JACKSON '21-'22 ~~ w/the 'Ghee, the King, The KC, the Creek and the Passes

[Core Shot]

Almost double capacity. Fack.
Although three and a half minutes up is exciting.

But wtf is up with “contour loading” ???

Teton lift is so weird. But needed there.

Why would they contour load AND contour unload thunder???

I’m confused.


=======••
Let's get technical for a moment; Thunder currently runs 102 chairs up through 12 towers, ascending 1,466' in just over 7 minutes. At a speed of 2.54 meters per second, propelled by a 500 horsepower motor, Thunder lifts 1,400 skiers and riders towards the upper mountain each hour.



We will bid farewell to the original Thunder lift beginning in May and replace it with a new high-speed quad made by Colorado-based lift manufacturer Leitner-Poma. Construction and installation of the new Thunder lift is expected to begin shortly after May. The speed of the new lift is 1,000 feet per minute, twice the velocity of the original Thunder, and will cut riders’ lift time down from just over 7 minutes to 3.6 minutes. The new lift will have a contour load, similar to the Teton lift, as well as a contour unload.

[east or bust]

Almost double capacity. Fack.
Although three and a half minutes up is exciting.

But wtf is up with “contour loading” ???

Teton lift is so weird. But needed there.

Why would they contour load AND contour unload thunder???

I’m confused.


=======••
Let's get technical for a moment; Thunder currently runs 102 chairs up through 12 towers, ascending 1,466' in just over 7 minutes. At a speed of 2.54 meters per second, propelled by a 500 horsepower motor, Thunder lifts 1,400 skiers and riders towards the upper mountain each hour.



We will bid farewell to the original Thunder lift beginning in May and replace it with a new high-speed quad made by Colorado-based lift manufacturer Leitner-Poma. Construction and installation of the new Thunder lift is expected to begin shortly after May. The speed of the new lift is 1,000 feet per minute, twice the velocity of the original Thunder, and will cut riders’ lift time down from just over 7 minutes to 3.6 minutes. The new lift will have a contour load, similar to the Teton lift, as well as a contour unload.

I actually think contour load/unload could make sense if the lift were to stay in the same location. I feel like there is a disproportionate amount of carnage at the offloading area due to the mandatory left.

[byates1]

I'm at pine creek for closing weekend this weekend. Lean snowpack, super warm. Place is the coolest. Season pass bought for next year.

Come ski the creek!

[upallnight]

NE aspect in 3rd Option. Again, super perfunctory, was mostly supposed to be getting pictures of an athlete doing snow safety stuff, but ended up being surprised by what we found.

Copy that. It's interesting bc I tend to think of most of what I ski in MC as E-facing... but the reality is it's NE more than E.

Sunshine & pow:

[Core Shot]

I actually think contour load/unload could make sense if the lift were to stay in the same location. I feel like there is a disproportionate amount of carnage at the offloading area due to the mandatory left.

Well. Yes. Most thunder offload goes left.

But any lift that quick turns before loading or unloading is weird.
It freaks people out. And causes more slows and hard stops than a normal lift.

But yeah. Super sweet not to have to skate left to get where you want to go. Lol.

PS. How much more space is taken up by the turn?
Are they dumping people over the edge into gnarles Barkley?

PPS. What’s up with the contour load?
Where the Fuck are they starting the maze?

[kokomas]

Yet again chalk and corn on consecutive runs. Get some

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[MyNameIsAugustWest]

Yet again chalk and corn on consecutive runs. Get some

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Same on the west side of the pass. I know you have goals also but any chance you're coming over with DJ and BB this weekend?

[bluespark]

Still finding winter:
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M still charging! Of course...One of the most gregarious of the Teton spawned steep ski pioneers around. Always a positive vibe!

[Kevo]

Bummed to miss the Ghee meetup this weekend- I'm out of town until Sunday evening.

I should be home for the rest of the season if you happen to make it back over, Djongo!

[skibrd]

Contour unloading sounds alright. Makes sense actually. Contour loading could save some space at the base of Thunder.

NO LOWER FACE LIFTS! Seriously? You want a lift up the lower faces? Can’t we leave anything sacred?


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[Core Shot]

I think lower face lift makes more sense than a new sublette

Hoback or RS or OB Laps. Get back up and back out vs clogging the tram or Gondi.

It’s a long tram wait. Or a three lift loop otherwise

A lower sublette lift with snowmaking relieves pressure.
Spread ‘‘em out.

Doubling thunder capacity will be interesting

I remember AV going from fixed double to high speed quad. It changed.
Teton lift was a nice addition. Killed Moran woods. But it made the mountain flow by opening terrain.

Ymmv

[jackstraw]

Copy that. It's interesting bc I tend to think of most of what I ski in MC as E-facing... but the reality is it's NE more than E.

Sunshine & pow:

Great shot! Heel side pow turn is an incredible feeling, possibly the best I ever felt. (and another old phuck I see )

[AdironRider]

I see a lower face lift making sense but all the homeowners will raise hell having the riff raff milling about on pow mornings. That’s honestly the reason it doesn’t exist yet as it’s been permitted and on the master plan for decades.

Bout time for Thunder. That has become a terrible choke point and Marmot doesn’t relieve it. The spicy terrain off thunder is self regulating in terms of traffic.

[jackstraw]

I don't think they need to get more people up quicker to skid down Amphitheater. I hadn't skied the village in years, but punching out of PB, T3 into that shitshow was like driving on 128 in boston. Jfc, what a junkshow.

Funny though, a hundred years ago we had skied expert chutes and were making high speed 8's down ampitheater to thunder. Brazell walks out of his ski (but doesn't miss a beat on one ski) and I slammed his dead board because it was hidden by cold smoke. To this day it was still one of the worst falls I've ever taken. Nothing like high speed crash on flat terrain. Knocked the wind out of me and I'm sure my head bounced, but I had a nice soft hat for protection.

[raisingarizona13]

Helmets are for NERDS!

JK, I wear one sometimes but other times I don't want to. I don't like em for touring, that's for sure.

Helmets have saved my life once or twice.

[Core Shot]

I don't think they need to get more people up quicker to skid down Amphitheater. I hadn't skied the village in years, but punching out of PB, T3 into that shitshow was like driving on 128 in boston. Jfc, what a junkshow.

Funny though, a hundred years ago we had skied expert chutes and were making high speed 8's down ampitheater to thunder. Brazell walks out of his ski (but doesn't miss a beat on one ski) and I slammed his dead board because it was hidden by cold smoke. To this day it was still one of the worst falls I've ever taken. Nothing like high speed crash on flat terrain. Knocked the wind out of me and I'm sure my head bounced, but I had a nice soft hat for protection.

If it was a hundred years ago
I’m pretty sure you dropped into GV after experts.

I’m still struggling with calling it amphitheater

[jackstraw]

If it was a hundred years ago
I’m pretty sure you dropped into GV after experts.

I’m still struggling with calling it amphitheater

You'd be correct! I still don't know the names of the groomers. That was just the quickest way to get to Thunder so we could get back over to the couch with no lift lines.

[Core Shot]

The couch. Heh.

Old school.

Don’t fuck up the couch. Sublette is fine as is.

[Djongo Unchained]

Lots to unload here, let's see.

First, the further Pussification of the village.

Second, the mtn. engineer who's been there over 3 decades is an absolute terminal intermediate clown.
He has single handedly designed that place for the clucks. Chairs being replaced in the poorest possible order, making lift access crappier, taking out natural features, etc.

Third, the worst lift to go in was the bridger gondola. Nothing pumps beginners and low intermediates into what was recognized as all advanced terrain, more than that gondy.
Ideally, it should have summited the headwall and been access restricted.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Almost double capacity. Fack.
Although three and a half minutes up is exciting.

But wtf is up with “contour loading” ???

Teton lift is so weird. But needed there.

Why would they contour load AND contour unload thunder???

I’m confused.

A shorter lift ride means more crowded slope. Not my preference at all. I get excited on the down...until it's 5 skiers within every square yard.

Contour loading, that's some bullshit terminology and the Teton chair leaves tiny room for error when loading, tends to smack your calves even tho it's slow; the rotation is what wacks ya.

Not sure what need the Teton lift remedied. Spreading people out? Maybe because prior to it going in, the crowds were finally over capacity for the village. Pare back the daily totals and the lifts used to do pretty well.
Thunder was packed back in the day because it was most popular. At the same time, the couch would be ski on...all day.

I think lower face lift makes more sense than a new sublett

Hoback or RS or OB Laps. Get back up and back out vs clogging the tram or Gondi.

It’s a long tram wait. Or a three lift loop otherwise

A lower sublette lift with snowmaking relieves pressure.
Spread ‘‘em out.

Doubling thunder capacity will be interesting

I remember AV going from fixed double to high speed quad. It changed.
Teton lift was a nice addition. Killed Moran woods. But it made the mountain flow by opening terrain.

Ymmv

I could only support a lower faces lift if they ran it to the top where subby ends now.
The idea of multi laps on the lowers screams the end of good skiing there.

On a pow day, these are the last places to still find good snow. Like other fast access zones, they'll be thrashed in 45 minutes.

Snowmaking? fuck that.

The engineer should have replaced AV first, not almost last.
Teton lift new terrain could've been accessed with a platter or t bar.

That big deal was developed so that the Kemmerer's could put their name on a run and to ostensibly get some big time races here.
Never gonna happen. As it is, they use the crags/moran groomer and never K. for racing.

They indeed killed moran as we knew it but fucking Travis has made it even worse by commandeering it for the first half of the season so some schmucks from not here can dick around on it for 2 days in late January.

I see a lower face lift making sense but all the homeowners will raise hell having the riff raff milling about on pow mornings. That’s honestly the reason it doesn’t exist yet as it’s been permitted and on the master plan for decades.

Bout time for Thunder. That has become a terrible choke point and Marmot doesn’t relieve it. The spicy terrain off thunder is self regulating in terms of traffic.

Fuck those homeowners. It's a ski area and their rights end at the property line/FS begins point. I bet not a single one whose prop abuts the village, lives there more than a month a year.
I have yet to see this master plan, don't know anyone who has. Have asked mtn. workers for years about original plans but nothing hard and factual.

I don't think they need to get more people up quicker to skid down Amphitheater. I hadn't skied the village in years, but punching out of PB, T3 into that shitshow was like driving on 128 in boston. Jfc, what a junkshow.

Funny though, a hundred years ago we had skied expert chutes and were making high speed 8's down ampitheater to thunder. Brazell walks out of his ski (but doesn't miss a beat on one ski) and I slammed his dead board because it was hidden by cold smoke. To this day it was still one of the worst falls I've ever taken. Nothing like high speed crash on flat terrain. Knocked the wind out of me and I'm sure my head bounced, but I had a nice soft hat for protection.

It is absolutely a junkshow. Thank that ganjala to a large degree.

My 1997 map still shows it as Upper Gros Ventre. On the 2011 map it's changed to amphitheater.
Experts drop you into Horn's hole and then onto UGV. I still call it GV too.
Rag run to the skier's right of that has become Jerry's way. Likely named for Dbag Blann, I think it actually fits well.
The Jerry-rama is gonna be all time with a high speed quad

There was a time when we'd race from Casper to Thunder for fresh on the GV. They didn't mow the pow back then for the clucks so you'd roll in and launch to the chair. In deep stiff pow, you'd see multiple peeps get hauling in the cut tracks and then push over into the untracked, only to go head over heels tomahawking like a mofo. Making turns in the funky pow on GV meant you were unlikely to get T3, PB or Thunder/Riverton in it's uncut moment. And I'd not trade much for firsties in T3. 'Bout the only time I race to it anymore.

If it was a hundred years ago
I’m pretty sure you dropped into GV after experts.

I’m still struggling with calling it amphitheater

I've given up on it, pretty much. I'm hard pressed to remember any names, most of the time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would call moving the quad up onto the ridgeline to ease the wind affect on top a red herring.
The reason it's tucked behind the ridge now is to protect 80% of it from the wind. And once it reaches the laramie traverse below, there is no way it will be LESS wind affected by moving it rider's left.
And lowering the top by a tower or so will be more problematic than just leaving the location.
I think it'll be easier/cheaper to put it on the ridge. That's the usual criteria...

[Core Shot]

Full agreement.

Except Teton lift helped the crowds on the upper chairs.

Many times lately. We go to Teton for fast laps and no lines.

Once thunder is high speed? What the fuck
The line will be gone. But old GV will be a shitshow.
Can I still reach warp speed on the grand?

But old GV?
As someone said a few posts ago.
Merging into 128. Past the stop and shop.
Between current thunder capacity and the Gondi amphitheater is an obstacle course. Doubling thunder? Jerry’s way. It’s the way for Jerry’s.

Oh well. Progress.

The only reason I mentioned snow making on lower faces was it’s needed to support a lift. I would love to see a lift that goes to upper sublette. It would knit the mountain together. And eliminate the slog back uphill.

And lower faces powder days are rare. But when it’s good it’s amazing.

[Djongo Unchained]

I'm gonna make some stickers that say Jerry's Junkshow and post them over all of the amphi signs.

Every pow day is a pow day on the faces; and typically last longer than upper mtn. as many don't want to forsake the elevation.
Once you can chair right back up, they'll be completely shot by 11 methinks.

[Djongo Unchained]

We're gonna have a little mag ski together this weekend over at the 'Ghee.

I'm planning on turning with MNIAW, Goniff and New Yabyum.

If any others locals have the time and inclination, give a shout and please join us for a few runs. Or beers.

[raisingarizona13]

Management is trying to fill the gap on having groomed, intermediate terrain with all of the terrain pod/lift expansions as well as move people out of the base area more quickly and spread out the crowds.. From a management perspective it makes complete sense. From a hard core dedicated Vill skier it totally sucks but that wheel in the sky keeps on turning I guess so whadyagonnado?

I don't care how rad Johnny water cooler talk guy from Jersey thinks he is, what he really wants is more mid pitched groomers with 6 inches of fluff on the carpet. I think it's funny how packed that place gets every time the Powderchasers tell their followers on social media that Jackson is going to be the place to be but to be honest, 98% of those people creating those monster lift lines would be better off spending their dollars chasing powder to Snowmass or Powder Mountain. I'd bet a pretty penny that most of those kooks are done by 11 or noon after trying to ski a top to bottom tram lap but hey, that water cooler claim was worth it, right?

[Buster Highmen]

Management is trying to fill the gap on having groomed, intermediate terrain with all of the terrain pod/lift expansions as well as move people out of the base area more quickly and spread out the crowds.. From a management perspective it makes complete sense. From a hard core dedicated Vill skier it totally sucks but that wheel in the sky keeps on turning I guess so whadyagonnado?

I don't care how rad Johnny water cooler talk guy from Jersey thinks he is, what he really wants is more mid pitched groomers with 6 inches of fluff on the carpet. I think it's funny how packed that place gets every time the Powderchasers tell their followers on social media that Jackson is going to be the place to be but to be honest, 98% of those people creating those monster lift lines would be better off spending their dollars chasing powder to St. Moritz or Verbier. I'd bet a pretty penny that most of those kooks are done by 11 or noon after trying to ski a top to bottom tram lap but hey, that water cooler claim was worth it, right?

fify

[plugboots]

JHC, I’m old.
I think it’s funny that they say the “original” Thunder, when we call Sublette the “quad” (still), because when it went in, Thunder was still a double.
Amphitheater? We say GV, when referring to it in the typical conversation on the chair: “Where to ski next: T3, or PB-TB-GV?”
Anyway, as others have said, it’s a story as old as time.
Stop the summer grooming!!!