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Sugarloaf Chairlift breaks

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CaptTurner
Posts: 179 - Karma: 356
http://bangordailynews.com/2015/03/21/news/mid-maine/king-pine-chairlift-breaks-at-sugarloaf/

I wasn't skiing today, but supposedly a lift at Sugarloaf broke today and started moving backwards and a few chairs crashed to the ground as they were derailed. I'm just curious if anyone has ever experienced or witnessed something like this and what did you do?
Mar 21 2015 1:07PM
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CaptTurner
Posts: 179 - Karma: 356
The referenced post has been removed.


A few people did, who were on the lower chairs, but a majority of the chairs are much too high to jump, and over here on the ice coast there are no soft landings to be found.
Mar 21 2015 1:21PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
Lets see if Rowen can embed a video:

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/762556/Rollback-Of-A-Chairlift

**This post was edited on Mar 21st 2015 at 1:24:13pm
Mar 21 2015 1:23PM
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mattytru
Posts: 2788 - Karma: 5,618
come on sugarloaf! happened in 2010 as well... http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Over_200_skiers_trapped_as_lift_breaks_at_Maine_resort
Mar 21 2015 2:10PM
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jynx81
Posts: 359 - Karma: 479
saracheezycome on sugarloaf! happened in 2010 as well...
Could be worse here in timberline wv we had like 4+ chair lift breakdowns. didnt go backwards though...
Mar 21 2015 2:18PM
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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,834
RudyGarmischLets see if Rowen can embed a video:

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/762556/Rollback-Of-A-Chairlift

**This post was edited on Mar 21st 2015 at 1:24:13pm


When the afterbang is too strong.
Mar 21 2015 2:21PM
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gotti
Posts: 4269 - Karma: 4,550
dude i was skiing there a couple days ago but king pine was closed for wind hold. thank god for warmer temps when everything rolls cleanly
Mar 21 2015 3:18PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13975 - Karma: 49,271
Rollbacks are sketchy. Lucky they were able to stop it though and no one was killed.


I'm a lifty and on my second weekend working one of our lifts had a rollback, only 3 chairs though and they weren't loaded. But damn that's scary as shit.
Mar 21 2015 7:03PM
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ndye
Posts: 3756 - Karma: 7,094
Interested to see what happens, with the amount of safety features involved with lifts this SHOULDNT happen. We shall see
Mar 21 2015 8:41PM
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dingus
Posts: 1328 - Karma: 7,877
RudyGarmischLets see if Rowen can embed a video:

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/762556/Rollback-Of-A-Chairlift

**This post was edited on Mar 21st 2015 at 1:24:13pm

Good lord that would be insane to be strapped onto one of those
Mar 21 2015 8:47PM
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Holte
Posts: 10740 - Karma: 7,814
Keep the bar up folks.
Mar 21 2015 8:49PM
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3600 - Karma: 3,909
No reason for this to happen.

Two accidents, similar, same resort, in 5 years. There will be some serious repercussions that happen.
Mar 21 2015 8:54PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,006
Welp, after the lawsuits that come because of this Boyne will have even more financial excuses to not buy my mountain a new fucking chairlift
Mar 21 2015 10:38PM
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AT-AT
Posts: 3281 - Karma: 3,256
This is my nightmare.
Mar 21 2015 10:43PM
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CaptTurner
Posts: 179 - Karma: 356
AT-ATThis is my nightmare.


Agreed, many of times have I been on the King Pine lift and looked down and said, shit it would really suck if something went wrong here.
Mar 21 2015 11:23PM
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Aidin954
Posts: 760 - Karma: 1,361
First jiminy peak now sugarloaf. Whattt thee fuccckkk
Mar 21 2015 11:41PM
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leprechaunsissy
Posts: 645 - Karma: 237
Exact same thing happened to my chair on the mountain chief at copper two years ago. They gave me lots of free tickets and paid a round trip flight from DC for another trip in exchange for the hush hush.
Mar 22 2015 1:15AM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4798 - Karma: -673
CaptTurnerhttp://bangordailynews.com/2015/03/21/news/mid-maine/king-pine-chairlift-breaks-at-sugarloaf/

I wasn't skiing today, but supposedly a lift at Sugarloaf broke today and started moving backwards and a few chairs crashed to the ground as they were derailed. I'm just curious if anyone has ever experienced or witnessed something like this and what did you do?



That King Pine lift is NEVER FUCKING RUNNING whenver I go to the Loaf.

Lazy ass mother fuckers with their ancient lifts but its a high end resort with nice hotels fuck man fix your busted ass lifts you pricks.


Im thinking of buying that pass next year fix your shit!

Normally I only drive that stupid far if its super early or late in the year and even when all the trails are open that shitty lift is always closed and you have to lap that lame ass fixed quad.


FUCK THIS PIECE OF SHIT ORGANIZATION FOR THEIR GARBAGE LIFTS THEY ARE ON THE SAME PASS AS LOON AND SR UNACCEPTABLE.


Everytime I go there I think they are a disgrace because of the lifts. I went there on an early powder day in Decemebr and the Super Quad wasn't running. Thanks you fucking shitcunts.
Mar 22 2015 3:05AM
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PurpleDino
Posts: 1513 - Karma: 483
MCsugarcatFUCK THIS PIECE OF SHIT ORGANIZATION FOR THEIR GARBAGE LIFTS THEY ARE ON THE SAME PASS AS LOON AND SR UNACCEPTABLE.


Always been an SR local and it looks like it's gonna stay that way. 2 major lift malfunctions in five years. I wouldn't trust riding on any of those lifts over there.
Mar 22 2015 5:15AM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4798 - Karma: -673
PurpleDinoAlways been an SR local and it looks like it's gonna stay that way. 2 major lift malfunctions in five years. I wouldn't trust riding on any of those lifts over there.


That day I was there (and every trail was open but no Super QUad or King Pine lift off course) the main fixie was so shitty they had to load it up every other chair.


The snowfields aren't that good simply because they aren't long and you have to slam breaks after a turn or two to not hit the traverse hard.


People ski there they can fix their crappiest lifts.
Mar 22 2015 10:02AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51630 - Karma: 162,078
http://www.tetongravity.com/story/ski/scary-footage-ski-lift-rolls-backyards-at-sugarloaf-injuring-7

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/762689/Sugarloaf-King-Pine-Goes-backwards
Mar 22 2015 12:54PM
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a_burger
Posts: 5235 - Karma: 20,715
heres another video

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/762690/Chairlift-Rollback-Sugarloaf-Mountain-3-21-15 People are saying it went 450 feet in 30 seconds, thats as fast as a detachable lift. Between people jumping and the way the chair hits the tower at the start I'm surprised it didn't derope
Mar 22 2015 12:59PM
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-InfamousMax-
Posts: 136 - Karma: 377
God damn, this crazy ancients, undetchable chairlifts are hella scary! Glad that nothing more happened. What was the reason for the breakdown?
Mar 22 2015 2:27PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,006
-InfamousMax-God damn, this crazy ancients, undetchable chairlifts are hella scary! Glad that nothing more happened. What was the reason for the breakdown?


No official word yet on the cause of the breakdown. All lifts are required to have anti rollback brakes and failsafes, crazy to think of what could have malfunctioned to cause this.
Mar 22 2015 2:31PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3344 - Karma: 5,748
Yet another reason to shred backcountry.
Mar 22 2015 3:39PM
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a_burger
Posts: 5235 - Karma: 20,715
-InfamousMax-God damn, this crazy ancients, undetchable chairlifts are hella scary! Glad that nothing more happened. What was the reason for the breakdown?


sugarloafs lifts are pretty sketchy, if you read the report from the spillway accident they were trying to fix the pulley alignment with something that was never meant to do so (while the lift was loaded). Lifts are required to have like 3-4 fail-safes to prevent this so something obviously went wrong.
Mar 22 2015 4:00PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37380 - Karma: 119,949
w_skiersugarloafs lifts are pretty sketchy, if you read the report from the spillway accident they were trying to fix the pulley alignment with something that was never meant to do so (while the lift was loaded). Lifts are required to have like 3-4 fail-safes to prevent this so something obviously went wrong.


ima newb lift operator, so correct me if i am wrong, but why does some maitainence occur during operational hours? Is it due to time? It seems it would be a lot better/safer to do it when the publics not there, or just a simply shut it down for a few.
Mar 22 2015 5:44PM
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a_burger
Posts: 5235 - Karma: 20,715
DeebieSkeebiesima newb lift operator, so correct me if i am wrong, but why does some maitainence occur during operational hours? Is it due to time? It seems it would be a lot better/safer to do it when the publics not there, or just a simply shut it down for a few.


Im not a lift operator at all, just took an interest in lifts when I was a kid. In that case it was a problem that had just come up, the lift was on hold, then after they opened it the tower that deroped was making a weird noise so they sent someone up to check it out, to find the sheaves were out of line. It was stopped and started it a few times while the problem was adjusted and then the cable slipped (and again wasn't caught by fail-safes). Sketchiest part was that the lift ran another 40 feet afterwords dragging people under the chairs.

the whole report is in here: https://www1.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/elevator/pdf/Final%20Report%20Sugarloaf%20Spillway%20East%20Report.pdf
Mar 22 2015 5:58PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,006
DeebieSkeebiesima newb lift operator, so correct me if i am wrong, but why does some maitainence occur during operational hours? Is it due to time? It seems it would be a lot better/safer to do it when the publics not there, or just a simply shut it down for a few.


its far from ideal but sometimes it has to be done. lots of reasons for it, not enough daylight after operating hours to get a big project done, something needs attention immediately even if people are on the lift, unable to travel to the lift before opening to public due to avy control etc.
Mar 22 2015 6:11PM
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eheath
Posts: 61601 - Karma: 123,020
Rule #1 if a chairlift starts to go backwards, jump.
Mar 22 2015 6:15PM
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steeze_louise
Posts: 548 - Karma: 2,093
pussyfooterRule #1 if a chairlift starts to go backwards, jump.


most of the injuries were from people who jumped
Mar 22 2015 6:31PM
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eheath
Posts: 61601 - Karma: 123,020
I_Bohrmannmost of the injuries were from people who jumped


I should've prefaced that statement with "something I always joke around on the lift about is..."

If the lift was going backwards at like 5mph I obviously wouldn't jump. From what I saw in the videos it wasn't going that fast (or was it?) But if you were nuking backwards on a lift you don't wanna keep riding it haha.
Mar 22 2015 6:33PM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,883
One thing to note about this, news like this isn't just bad for Sugarloaf, it's bad for the entire industry. People who have no clue how many systems have to fail for this to happen will now second guess going to any resort. On top of that, this happened at a fairly large resort, people with think if it could happen here, it could happen anywhere. It's a pretty shitty situation for everyone honestly.

Case in point, I was at Magic Mountain running a demo today. I heard several times "I hope the lifts don't go backwards." Most of the people saying this looked like pretty experienced skiers, skiers who have been on lifts hundreds of times without a problem. Imagine what the average person or people who only ski once or twice a year are thinking...
Mar 22 2015 6:46PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37380 - Karma: 119,949
YoungDaphits far from ideal but sometimes it has to be done. lots of reasons for it, not enough daylight after operating hours to get a big project done, something needs attention immediately even if people are on the lift, unable to travel to the lift before opening to public due to avy control etc.



thanks for the clarification, I guess you folks just gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.
Mar 22 2015 6:55PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
Just going to go ahead and say this has not the best weekend I've had working in the marketing department at Sugarloaf.
Mar 22 2015 7:17PM
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Turd.Ferguson
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 2,713
DobberWhen the afterbang is too strong.


that lift was discus throwing concrete what the fuck
Mar 22 2015 7:20PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13975 - Karma: 49,271
pussyfooterRule #1 if a chairlift starts to go backwards, jump.


I_Bohrmannmost of the injuries were from people who jumped


I think I'd rather break a leg from jumping than being throw 30 feet from being whipped around the bullwheel and dying.
Mar 22 2015 7:57PM
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Nacho+
Posts: 3748 - Karma: 7,791
If eheath jumped from the lift the whole mountain would feel it. Better to stay on to prevent a massacre buddy
Mar 22 2015 8:31PM
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mseward
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 1,243
1337Just going to go ahead and say this has not the best weekend I've had working in the marketing department at Sugarloaf.


any inside info?
Mar 22 2015 9:03PM
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CaptTurner
Posts: 179 - Karma: 356
msewardany inside info?


http://sugarloaf.com/media-room/press-releases/lift-rollback
Mar 22 2015 9:29PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,006
this just in, it was a gearbox malfunction. for those who have no idea what that means, the basic construction of a lift goes electric motor->high speed shaft->gearbox->low speed shaft->bullwheel

When the gearbox fails it can decouple the lift from the primary anti-rollback brake which is connected to the bullwheel shaft. The emergency brakes which were applied by the lift op once the rollback started actually attach to the bullwheel itself which was how they were able to get the lift stopped. Mechanics who perform startups every morning are required by law to do daily inspections of the gearbox, the morning of and the day prior everything passed. It was a freak mechanical failure and I'm sure there will be tons of investigations and every lift of the same make in the country will probably have to undergo extensive testing.
Mar 22 2015 9:32PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13975 - Karma: 49,271
YoungDaphthis just in, it was a gearbox malfunction. for those who have no idea what that means, the basic construction of a lift goes electric motor->high speed shaft->gearbox->low speed shaft->bullwheel

When the gearbox fails it can decouple the lift from the primary anti-rollback brake which is connected to the bullwheel shaft. The emergency brakes which were applied by the lift op once the rollback started actually attach to the bullwheel itself which was how they were able to get the lift stopped. Mechanics who perform startups every morning are required by law to do daily inspections of the gearbox, the morning of and the day prior everything passed. It was a freak mechanical failure and I'm sure there will be tons of investigations and every lift of the same make in the country will probably have to undergo extensive testing.


So was there like any sign that maybe something like this could have happened? Or was it something that couldn't have been detected in a daily inspection?

Just wondering because theres some hate about sugarloaf and their lifts in this thread. Just curious if it was neglect from the resort or if it really was unpredictable.
Mar 22 2015 9:37PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,006
MinggSo was there like any sign that maybe something like this could have happened? Or was it something that couldn't have been detected in a daily inspection?

Just wondering because theres some hate about sugarloaf and their lifts in this thread. Just curious if it was neglect from the resort or if it really was unpredictable.


no, its not something that you can really predict due to daily inspections. most gearboxes look like this:


sorry for the shitty photo, its the dark grey box attached to all the rigging on the left, this was from us pulling it out to inspect the inner components this summer on one of our fixed grips. As you can tell, its very hard to see the inside of it. We filter, sample the oil and perform vibration tests yearly but when you're doing a basic morning lift startup in the morning all you can really check for is oil levels and leaking.
Mar 22 2015 9:45PM
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eheath
Posts: 61601 - Karma: 123,020
Really liking the lift maitinence insight in this thread, very interesting.
Mar 22 2015 9:58PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,006
pussyfooterReally liking the lift maitinence insight in this thread, very interesting.


anytime! They're fascinating machines that most people don't know anything about, I love geeking out about them
Mar 22 2015 9:59PM
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ModMommy
Posts: 10815 - Karma: 57,158
YoungDaphanytime! They're fascinating machines that most people don't know anything about, I love geeking out about them


was stoked to see you in this thread. our mechanics are the best for sure.
In the case of Sugarloaf, glad no one was seriously injured (or died) Rollbacks are way terrifying, especially on a detachable lift, glad they were able to get it stopped.
Mar 22 2015 10:28PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37380 - Karma: 119,949
YoungDaphthis just in, it was a gearbox malfunction. for those who have no idea what that means, the basic construction of a lift goes electric motor->high speed shaft->gearbox->low speed shaft->bullwheel

When the gearbox fails it can decouple the lift from the primary anti-rollback brake which is connected to the bullwheel shaft. The emergency brakes which were applied by the lift op once the rollback started actually attach to the bullwheel itself which was how they were able to get the lift stopped. Mechanics who perform startups every morning are required by law to do daily inspections of the gearbox, the morning of and the day prior everything passed. It was a freak mechanical failure and I'm sure there will be tons of investigations and every lift of the same make in the country will probably have to undergo extensive testing.


thanks for the info again, as always. hopefully the general non-skiing public understands that these kinda scenarios are hard to prevent, and just shit simply happens sometimes even with the precautions/measures that are took.
Mar 23 2015 12:35AM
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50Kal
Posts: 2828 - Karma: 5,373
Three things as a lift operator I really wanna know. How old was this lift? Why was the checking of the gear box oil contracted(are they not capable of checking themselves?)? Why was the date of last oil check convieniently the day before the accident? (not impossible but just seems suspicious)?
Mar 23 2015 1:08AM
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last_tango
Posts: 2635 - Karma: 2,665
From some of the pics I have seen the line looked loaded as fuck. The bullwheel brake did its job but I'm interested if there was a delay in the rollback dog or something else electrical(the most fucked with part of a lift). Its gonna take a while to stop all that mass but downhill side looked sketchy and felt like that the bullwheel brake should have stopped sooner or crept the lift to a slow.
Mar 23 2015 1:39AM
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ndye
Posts: 3756 - Karma: 7,094
pussyfooterI should've prefaced that statement with "something I always joke around on the lift about is..."

If the lift was going backwards at like 5mph I obviously wouldn't jump. From what I saw in the videos it wasn't going that fast (or was it?) But if you were nuking backwards on a lift you don't wanna keep riding it haha.


It was cooking, the videos seen were after the lift had slowed, during the fastest period of the rollback jumping would be heavily advised in my opinion
Mar 23 2015 6:26AM
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skodeo7
Posts: 14949 - Karma: 9,234
I_Bohrmannmost of the injuries were from people who jumped


I'm not sure that's true. Either way, once the lift got below 15 ft I sure as fuck would jump. I'm not going to speculate or tell anyone what to do but I would definitely rather take my chances jumping than getting whipped around the bullwheel. A lot of the chairs were banged up bad after going through there.

Regardless it's extremely sad for Sugarloaf. I love the mountain, grew up skiing/taking family vacations there and will continue to go there for a very long time, but it's just bad for the business. Gotta be thankful it wasn't worse but I have to imagine it's going to tarnish their name for a very long time. Luckily I think most people are pretty loyal to the mountain but I'm sure it'll hurt.

I can only imagine the hellish week Jamie, Ethan and all the other staff have had there. Props to all the patrollers/employees that helped in the evac.
Mar 23 2015 12:23PM
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