While they are not spinning for all of us to use right now, our lifts are still making some trips around the bullwheel. One task that Lift Maintenance works on over the summer months is adjusting chairs (carriers) on the line. The grips that attach the chairs to the haul line allows them to have a small amount of movement up or down the line as needed over the winter months. This is usually less than a foot either direction. Over the summer (and when needed during the winter), the chairs are adjusted to their original spacing between other chairs by loosening the grip and sliding the chair as needed along the haul line. Grip and spring tests are conducted during this process as well.

Lift Maintenance utilizes paint on the line to mark the locations of where these carriers were moved to. This makes it easier to see future chair movement along the haul line. Yellow paint marks the carrier location and red paint marks the location of the tucks. As described in an earlier post, the tucks are where the strands of the haul rope come together. There are six different tucks spread out along the haul line where the two ends come together (One tuck for where each strand of the line is woven back into the haul rope). Spreading out these tucks makes for a good and strong haul rope. Look for these marks on your next ride up. Rest assured that the lifts are not simply sitting idle, but are indeed getting ready for next winter.