Mountain to open alternate chair lift
<p>A helicopter carries the pole of Tower Six to the WIllow Lot at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Friday morning. The tower was removed due to a slump in the ground that caused it to tilt.</p>
A heavy helicopter went to work Friday on Big Mountain, hauling off a leaning chair-lift tower from the area of a hillside slump because it was regarded as a hazard.
Chair One, the high-speed lift used for scenic rides and carrying mountain bikes to the mountain’s summit during the summer, was closed earlier this week due to the slump caused by saturated soils just above the base area.
The slump caused Tower Six to lean about six inches out of plumb, prompting the closure of the lift and the area around the tower, including the popular Danny On Trail.
To restore more activities on the mountain, Whitefish Mountain Resort is working to open Chair Two by July 2.
“At this time we do not know when or if Chair One and lift access to the summit will be available this summer,” Whitefish Mountain Resort President Dan Graves said. “Running Chair Two will be a nostalgic experience as the old T-bar ran up the same line in the 1950s with single chairs.”
A helicopter from Billings Flying Service made three flights hauling out a piece of lift equipment, then a lift cross arm and then the tower itself.
“Removing the tower allows us to reopen the Danny On Trail and mountain biking in the area,” said Riley Polumbus, the resort’s public relations manager.
“We removed the tower because we know we will need to be doing some work in the area,” she said. “We are still waiting on a solution. We have hydrologists, geologists, soil experts still analyzing the area.”
From Monday when the lift was closed through Wednesday, the slump “did grow significantly,” said Polumbus, noting it now is about 100 yards wide. “Since Wednesday it’s been more stable but it’s still pretty saturated.”
Opening Chair Two will restore mountain biking access to the upper mountain.
In 1950, 28 single chairs were added to the T-bar to allow for scenic lift rides in the summer. Now Chair Two is a detachable quad lift on the same route with 87 chairs, reaching the same summit as the original T-Bar.
Prices for round-trip lift rides will be $8 for adults or $5 for juniors and seniors. The lift is free for children 6 and under, adults 70 or older and 2011 winter season pass holders. One-way tickets are $4. The lift will be open at 10 a.m. and the last ride up will be at 5:30 p.m.
Prior to opening Chair Two, Whitefish Mountain Resort crews need to build ramps to allow pedestrians to load and unload at the bottom and top of the lift. Crews also need to build bike racks for the chairs.
Using Chair Two, mountain bikers will be able to reach the Big Mountain Summit Trail, which is not open to hikers. Tickets for bikes only are $13 for one ride, $18 for two rides or $23 all day. Tickets for juniors ages 7 to 12 and seniors ages 67 to 69 are $9 for one ride, $12 for two rides or $15 for all day.
Currently, Whitefish Mountain Resort has nearly 12 miles of mountain biking trails open on the lower mountain. Upper mountain biking trails including Runaway Train, The Shire Skills Park and the upper section of the Summit Trail are still closed due to slow and lack of lift access to the summit.
Trail crews are working to get the Summit Trail open below Chair Two by July 2.
The Summit Nature Center has been temporarily moved to the top floor of the Base Lodge, and it will open to the public today.
Activities not affected by the Chair One closure include the Alpine Slide, Zip Line tours and Walk in the Treetops. Chair 6 and Chair 9 are running and the Base Lodge Cafe and Base Lodge Bar are open.
This week, the resort completed an improvement project on the Zip Line known as “Heaven,” realigning the span and adding 125 feet in length and 30 feet in height.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.