Throne Traverse Construction Project

40 year old chair lifts that increasingly break down and occasionally (chair2) have random chairs fall off. Repairs were made last spring at the expense of 2-3 more weeks of lift ski season but a real overhaul is still needed.

Outside of a few places at Mission Ridge, the top of 6 is without a doubt the rockiest stretch of in bounds I've skied in WA.

Chair 6 has had a couple chairs do the mystery drop too.
Just a lot of bandaids put on an already cracked dike.

Part of the reason 6 is so rocky as you probably know is that the wind can rip that ridge and peal all the snow off. Just the same as it takes all the snow it can reverse and deposit tons of snow on the trail. It's give and take all the time up there.

The new used rebuilt motor I hear they are installing on 6 will do the trick for sure Joe.   Whats your problem man, they just put new seat covers on it like last season or maybe the one before.  That chair is the powder stash, you never know when it will stop and drive the crowd away to save the bounty for later in the day or week depending on what broke.  The icicles and snow falling on the people waiting to load is sweet.  The best part about Ch6 is it always opens faster than Ch2 at Alpental after the patrol gives the "just 30 more minute" line.

I like the cluster too and I take offence to this "fixing" as its called.  One mans bump and compressions is another mans takeoff and landing its all this turning that gets everone in trouble.

But on a more serious note I've seen worse crashes on the groomed traverse to right angle just before teddy bears or the snorting elk traverse.  They groom the night before or morning of, add some wind rolls and low visibility, good skiers have ended their season on those "groomed" trails.  Its nice and smooth till its not, if its always crappy you expect it.

But on a more serious note I've seen worse crashes on the groomed traverse to right angle just before teddy bears or the snorting elk traverse.  They groom the night before or morning of, add some wind rolls and low visibility, good skiers have ended their season on those "groomed" trails.  Its nice and smooth till its not, if its always crappy you expect it.

For me the issue is not crashes but purely economic. I don't want to bust up my very expensive skis. But risk of doing so has never kept me from going up there.

From the first post on this thread almost a year ago: "For those of us who endured the unpleasantness of the rock strewn p-tex necessitating traverse to the South Back recently and in the past, relief may be coming soon."

and the Rationale for Decision..."While accessing these areas, skiers and boarders sometimes are doing so at risk to themselves and to their equipment as well as causing intrusions into Mt Rainier National Park in an effort to find easier access." Decision Memo, page 4

Can't wait and it will be great.

"Can't wait and it will be great."

Does anyone know if this going to happen this year?

"Can't wait and it will be great."

Does anyone know if this going to happen this year?

No. And likely won't happen for a couple more years when they replace chair 6.

Unfortunately the new chair will likely bring the groomer road out to the south back gate