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Hi-Tech Ropeways

at New Hampshire Ski Resorts

Hi,
I like detachable lifts, gondolas, and other cool skier lifts. Detachable lifts run much faster than other chairlifts and you have more fun time for skiing and less boring time riding on the chairlift. The average speed of a detachable lift is about 1000 ft/min. The average speed of a non-detachable lift is about 400 ft/min. It means that one detachable quad moves up as many people as one non-detachable quad plus two non-detachable triples do altogether.

New Hampshire has a long history of pioneering in hi-tech skier lifting equipment. The first American aerial tramway and the first American detachable gondola both belong in New Hampshire. (Also, Loon has a gondola that I really like.) As of 2004, all New Hampshire major ski resorts have detachable chairlifts. Check the dates below and you will see how quickly the NH line of detachable lifts expands. Note that Bode Miller rode on these lifts.

While researching the ropeways, I learned that many skiing celebrities participated in the development of New Hampshire ski resorts. Modern skiing pioneer Hannes Schneider developed the first groomed slope at Cranmore. Hannes Schneider was born in Austria and invented a skiing technique known as 'Arlberg Method'. In 1939, he escaped the Nazis and came to North Conway where he led a skiing school at Cranmore. Olympian Tom Corcoran led the development of my favorite resort, Waterville Valley. Tom Corcoran participated in the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. Waterville Valley is also a favorite resort among politicians. Did you know that the Bobby's Run trail is named after Robert Kennedy? Also John Kerry skied at Waterville Valley as recently as January 2003. Wildcat was developed by a group including olympian Brooks Dodge and another famous skier - George Macomber. Brooks Dodge participated in the 1954 World Ski Championship and in the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Bode Miller designed a trail named after him at Bretton Woods - see this trail photos The list of Bode's ski racing achievements is so long - look at it.
-Ciao!

Ski Resort Lift Name Type Photo Capacity Brand Timeline Tech Data

Attitash Flying Yankee Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Garaventa CTEC Opened in 1998 Length: 3070 ft. Vertical: 883 ft.

Flying Bear Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr Opened in 1995 Length: 5215 ft. Vertical: 1467 ft.

Bretton Woods Rosebrook Summit Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr CTEC Opened in 2003 Length: 2455 ft. Vertical: 556 ft.

Zephyr Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Garaventa CTEC Opened in 2000 Length: 5075 ft. Vertical: 1063 ft.

Bethlehem Detachable chairlift 4 Doppelmayr Opened in 1989 Length: 4900 ft. Vertical: 1010 ft.

West Mountain Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Garaventa CTEC Opened in 2002 Length: 3802 ft. Vertical: 806 ft.

Cannon Cannon Aerial Tramway Two-car aerial tramway [(o)] 70
(28 before 1980) First US aerial tramway - since 1938, replaced in 1980 Vertical: 2022 ft. 8 min ride

Peabody Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Garaventa CTEC Opened in 1999 Length: 5251 ft. Vertical: 1318 ft.

Cranmore Skimobile Funicular [(o)] Second US funicular - since 1938, dismantled in 1989

Skimobile Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr Opened in 1995 Length: 4489 ft. Vertical: 1123 ft.

Gunstock Panorama Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr CTEC Opened in 2003 Length: 6427 ft. Vertical: 1602 ft.

Loon

Kancamagus Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr Opened in 1995 Length: 4059 ft. Vertical: 1067 ft.

Gondola Gondola ropeway [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr, originally PHB/Hall Opened in 1966, replaced in 1988

North Peak Detachable chairlift 4 Doppelmayr CTEC Opened in 2004 Length: 4820 ft. Vertical: 1563 ft. 4.8 min ride.

Lincoln Express Detachable chairlift 4 Doppelmayr CTEC Opened in 2007 Length: 5160 ft. Vertical: 1475 ft.

Mount Sunapee Sunapee Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Leitner - Poma of America Opened in 1998 Length: 6056 ft. Vertical: 1402 ft. 6 min ride.

Ragged Mountain Six-Pack Detachable chairlift 6 Leitner - Poma of America Opened in 2001

Waterville Valley Quadzilla Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr Opened in 1997

White Peak Detachable chairlift [(o)] 4 Poma Opened in 1988 Length: 7532 ft. Vertical: 1912 ft.

Wildcat Wildcat Gondola ropeway [(o)] First US detachable gondola - since 1958, dismantled in 2000

Wildcat Detachable chairlift, gondola in summer [(o)] 4 Doppelmayr Opened in 1997 Length: 6700 ft. Vertical: 2010 ft. 6 min ride