social media to provide context for guests as to why the lift was on hold. The video and explanation was universally appre- ciated by guests and lauded by ski media, including us at SAM . It was execut- ed thanks to the interdepartmen- tal trust and cohe-
Key indicators. There are a few obvious things that signal unsafe con- ditions for lift operations. Among them: excessive lateral or longitudinal chair swing and notable haul rope movement; extreme comm line oscillation, especial- ly in long spans with big bellies; detach- able chairs swinging far enough to hit the trumpet when entering the top sta- tion; and when wind prevents bubble enclosures on bubble lifts from closing after leaving the upper terminal. At Whiteface, says Kellett, lift opera- tors at the top station are also trained to observe how winds affect guests unload- ing—a tail wind will push them off the chair faster and a headwind will keep them in the chair longer and make it difficult for them to push off, either of which can be unsafe. Calling for backup. When any of these conditions occur, lift ops should call maintenance to come out for an eval- uation. Even if a lift’s wind alarms hav- en’t gone off, “if you see something, say something, and we’ll come out,” says Big Sky’s Blessley. “I would rather come out
based on wind direction and speed. As at Whiteface, they wait as long as possible to decide to shut lifts down for the day. The value of being ready to open a lift, even with only an hour or two left in the day, is multifold: it shows guests the resort does everything it can to open lifts; lifts make end-of-day ingress or egress easier, especially for lodging guests; and it creates a positive decision-making cul- ture that translates to guest communica- tions, which builds trust both internally and externally. Transparent communication. Guests aren’t always understanding when lifts are on wind hold. Mission Ridge, Wash., CMO Tony Hickok has found that “consistency in the commu- nications approach is extremely import- ant and helpful,” he says. “When you communicate enough info in a timely and regular manner, guests can trust in your message.” Even when trust has been estab- lished, circumstances may require more than just a timely message. In March 2022, for example, an unusual upslope wind was hitting the quad bubble chair at Mission Ridge, causing major swing at the upper portion of the span, while con- ditions on the rest of the mountain “were really quite wonderful,” recalls Hickok. The resort’s mountain ops director sug- gested Hickok’s team use a video taken by a lift mechanic of the chairs swinging in the wind along with a more detailed written description of the situation on ABOVE: To keep it alongside a tree line that helps block the wind, Whiteface opted for a lift line that required an angle mid-station when The Notch detachable quad was installed in 2023.
sion at Mission Ridge, the value of which, Hickok says, cannot be overstated. “Espe- cially in the situations that are out of our control (like windy days), strong cultures can roll with that and work together to make the best of the situation,” he says. WHAT SHUTS IT DOWN Determining whether it’s safe to spin a lift or not ultimately comes down to observing the effects of wind on the lift.
ABOVE: Mission Ridge’s March 2022 social post with a video of chairs swinging in the wind and an explana- tion of the situation provided by mountain ops was a model of transparency.
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