Bubble Blog: Ready to Fly!
Since the last bubble update we have completed the load test, built the loading and unloading ramps and passed our inspection with the State of Vermont.
The load test is a pretty cool operation. We used a bunch of barrels (which happened to be blue; weird) and filled them with water to simulate the weight of passengers on the chairs.
As the lift spins with the barrels on the chairs our operators keep a close eye on the many gauges and switches to make sure everything is functioning properly. After a bunch of rotations at different speeds and no snafus, the load test was complete and everything checked out.
The loading gates at the bottom terminal have been put into place. There are six gates and they will open two at a time as the bubble chair gets into the bottom terminal for ease of travel for skiers and riders to get to the loading area.
They are directly connected to sensors that tell the gates when a chair has entered the bottom terminal and how fast that chair is going so the timing of when the gates open is always spot on.
Our lift operators have been practicing the procedure for launching the bubble chairs out of the storage barn and they have it dialed in. I was watching them do this the other day and it is a pretty well choreographed process.
The terminal actually buzzes every time it’s ready to have the next chair be launched onto the haul rope to ensure the spacing is correct. Even if the spacing is off a bit from when the chair was launched, the lift will automatically correct the spacing before the chairs exit the top terminal. Seriously, the Bluebird Express is wicked smaaaaht!
We took the shrink wrap off the bubbles a few days ago and they look sooooo good! Wait until you see this thing in operation (which will be soon); it is truly a sight to behold.
So, the Bluebird Express is ready to fly! Now we just need the cold temperatures to continue so we can keep flexing our snowmaking muscle and get this place open for skiing and riding. Keep checking the snow report for the most up-to-date info on opening day and our celebration of the First Flight of the Bluebird Express. Until then, be sure those skis and boards tuned up and get stoked! Winter will be here soon, I promise.
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i am an engineer and love to spend my time riding MT Snow every year. i cant wait to check this thing out but im dieing to know how do you keep the glass from fogging up or icing over
They are stored in the barn every night, so the weather will not affect them.
What do that control panels and inside the terminals look like? I can only imagine all the features it has!!
Cant believe its almost here! Have been waiting too long!
just curious what you plan on doing to prevent people putting there annoying stickers all over the bubbles?
we have a camera system in place so that we can catch people vandalizing the bubble, which will bring a $3000 fine as well as an escort by west dover PD and possibly a lifetime ban from mount snow.
Everything looks great! Did you guys ever post videos about stringing the haul ropes, setting up the terminals, etc? Anything about getting the first chairs loaded on and the initial tests? I’ve been religiously checking but haven’t seen anything!
I grew up skiing at Mount Snow when the Summit Local was called Summit Triple (with a midstation), the Grand Summit Express was a gondola (and called the Yankee Clipper when it was switched to a quad). Also loved that Standard double chair! I was away for years but skiied at Mt Snow last year for the first in 10 years, so many changes! Anyway, can’t wait to get up there this season!
Bring on the snow!
I’m really excited that the BlueBird Express is finaly done and it feit like 8
months. I can’t wait to ride it for the first time in my life. yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can’t wait
Just wondering…at the end of the day, do you have to reverse the lift to take the chairs off, or does the arm that links the chair to the barn move for adding/removing the chairs?
We could, but we don’t because it bypasses the mechanisms that open and close the bubbles when we run the lift in reverse, we need the bubbles open to store them as well as the lift will only run at 500 feet per minute in reverse and we have gotten to be able to launch at 700FPM, so far. Look back at the last picture and you see two chair rails coming into the barn, one for putting them on and one for off.
does anyone remember the old buble chairs that mt snow had in the late 70s they were great never did figer out what happened to them
I believe the old “golndola” lift was where the Summit Quad is now.
Broke down in 1987 and then I guess they put the quad in. at this link you can see a family riding it the same year it broke down… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6UX0cD8qKM
Enjoyed doing the evacuation’s for lift 17!!!!
OMG! SO CAN’T WAIT! I HOPE THAT I CAN GET UP THERE THIS YEAR!
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.
Great job everyone, can’t wait to ride the Bluebird Express. I rode a bubble chair at Zauchensee in Austria, my friends were all on my right, so thats where my focus was. Nearly fell off when I looked to my left and saw a dog sitting next to me! When it’s owner got off, the dog pulled him on his skis over to a nearby restaurant. Watch out Mount Snow I have two labs just dying to take a ride!
we can’t wait to ride the bluebird express. we look at the pictures and we are eager to experience the trip up the mountain. bring on the snow right now!
that gonna be sweet
I can not wait for snow the mount snowbstaff has done a wonderful job all we need is mother nature to cooperate
did this replace the old summit triple or the clipper?
[...] was I ready to go to the top? I made my way over to the Bluebird Express, the new 6 passenger Bubble Lift. It was mid week so I sat alone in the warm, semi enclosed lift and headed to the top. Once I [...]
[...] was I ready to go to the top? I made my way over to the Bluebird Express, the new 6 passenger Bubble Lift. It was mid week so I sat alone in the warm, semi enclosed lift and headed to the top. Once I [...]