publicity helps achieve the aims of the perpetrators. However, secondly they keep it secret, to see if it surfaces anywhere. For example, say someone posted on this thread with similar information, or wording, the police would know they had inside information.

If it was someone with a 'manifesto' would they really just send a single copy of it to the owners or the police? Even if they did, if they had a message to get out, wouldn't they then copy it to news media after it was kept quiet? Not to mention getting it out anonymously onto the internet and social media.

The silence about the motive makes me think it is an individual with a personal grudge.

**altasnob** · 09-16-2020, 09:24 AM

It's harder and harder to in this day and age to release such manifesto anonymously. After Two Elks lodge at Vail was burned in 1998, the suspects drove to a Denver public library to release their manifesto, using a public computer. Today, there would be hundreds of cameras on nearby buildings that could capture them as they entered the library, and track where they came from and where they are going. The people behind Two Elks were eventually discovered because an informant flipped on them. One of suspects was from Vancouver, and returned to Canada to hide out, working for various animal rescue groups. She lived underground in Canada for almost 20 years before she agreed to come back to the US to plead guilty. Prosecutors were trying to get her to rat out co-conspirators but she kept her mouth shut to the end. She's a strict vegan and refuses to eat any animal products offered to her in prison.

If whoever did this wants to get away with it, they tell no one about it or why it was done.

**billyk** · 09-16-2020, 09:58 AM

OK, so the spring loaded ladder idea has some flaws...

How about this? Take one of those explosive paint packs that they put into the money bags for bank robbers and mix in a tracer element that can be easily tracked like, say, plutonium.

When the perp gets half way up the ladder without keying in a code at the keypad down below, the pack goes poof, and now all you have to do is track down a glowing orange guy with a Geiger counter.

**~mikey b** · 09-16-2020, 10:04 AM

a ski area I used to work at had an....incident a few years ago

meth heads came in via FS roads on ATVs and tried to pull miles of copper comm and electrical lines from a chair

they would have gotten away with it if one of the meth heads - ex lift maintenance guy - hadn’t dropped a receipt with identifying information on it

oops

**Abol98** · 09-16-2020, 12:28 PM

Here in the big city they use street pole-mounted devices to automatically identify the sound of gunfire and alert the appropriate authorities (the thread about their response goes elsewhere.) "#shotspotter" In a wooded area, I wonder if similar acoustic technology could be adapted for this purpose. It could be tied to a gate mechanism that releases the roided-up dobermans.

https://www.shotspotter.com/technology/

**m2711c** · 09-16-2020, 12:34 PM

bears be better than dogs.....

**paulster2626** · 09-16-2020, 12:49 PM

Just take the cabins off at night, and let the bullwheels spin slowly at 1/8 power or something. Can't cut what doesn't stay still!

**eldereldo** · 09-16-2020, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by paulster2626

Just take the cabins off at night, and let the bullwheels spin slowly at 1/8 power or something. Can't cut what doesn't stay still!

That’s pretty easy to defeat, just cut a wire to one of the pressure switches on the guide pulleys and the whole thing will get shutdown when the safeties think something has broken.

**LongShortLong** · 09-16-2020, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by jonesy

Umm yeah that was a cool yet simple tool. However, I don't see it practical on a suspended cable.

I see plenty of metal to serve as a base. May even be the correct distance from the rope already. Or shore it up to fit.
Attachment 290975
Image from an early PG post

**tetzen** · 09-16-2020, 07:50 PM

Would an insurance company even dare to insure them now? Seems like a sure fire losing bet until they find the person and put them in prison.

**m2711c** · 09-16-2020, 08:00 PM

lloyds of london will insure anything..... for a price.

**Hammer-Down** · 09-16-2020, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by m2711c

lloyds of london will insure anything..... for a price.

Yep......the go-to when you "can't get insurance"

**pureantigravity** · 09-16-2020, 08:42 PM

They need to put one of them chain quick links on the cable.
That way they can put the cable and cabins in a safe spot at night:
where moth and rust can't destroy;
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness;
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

**paulster2626** · 09-17-2020, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by puregravity

They need to put one of them chain quick links on the cable.
That way they can put the cable and cabins in a safe spot at night:
where moth and rust can't destroy;
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness;
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

...and get it out of the wind!