The Development of South Mountain

The following pictures are being taken to show the progressive development of the Loon Mountain's South Mountain Expansion . . .

A view looking north down "Cruiser", the western most ski slope on South Mountain, into the town of Lincoln (the Common man in Lincoln is visible just above center).   This slope was cleared of trees and planted with grass about ten years ago and has been maintained in this condition ever since.   

This photo was taken from the Loon Mountain cross country ski trail known as the "Tote Road" (about a quarter of the way up South Mountain) looking north down the trail cleared for the new G-Lift.  The buildings in the background are in the town of Lincoln.  This new lift will be installed during the spring and summer of 2007.    

This photo was taken from the base of the new South Mountain Ski area looking to the south and up the mountain.  As you can see the trees have been cleared all the way to the top in preparation for construction of the new G-Lift.  It will be a detachable quad and will be the longest and most powerful lift in the Loon arsenal at 900 horsepower (as compared to the North Peak quad at 600 horsepower), and will lift skiers approximately 1,500 feet in elevation.  This lift will be known as the "Lincoln Express".

Survey completed locating the foundations of the stanchions for new "Lincoln Express" detachable quad chair lift! The survey marker visible in this picture can be seen in the center foreground (Note the orange tape).  The next step will be to excavate for the foundations, then construct the forms, assemble the rebar, and pour the concrete which will be done using a helicopter.  (Photo taken June 17th).

Two lifts will be constructed for skier access to the new South Mountain trail system.  The first is the new Lincoln Express detachable quad (also known as the G-Lift) that will transport skiers from the new South Mountain base area to the top of the mountain and the second is the connector lift which will enable skiers to go between the existing trail system at Loon and the new South Mountain trails.  This photo was taken of rebar for the connector lift located at the top of the mountain.  A helicopter will be used to pour the concrete as soon as forms are completed around the assembled rebar. (Photo taken July 1st).

As of Saturday, September 1st, the forms for all the lift towers on the "Connector Lift" and the "Lincoln Express" detachable quad had been completed.  A large construction type helicopter was scheduled to arrive on site Wednesday, September 5th, to begin pouring concrete into the completed forms.  The helicopter was capable of lifting 1 1/2 cubic yards of concrete (or 8,600 pounds) at a time.   Most of the tower foundations required approximately 2+ cubic yards of concrete except the terminal units which  required up to 40 cubic yards each.  The helicopter  picked up the concrete at the Loon parking lot and then flew to each tower form.  Cement trucks could not be used, even in the more level areas at the summit, due to the grades and presence of water bars on the road up the mountain.

The first truck load of parts for the new "Lincoln Express" quad chair lift (also known as the G-Lift) at South Mountain started to be received the week of June 4th and are being staged in the main parking lot at Loon.

Many more assemblies and parts have been delivered to the main Loon parking lot which is being used as a lay down area for the new South Mountain chair lifts.  Above are some chair frames. (Photo taken July 17, 2007).

Cutting trees for the new ski trails on South Mountain began March 12, 2007.  The apparatus being used for this is known as a "Tracked Feller Buncher", and is shown in this photo crossing the Loon Tote Road on South Mountain.  It is made by John Deer, and is similar to an excavator but instead of a bucket at the end of a hydraulic arm it has an assembly, at the bottom of which is a horizontal 36 inch diameter "saw blade" with which an operator can cut an 18 inch diameter tree trunk in less than a second.  Higher up on this assembly are several articulated arms which are used by the operator to hug one or more trees while they're being cut and then transport them to a lay down area.  This picture shows the unit holding onto a tree to relocate it where it will be tipped on it's side and then laid down in a stack on the side of the new trail.   Pretty nifty!

At the base of the "Tracked Feller Buncher" is this large three foot diameter "saw blade" assembly.   Actually it differs from a regular circular saw blade in that it is relatively massive.   It's about two inches thick (from top to bottom) and contains many sharp tungston/carbide cutting tools (which you can see in this picture).  The assembly spins at a very high RPM so that when the operator places the blade assembly against the base of a tree the  momentum produced by the high RPM flywheel effect  slices through the tree in less than a second!

This photo was taken Sunday morning, March 25, 2007, less than two weeks after tree cutting was initiated on the eastern most ski trail on South Mountain (as pictured above).   Note that all the trees have been cut and physically removed from the slope.  All that is left is to remove the stumps, grade the slope (note the double fall line), construct water bars, plant grass and pipe the slope for snow making.     

This picture was taken looking up the new South Mountain ski trail shown in the photo above and shows the extensive dynamite blasting work required to remove the double fall line evident in this particular section !  (Photo taken August 11, 2007)

This picture was taken looking north west down the new ski slope on the eastern side of South Mountain (pictured above).  This trail was initially cut between March 12th and March 25th. Two excavators plus one large bulldozer are working to remove the tree stumps and grade the slope to remove any "double fall line" effect (as shown in the picture above) that may be naturally present.  Work is proceeding from the base of the slope to the top.  (Photo taken June 24th).

The week of April 15th, 2007 dozens of flatbed trucks deliver miles of piping to a lay down area just west of the Children's center.    This pipe will be installed on the new South Mountain ski trails this summer for snow making.    

Photo of new South Mountain Basin Area.  The four excavators shown in this photo are working feverishly along with pipe fitters welding thousands of feet of snowmaking pipe to develop the new South Mountain Ski Trails.  Photo taken May 27, 2007.

New South Mountain base area starting to show signs of change with new construction !   Shown here are footings that have been poured for the new South Mountain base area lodge.  (Photo taken looking west on July 22, 2007).

The foundation for the new lodge at the South Mountain base area has been completed.  Grading and backfilling have yet to be done.  The unpaved roadway in the foreground is Crippled Mountain Road. 
(Photo taken looking west on July 29, 2007).

Walls and roof of the new South Mountain base area lodge partially constructed.
(Photo taken looking west on November 10, 2007).

The exterior is nearly complete.  Note the wooden deck and rail under construction on the right side of the lodge!
(Photo taken looking west on November 18, 2007).

The week of May 7, 2007 the relocation of the pipe to the new South Mountain base area began.  There the 40 foot lengths are welded together and then pulled up the new slopes.   In the picture to the right a half dozen 40 foot lengths have been welded together and pulled a quarter of the way up the new South Mountain ski trail Cruiser.  It has been left in a position close to where it will be permanently located.   Photo taken May 13, 2007.  

Other sections have been welded together and pulled up the new ski trail where they have been staged prior to final installation.  Photo taken May 13, 2007.

The long sections shown above are then carefully repositioned along the side of the ski slope, often behind a few feet of trees, close to their permanent position.  Here both a water and air pipe are shown winding there way up Cruiser.  The slope itself can be seen on the far left of the photo.

Large 12 inch diameter sections of steel snowmaking pipe twist there way up the mountain as if they were highly flexible but in fact must be temporarily held in place using the force provided by an excavator so they can be fitted and welded together.  Photo taken June 1 on Cruiser.

Snowmaking pipe for the new trail on the eastern most side of South Mountain is in the process of being installed!  This photo was taken looking down hill and to the north west.   (Photo taken June 30th).

Air and water hydrants are installed into the main supply lines running up the west side of each slope for snowmaking.  This picture taken looking up Cruiser, the western most slope.

The photo to the right was taken Wednesday morning, September 5th, as the crew of this large helicopter made preparations to lift concrete up to the new South Mountain lifts.   All but one of the forms for the lift tower foundations for both the "Connector Lift" and the "Lincoln Express" had been completed! 
(Photo taken September 5, 2007)

Construction helicopter with cable attached to underside approaches one of two buckets loaded with 8,600 pounds of concrete (buckets visible in lower left hand corner of photo) !
(Photo taken September 5, 2007)

Construction helicopter lifts 8,600 pound bucket of concrete from lawn behind Governor's Lodge and starts on flight up to the new South Mountain "Connector" lift !
(Photo taken September 5, 2007)

Photo looking up at construction helicopter carrying 8,600 pound bucket of concrete up to the new South Mountain "Connector" lift after gaining altitude !
(Photo taken September 5, 2007)

Helicopter positioning itself over new South Mountain "Connector" lift before dropping its load of concrete. The bucket containing the concrete is below the trees.  Notice the dust resulting from the downwash of the rotor blades !
(Photo taken September 5, 2007)

This picture was taken looking north east at the eastern most foundation of the new South Mountain "Connector" lift.  The concrete bucket is barely visible in this picture partially due to the extreme amount of dust created by the downwash from the helicopter !
(Photo taken September 5, 2007)

Lift towers and assemblies for the South Mountain "Connector" and "Lincoln Express" lifts were staged in the main parking lot at Loon by early Monday morning, October 22nd, waiting for the helicopter (located in the center of the picture above) to lift them into place.
(Photo taken October 22, 2007)

Right after day break preparations were completed and the helicopter lifted into position to pick up the first lift tower from the Loon parking lot.
(Photo taken October 22, 2007)

The lift tower was then carried up to the location of the "Connector Lift" on South Mountain which was completed first by shortly after noon, after which the helicopter ops concentrated on the "Lincoln Express" lift!
(Photo taken October 22, 2007)

Lift towers were carried up first alternated by the pulley assemblies which were carried up on every other flight. (First a lift tower was put in place and then the pulley assembly was placed on top of each lift tower.
(Photo taken October 22, 2007)
 

This photo shows the helicopter lowering a lift tower into place near the peak of South Mountain on the new "Lincoln Express" detachable quad chair.
(Photo taken October 22, 2007)

Helicopter lowering a pulley assembly onto a previously lowered lift tower near the peak of South Mountain on the new "Lincoln Express" detachable quad chair.
(Photo taken October 22, 2007)

Helicopter lowering the last pulley assembly onto tower completing the days work on both the "Connector Lift" and the new "Lincoln Express" detachable quad on South Mountain!
(Photo by Walter R taken October 22, 2007)

Once all the towers and pulley assemblies were set in place the erection of the new "Lincoln Express" drive assembly was started at the base of South Mountain and continues to this day !
(Photo taken November 4, 2007)

Crews started to pull the cable up the new South Mountain "Lincoln Express" chairlift.   Checkout the reel of cable located under the drive assembly just to the right of the truck which shows some cable has been reeled out on the left side of the reel but a considerable amount remains.  Looking up the mountain you can  see the morning sunlight reflecting off the cable as it starts to wind up and over the lift towers.
(Photo taken November 24, 2007)

Crews have nearly completed pulling the large lift cable up the new South Mountain "Lincoln Express" chairlift (checkout the blue reel of cable located under the drive assembly which has very little cable left on it), and are now ready to start splicing the cable.  Looking up the mountain you can still see the morning sunlight reflecting off the cable as it winds up and over the lift towers (note that the cable on the right side of the towers near the base has not been lifted up on the pulleys yet).
(Photo taken November 30, 2007)

"Flying Fifties" Winter 2007-08

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