North Conway, NH – CranmoreMountain in North Conway will hold a “Going Away Party” on Sunday to mark the retirement of its East Double Chairlift, which is being replaced with a triple chairlift to be installed in time for the winter 2012-13 operating season. The East Double Chairlift was installed in 1955 and is the oldest operating double chairlift in New England. The East Slope has been a highlight of the Cranmore ski experience for almost 60 years.
The East Chair, known for its bright red lift chairs, is a favorite among Cranmore skiers and ski history aficionados alike. The public is invited to ride the East one last time beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. Skiers are welcome to reminisce about their favorite days on the East, take a few runs, than meet at the Meister Hut at 9 a.m. when ski historian Tom Eastman will give a short presentation on the history of the East Chair. Cranmore President and General Manager Ben Wilcox will then talk about the new triple chair being installed in its place.
The going away party will also give East Chair fans a chance to sign up for a waiting list to purchase one of the 60 chairs from the lift later this summer.
The new fixed-grip triple chairlift was purchased from Wachusett Mountain ski area in Massachusetts. It will have an increased vertical in a new location on the south side of the mountain, adding 300 vertical feet compared to the East Double by moving the lift’s base down the hill to the Tommy’s Trail area, increasing the trail count serviced by the new lift from three to nine. The new lift will be slightly longer than the East Double but has the same number of chairs. The new lift will have 11 towers where the existing lift has nine.
“We are excited to be adding this new triple in to the mix here at Cranmore. Due to the age of the East Double, there are no longer parts available to purchase so upgrade options have also become difficult without major retrofitting,” explains Wilcox. “This new triple will provide a new experience for our guests who will now find it worthwhile to stay in the East Slope area of the mountain longer, especially during busy days.”
The upgrade of the lift is part of a $1.3 million investment being made at Cranmore this summer, on top of the $7 million in improvements that Cranmore has seen in the last 18 months under new ownership announced in June 2010. In addition to the new triple lift, Cranmore will be installing a new 700-foot zip line for its summer Mountain Adventure Park operation reopening for the season Memorial Day weekend.