It’s a thing of beauty!  The Tomichi Lift now has its carriers on the line and the electric drive motor is spinning them up and down the line. The crew from Skytrac will now turn to match marking the carriers on the haul line, installing seat pads, further alignment of the haul rope on the sheave wheels, and fine tuning the mechanical side of the lift drive system.  They will be working in conjunction with our Lift Maintenance  team to prep for our upcoming load test and licensing inspection by the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board and the USFS Ropeway Team.

The Tomichi Lift is named for several historical and geographical references in the area.  First and foremost, the Sawatch Mountains and the Monarch Pass area were originally inhabited by indigenous peoples thousands of years ago.  In recognizing those that came before us, we looked to honor their legacy.  The word Tomichi is believed to be a Ute word meaning “Of rocks and water”.  The Tomichi Dome also sits on the horizon line just to the west as does the Tomichi River valley, which runs all the way to the town of Gunnison where it joins the Gunnison River.

Many of the other trail names within No Name Basin also reference other significant points within the Tomichi Creek valley.  So, just as the Tomichi valley is the home of these other creeks, mining claims, and legendary stories that our trails are named for, the Tomichi Lift will be at the center of the No Name Basin experience.

We are so excited to be nearing the completion of the No Name Basin project and can’t wait to share it with all of you soon.