Improvements to Dollar Mountain are "on schedule" and will be complete in time for the 2007-2008 ski season, said Jack Sibbach, director of sales, marketing and public relations for Sun Valley Co.
On Monday, the company enlisted the services of a specially designed Kaman Aerospace K-1200 helicopter to assist in placement of the cross-assemblies atop the two new detachable Doppelmayr Uni-G quad lifts that will replace the Quarter Dollar and Dollar ski lifts.
The helicopter features double, twin-blade rotors designed for heavy lifting and for working in thin mountain air.
The two new lifts will run in the same general path as the existing lifts and will double the uphill passenger capacity of the old lifts.
The lifts will feature the latest in lift technology with new child-enhanced restraint bars, straps to enable children to lower the restraint bar, and tertiary as well as stand-by diesel engines to increase reliability.
Dollar Mountain is also being fitted with 27 new snowmaking guns, providing roughly 12 additional acres of snowmaking coverage. The guns, like the new lifts, are state-of-the-art, and feature technology significantly quieter than the guns used on Baldy, allowing snowmaking to expand closer to neighborhoods.
The guns, made by York Safyr, are similar to the size and appearance of the guns currently on Dollar and Baldy. The difference is the new York Safyr snow guns use a small 5-horespower, on-board compressor to spray water with less required air mixing. Snow guns on Baldy rely on a central compressor, forcing air across the mountain in pipes. The air is then mixed in the nozzle of each snow gun before being sent into the air.
On Dollar, the snow will deposit itself below the gun nozzle where it will be transported and groomed where it's needed most. Baldy's guns can deposit the snow over greater distances.
City of Sun Valley Community Development Director Mark Hofman took noise measurements in May that support York Snow's claims. The noise level directly under the tested snow gun read 75 decibels. Moving roughly 50 yards away the noise level fell to 65 decibels, a level just above that of a normal conversation. At roughly 100 yards the decibel level fell to 50.
Dollar Face will also receive terrain modifications, including subterranean rock blasting, rock removal and couture grading to allow for more frequent grooming operations in the areas known as Forbidden Fruit, Sheepherders and No Name.
The Elkhorn face of Dollar is also receiving additional snowmaking and ski run modifications on Elkhorn Lane, Elkhorn Bowl, Arrowhead, and Joint Venture. Similar to the areas to be renovated on Dollar Face, in seasons past the Elkhorn runs were used for ski operations only when substantial natural snowfall occurred—something the mountain sorely lacked last season.
Rock blasting is expected to be minimal, and earth removed will be used as filler to smooth and grade existing runs, Sibbach said.
On Monday, the new Doppelmayr Uni-G quad lifts take shape after a helicopter assists construction crews with the placement of cross-assemblies on Dollar and Quarter Dollar lifts. Photo by Willy Cook
