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One of the chairlift towers is delivered by helicopter Sunday morning as part of the Chair 5 relocation to the East Rim from Ptarmigan Bowl at Whitefish Mountain Resort. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
A helicopter flies the final chairlift tower into place for Chair 5 Sunday morning near the bottom terminal located close to the intersection of Russ’s Street and Moe-Mentum on the East Rim of Whitefish Mountain Resort. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
Crews guide one of the chairlift towers as its delivered by helicopter Sunday morning as part of the Chair 5 relocation to the East Rim from Ptarmigan Bowl at Whitefish Mountain Resort. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
A helicopter flies a chairlift tower Sunday morning to the East Rim at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Chair 5 is being relocated from Ptarmigan Bowl to the East Rim as part of a $1.2 million project aimed at improving skier access in the area. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
One of the chairlift towers is delivered by helicopter Sunday morning as part of the Chair 5 relocation to the East Rim from Ptarmigan Bowl at Whitefish Mountain Resort. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
A helicopter flies a chairlift tower Sunday morning to the East Rim at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Chair 5 is being relocated from Ptarmigan Bowl to the East Rim as part of a $1.2 million project aimed at improving skier access in the area. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
A helicopter delivers a chairlift tower Sunday morning to the East Rim at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Chair 5 is being relocated from Ptarmigan Bowl to the East Rim as part of a $1.2 million project aimed at improving skier access in the area. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
Standing on top of one of the chairlift towers for Chair 5, two crew members grab onto a sheave wheel being delivered by a helicopter. A helicopter Sunday morning flew chairlift towers to the East Rim at Whitefish Mountain resort as part of the relocation of Chair 5 from Ptarmigan Bowl. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
A helicopter flies a chairlift tower Sunday morning from the staging area to East Rim at Whitefish Mountain Resort for the relocation of Chair 5 from Ptarmigan Bowl. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
The bottom terminal for Chair 5 in its new location on the East Rim at Whitefish Mountain Resort is located close to the intersection of Russ’s Street and Moe-Mentum. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
The crew guides one of the chairlift towers into palce as its delivered by helicopter Sunday morning as part of the Chair 5 relocation to the East Rim from Ptarmigan Bowl at Whitefish Mountain Resort. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
A helicopter flies a chairlift tower Sunday morning to the East Rim at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Chair 5 is being relocated from Ptarmigan Bowl to the East Rim as part of a $1.2 million project aimed at improving skier access in the area. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
High fives were passed around Sunday morning after crews finished securing ski towers from Chair 5 at its new location on the East Rim at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
For about three hours a helicopter flew the 13 ski towers, crossarms and sheave wheels from the staging area up to the East Rim, where the towers were lowered and then secured by a ground crew. The relocation of Chair 5, which was announced by the resort in January, is a $1.2 million project aimed at improving access for advanced and intermediate terrain.
The project is expected to be complete by the winter season for the resort’s 70th anniversary season. The resort is set to open on Dec. 7.
“We have the rest of the fall to get it up and ready,” Riley Polumbus, spokesperson for the resort, said. “The plan is to have it ready to go for opening day.”
Chair 5 was previously located on Ptarmigan Bowl where it had not operated since the 2014-15 season. It was first installed on the mountain in 1981.
Moving the lift to the East Rim will offer skiers an alternate access to north side terrain and ease volume on Chair 1, as well as mitigate the traverse from the east side terrain along Russ’s Street back to Chair 1.
Polumbus said the lift should provide improved access, particularly early and late in the ski season.
“That’s when the snow isn’t as good on the lower portion of the mountain,” she said. “This should open up more options to keep skiers up top. It’s a great area and it doesn’t get skied as often, but this should make it easier to spend some time there.”
Dismantling of the lift began this spring. Improvements for the lift include a new electric motor, drive, braking system and hydraulic tension system, as well as a rebuild of the gear box and restraining bars for chairs.
Now that the towers are in place, to complete the installation the cable for the lift will be spliced, the chairs hung, load testing performed and inspection completed.
The bottom terminal is located near the intersection of Russ’s Street and Moe-Mentum, and the top terminal is west of Don’s Descent on the East Rim.
Skiers will be able to access the bottom of the lift from “Inspiration Ridge” via the No Name run and the North Bowl area as well as from Flower Point via One Grand Parade and Russ’s Street and everywhere in between. From Chair 5, skiers will be able to access the East Rim, North Bowl and North Side Chairs 7 and 11 and T-Bar 2.
Chair 5 includes 110 chairlifts, has an 804-foot vertical rise, has a length of 2,388 feet and a capacity of 1,750 users per hour.
The lift will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
For more information, visit www.skiwhitefish.com.