More than a dozen new lift towers soared into place Tuesday at Brundage Mountain Resort, as a Blackhawk helicopter flew more than 50 laps to install key pieces of the new Centennial Express high-speed detachable quad.

The footage captures the dynamic ballet of precision aerial maneuvers and heavy-lift operations required to install towers along a 5,796 foot span with a 1,636 foot vertical rise.

Crews from Sandpoint, Idaho-based Timberline Helicopters worked closely with the Doppelmayr and Brundage Mountain operations crews during the one-day installation session.

“Communication is absolutely crucial in a project like this,” says Brundage Mountain Director of Mountain Operations, Dustin Johnson. “Hand signals from the ground crew to the pilot are essential for precise placement of all components, so being able to manage things like rotor wash to keep dust down is hugely important.”

The 16 new towers weigh between 6,500 and 12,000 lbs. each and each tower and assemblies must be flown in three to five separate sections in order to stay under the helicopter’s weight limit.

Members of the Doppelmayr installation crew secured each piece as it was expertly positioned by the highly-skilled pilot. Ground crews bolted the tower bases into concrete pads that were poured earlier this summer, then climbed the bottom sections of the towers to fasten them together with higher sections. After those pieces were secured, the sheave assemblies were flown in and attached to the top of the towers.

The lead pilot on this job, Brian Jorgenson, is working on more than a dozen lift installations this summer alone. He also installed Brundage Mountain’s Bear and Lakeview lift infrastructure back in 2007.

“Those fixed-grip lifts were some of the first lift installations Brian ever did, so he was excited to return after all these years,” says Johnson. “Brian and his team have installed 90% of the new chairlifts that have been built in the West over the past 15 years, so in spite of the inherent risks of aerial operations, we knew we were working with one of the best in the business.”  

What’s Next:

Installation of the top and bottom terminals is already well underway. Cables and comm lines will be installed by Doppelmayr, along with 92 four-seat carriers. Work is on track for the lift to be in use for the upcoming 2023-24 winter season.

ABOUT THE NEW HIGH-SPEED CHAIRLIFT

The new Doppelmayr chairlift is a high speed, detachable quad. It will have a vertical rise of 1,636 feet and will offer a swift, six-minute ride from base to top terminal.

“Upgrading the Centennial lift to a high-speed quad cuts down on ride time, makes the loading experience significantly smoother, and will make some of our best terrain much easier to access,” says Brundage Mountain General Manager, Ken Rider.

The location of the new bottom terminal has been shifted slightly uphill from the location of the old bottom terminal to streamline skier and snowboarder traffic and provide for a better flow during the loading process.

The new lift – a Dopplmayr 4CLD – is what’s known as a top drive, bottom tension lift.  This is the industry standard for the most energy efficient way to engineer a ski lift. It features a Doppelmayr UNI-G terminal, which is a universal terminal design installed in most high-speed detachable lifts over the past 15 years. The universal design guarantees the availability of replacement components for the entirety of its service.

“Upgrading our lift infrastructure to include two high-speed quads in the base area gives us more flexibility and redundancy for moving people up the mountain, which is especially important on busy days and during challenging weather conditions,” says Rider.

CENTENNIAL BY THE NUMBERS:

Vertical Rise:

Old lift: 1,637

New lift:1,636

Distance:

Old lift: 5,905

New lift: 5,796

Ride Time:

Old lift: 16 minutes

New lift: 6 minutes

Uphill Capacity:

Old lift: 1,200 people per hour at 450 feet per minute

New lift: 1,800 people per hour at 1,000 feet per minute

Towers:

Old lift: 21 towers

New lift: 16 towers

Old towers: Weigh 5,000 – 5,800 lbs.

New towers: Weigh 6,500 – 12,000 lbs.

New towers range in height from 25’ to 55’. They are 22” – 32” in diameter.

Carriers:

Old lift: 169 three-seat carriers

New lift: 92 four-seat carriers

New carriers weigh about 550 lbs. each

The investment in the new Centennial Express high speed detachable is a significant part of Brundage Mountain Resort’s comprehensive 10-year improvement plan, which began after an ownership change in November of 2020. Other key improvements at the independently owned and operated resort include expanded recreational opportunities during winter and summer, new base area facilities, and the resort’s first ski-in/ski-out lodging in its 62-year history. Learn more.