In search of New England's fastest chairs

By Matt Boxler

When built in 1948, the famous single chair at Mad River Glen was not only the longest and fastest chair lift in New England, but quite probably in all the world. That was a claim this traditional ski area’s devoted ranks happily let slip away as technology ushered tremendous change to the sport in the decades that followed.The Wildcat Express in New Hampshire offers one of New England's fastest and most awe-inspiring rides.

Today, the fastest detachable grip chair lift systems in the world are capable of moving skiers at a rate of 1,200 feet per minute. So, who has claim to the fastest chair lift in New England? While a definitive answer is speculative at best, a handful of detachable quads in these parts are capable of reaching speeds of 1,100 feet per minute.

Two of those are located just down the road from Mad River Glen, at Sugarbush Resort. In 1990, the management team at Claneil Enterprises installed three new lifts on Mt. Ellen (Sugarbush North), including what was then hailed as the “world’s fastestquad,” the Green Mountain Express. A base-to-summit ride was cut from 21 minutes to13 and lift lines virtually disappeared.

During the Les Otten and American Skiing Company era at Sugarbush (1995-2001), seven new lifts were installed at the resort, including the Slide BrookExpress, considered at the time to be the longest and fastest detachable high speed quad in the world. This unique two-way chair lift connects the base areas of Sugarbush North and South. It’s a 2.7-mile roller-coaster ride that traverses the rugged Slide Brook drainage area.

Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, Vt., has three high-speed detachable quads that can hit that magic mark of 1,100 feet per minute — the South Face Express, the Northstar Express and the Jackson Gore Express. Stowe’s Sensation Express high-speed quad also can be included in the discussion. At Jay Peak, the Flyer Express Quad is 7,500 feet long and can carry 2,400 people per hour.

In New Hampshire, Bretton Woods features an impressive network of high speed detachable quads, including the West Mountain Quad and Rosebrook Summit Quad, two of New England’s fastest. The Summit Express at Mount Sunapee and the Flying Yankee Express at Attitash Bear Peak are two others.

One of New England’s fastest and most awe-inspiring rides can be found at Wildcat Mountain in Pinkham Notch, N.H. Here, the Wildcat Express whisks riders from the base to the 4,062-foot summit in just over six minutes. The Wildcat Express, says Thomas Prindle, director of marketing and sales, is the fastest and longest detachable quad chair lift in New Hampshire and Maine — possibly the fastest in the Northeast.

At Gunstock Mountain Resort, the Panorama Quad has a slope length of 6,427 feet and it rises 1,300 feet vertically. It delivers passengers to the summit in less than 6½ minutes and has an overall capacity of 2,400 people per hour.

Sugarloaf/USA has two quads that average better than 1,000 feet per minute. The Superquad is 6,800 feet long and has a capacity for 3,000 skiers per hour. The Whiffletree Quad is 5,100 feet. Both are driven by 900-horsepower motors.

Speed isn’t everything

Obviously, resorts consider much more than speed when designing successful and efficient lift systems. Mad River Glen invested $1.54 million to restore its “old faithful” single chair. The “new” single, which was opened at the start of this ski season, has the identical lift capacity (500 skiers per hour) as it did in 1948.

“Of course, the more people you put on the lift, the more you have to put on the hill,” said Eric Friedman, Mad River Glen’s marketing director. “Mad River Glen takes a slightly different tack, preferring radically lower skier density over the occasional lift line. This ethos isn’t for everyone. Mad River Glen’s loyal clientele prefer to have the trails and woods to themselves along with the more authentic, down-to-earth experience that Mad River Glen is famous for.

”Similarly, when Sugarbush replaced its famed Castlerock Double, it did so with a new version of the same old chair, following the same chair spacing specs as the original lift to maintain low crowds. Today, more than ever, resort managers are weighing many factors when considering new lift installations.

“New lifts need to balance uphill capacity with the amount of available downhill ski terrain, said Julie Maurer, vice president of marketing and sales for Booth Creek Resorts, which owns and operates Waterville Valley and Cranmore in New Hampshire. “If you have a significant amount of popular acreage, then a high speed lift probably makes more sense. If you have a remote area that you want to savor the powder, or is a remote underutilized pod, then a fixed grip will make more sense both from an economic and ski experience standpoint.

”Out-of-base capacity lifts need to have maximum flexibility in capacity to help circulate skiers out of the base area quickly, Maurer explained. Beginner lifts need to have slow line speeds to help create an easy loading and unloading experience.

From the first high-speed six-passenger chair lift in the United States (the AmericanExpress in 1996) to a fleet of four “six packs,” Stratton Mountain Resort’s uphill capacity is virtually unrivaled, even by the world’s fastest chairs. “Adding Sunrise Express and Shooting Star in 2001 caused our skiers and riders to remark, ‘Wow, it’s 11 a.m. and I’ve already gotten 21,000 vertical,’” said Myra Foster, Stratton’s senior manager of marketing and communications.“It’s about moving skiers and riders around the mountain efficiently so they get more runs — and more fun.

And yes, sometimes it’s about slower and lower. We’ve added that 560-foot covered Magic Carpet to enhance the beginner experience.

The future of lifts

The chair lift has come a long way since 1948, and the progression isn’t about to stop anytime soon. What will thef uture of lifts look like?

Maurer said she sees lift installation shaving better adaptability to new situations. One such example is the “Chondola,” a combination chair lift with some gondola cars for flexible day/nigh tand year-round use. Also, expect to see more adaptability to use lifts for mountain biking and other mountain recreationa ctivities.

Maurer also anticipates technical improvements for maintenance, electronics, comfort and durability, “many things that the customer may not see but will help with the operations of the lift.” Also, new engineering to accommodate bending the lift lines more affordably. “Unfortunately, the number of manufacturers limits the competitive market, thus pricing on lifts is becoming very expensive,” she said.

Two companies manufacture nearly all the new lift installations worldwide: Doppelmayr/Garaventa and Leitner-Poma. Together, these companies have installed more than 20,000 lift systems in dozens of countries.

Two seasons ago, the Burke Mountain resort installed a Leitner-Poma high speed detachable quad that moves people at a speed of 1,000 feet per minute, which checks in among NewEngland’s fastest. But David Gwatkin, director of sales and marketing, is just as eager to boast about an old Poma lift.“I’ll tell you what,” says Gwatkin, “we have a surface lift we’re mighty proud of here. Burke Mountain’s Poma lift was installed in 1955-56, our first season as a ‘modern’ ski area. At the time, it was the longest lift in America, at just over a mile .I’m proud to say, some 52 years later our Poma still races our skiers to the top of Warren’s Way, noticeably outpacing our Willoughby Chair. You talk to the folks who were around then and are still skiing Burke today and they’ll tell you it was as much fun going up as it was coming down. Vintage speed!”

No guarantees

All the high-speed, high-capacity chairlifts in the world are no guarantee that you’ll get the most out of your skiing/riding day. Without a basic knowledge of the resort or a plan for the day, you might end up frustrated in lengthy lift lines, on terrain that doesn’t suit your abilities, or in lift lines that leave you wishing you stayed home.“Use daily grooming maps if the areas provide them,” Maurer recommended.“They will tell you what was groomed overnight, where snow was made, where terrain features are located.”Also, consider taking a free mountain tour if offered, especially if it’s your first visit to a particular resort. Visit the resort’s website, as most offer insider tips for maximum enjoyment and convenience. Take the time to consult the information hosts at the resort, and arrive early, as this usually ensures a better experience. While high-speed lifts are a great way to ski and ride more vertical than ever before possible, they’re also a great way to exhaust your legs. Scoot over to a fixed grip chair for a little rest between those high-speed runs. With the new lifts, sometimes it’s nice to have time to unbuckle the boots and have a chance to chat with a local.

Unless, of course, you’re hopping on the single chair at Mad River. In this case, a little time to yourself never hurts.