We are now in mid-February, and the skiing and riding is great at Solitude! Recent storms have improved conditions and allowed us to open most of our trails. This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of our lift Mechanics and the rest of the ops team. And more snow is on the way.
Solitude has 1200 acres of fun and exciting terrain, reachable by eight chairlifts of varying types and carrying capacities. Our chairs are sophisticated pieces of machinery that require regular maintenance and repair. Performing this difficult job is our talented team of 12 lift mechanics.
Our lift mechanics arrive at 6:30 a.m. daily and do pre-operational checks on the lifts to get them ready for the day. Mechanics are then on-mountain for the entire day and sometimes into the evening, responding to any issue that might arise with the lifts.
Our mechanics are busy in winter, when summer arrives, they get even busier. Summer maintenance begins as soon as the winter season ends. Chairs are pulled from lifts, bearings are checked, lines are pulled from towers, and assemblies are greased. Work does not stop until lifts open for winter once again.
Every summer our mechanics conduct non-destructive testing on 20% of the chairs as well as the grips that hold them to the lines. Chairs are carefully disassembled in our workshop and checked for cracks in a special darkroom, then reassembled.
Before we open for winter, our lifts undergo inspections from multiple engineers, including representatives from the State of Utah and the Forest Service. Inspections occur every year for every lift and must be completed before lifts are allowed to operate for the season.
Working on chairlifts requires hands-on experience as well as specialized training. Alterra works with Colorado Mountain College to provide special training sessions for our mechanics. Training takes place online and in Leadville, Colorado. Solitude is currently working with Ski Utah and Salt Lake Community College to create a local program to train mechanics.
Thank you to our hardworking, talented lift mechanics for keeping guests moving uphill at Solitude!
The Red Wagon, by Coca-Cola
Our popular food truck is back! Now stationed near the base of Eagle Express, The Red Wagon, by Coca-Cola features gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, chicken tenders, fries, and more. Visit The Red Wagon, by Coca-Cola, Friday through Sunday for a refreshing Coke and a quick bite on the hill. Relax on the picnic tables and enjoy great views of Eagle Express and the surrounding slopes.
Presidents’ Day Weekend
Another major winter holiday is upon us, and we have lots of fun stuff coming your way. Presidents’ Day weekend events include our Soliparks Steel Showdown rail jam on Saturday, featuring jumps and jibbing outside of Last Chance Lodge. Inside Last Chance Lodge we’ll have our popular magic show and lasagna dinner.
Our signature torchlight parade and fireworks show is not to be missed on Saturday evening. After the show, check out the grand opening of The Sluice Box, our newest 21+ venue, located on the second floor of Last Chance Lodge.
Other activities include a special steeps clinic being offered through our Ski & Ride School and live music at The Thirsty Squirrel.
A couple weeks out from now, we have another edition of Nordic Nights, where you can Nordic ski and snowshoe by torchlight. Our 100th Day Donuts celebration is next Wednesday, Febuary 19. Ikon Pass holders, make sure to arrive early on February 23rd when we start spinning lifts at 7:30 a.m.
To catch up on previous Amber’s Updates, visit https://blog.solitudemountain.com/category/ambers-updates/