and say, ‘everything’s fine,’ but take the time to see. So, my advice to operators is: when in doubt, call for help.” As it is at many resorts, Whiteface and Sunday River ski patrollers get the same training as lift operators to learn how to determine unsafe lift conditions when it’s windy. Patrollers are often sta- tioned near upper lift terminals and are the first ones on the hill in the morning, so they get first glimpse of how wind is affecting lifts. On breezy days, patrollers are asked to ride lifts often to provide real-time, in-the-air observations. “Patrol- lers riding lifts doing wind checks is super valuable because they know what to look for and can evaluate the situation from a user’s perspective,” says Heon. LIFT DESIGN, LOCATION, AND TECH When building a new lift or relocating an existing lift, wind resistance should be one of the top considerations in its design and location, according to lift manufac- turers. A ski area’s experienced team is the best resource to make these deter- minations since, again, they know the mountain’s microclimate best. “The cus- tomers usually know the problem spots and have the best perspective on how to improve things there,” says Leitner-Poma of America’s (LPOA) Mike Manley. Moderating wind impacts. Some- times—for various reasons such as permitting, the need to connect one area to another, or lack of other viable options—a new lift’s alignment and location can’t be adjusted to account for wind. But there are a handful of things that can help with the impacts wind might have on the lift, according to Dop- pelmayr USA senior director of sales Geno Leslie. “A stand of trees or even an existing building can be used in the plan- ning to reduce the effect of wind on the lift,” he says. “We have also seen carrier parking buildings used as wind blocks on certain installations, and even some areas relocate or replant trees in known wind paths to lessen impacts.” Bigger lifts with heavier carriers and larger haul ropes—such as six-place detachables—perform better in wind than detachable quads or fixed-grips. And, of course, the lower a lift’s pro- file, the better. “Once we have the align-
ment, our design philosophy is to keep the lift as low as possible,” says LPOA technical director Jeff Copeland. Other, often costly, design and ter- rain modifications can be made, too. For example, Sunday River lowered the grade of the upper terminal site by roughly 15 feet when it removed an oft-wind- plagued detachable quad in favor of an eight-place chair, in part to make it more wind resistant. Whiteface installed a detachable quad in 2023 and, rather than going straight up the mountain, opted to include an angle mid-station to keep the profile on the side of a treeline that blocks the wind, and it’s been remark- ably reliable as a result, says Kellett. Major mods. Modifications can be made to existing lifts, too. After losing nearly all the surrounding trees to the Caldor Fire in 2021, Sierra-at-Tahoe’s (Calif.) West Bowl Express quad experi- enced frequent wind holds and had to replace the wind-damaged communi- cation line during the 2022-23 season, when the resort was able to reopen after the fire. In response, Sierra worked with Doppelmayr to lower tower 15 (of 20) by 10 feet and install a trap sheave assem- bly on it, which increased the vertical load and tension on the adjacent towers, says mountain operations director Bryan Hickman. Sierra also installed dampen- ing wings on the comm line—placed mid-span to reduce oscillation and swing in gusty conditions—and a wind fence. “Since these modifications we’ve seen a measurable reduction in wind-re- lated operational holds and comm line damage,” says Hickman. “The lift is now operating more reliably even under wind
conditions that previously would have put the lift on a wind hold.” Technology. Both LPOA and Doppel- mayr include wind anemometers with new lifts. The gauges can be placed on any number of towers to monitor wind speed and direction, and, when wired to the lift’s control system, are configurable to automatically slow and/or stop a lift if wind speeds reach a preset threshold determined by the ski area. Manley says LPOA has recently been working with new technology for wind monitoring that’s less susceptible to damage from ice and other weather impacts. Doppel- mayr’s Connect Control system tracks and records wind speeds and direction, allowing operators to look back and see trends, says Leslie. All said, when the weather kicks up and decisions need to be made, your people are your greatest asset. “Listen to the teams running and maintaining the lifts,” advises Manley. “And do everything you can to keep those experienced staff members in the organization.” TOP: Sierra-at-Tahoe replacing the wind-damaged comm line on a lift that no longer has big trees to serve as a wind break after they were lost in a wildfire. BOTTOM: A dampening wing, several of which were installed on the lift’s comm line to reduce swing and oscillation in wind.
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