Terminals

The lower terminal of Swift Current 6 is coming along quickly. Over the last two weeks the detachment system, roof, and first tower were completed. The black wheels are what propels the chairs throughout the terminal after they have been detached from the haul rope, allowing for them to move at a slower speed than the rope. This then allows the lift to run at higher speeds once you are out of the terminal. Swift Current 6 will also have a height-adjustable loading carpet that moves skiers to the loading zone more quickly. The height adjustment allows lift operators to make loading children safer and easier.

Progress is being made on the upper terminal and chair barn. The structure of the terminal is starting to take form, including support for the rails where the chairs move once they are detached from the haul rope. The roof of the chair barn is close to completion and the components have arrived to begin building the automatic nightly storage system for the chairs.

Our teams have begun the process of pouring concrete for the upper and lower terminals. Over 380 yards of concrete will be poured over the next two months, providing structure for everything from the lift motor to the walls of the control room.

Work has begun removing the top terminal of the Swift Current high speed quad, and progress continues on the chair barn for the new lift. The updated location of the top terminal for Swift Current 6 allows these projects to move forward simultaneously.

Construction on the upper terminal of the new lift has resumed with the steel laid for the chair barn structure. Our team is currently working around the weather and snow that comes with Montana springtime. Plowing the road to get equipment to the top terminal site becomes an additional layer of planning on top of what can be managed with snow still on the ground. 

Due to uncertainty with the specialized supply chain involved in building Swift Current 6, COVID-19 lead us to postpone the construction of the new lift. Our team was not idle, however, taking advantage of an additional summer to ensure Swift Current 6 will be spinning for opening day of Winter 2021-22. The foundation of the new top terminal was poured, which was a huge accomplishment to be able to achieve ahead of a typically tight timeline for chairlift construction.

The foundation for the Swift Current chair barn was also poured last summer. The chair barn will house all 126 chairs every night, protecting them from weather and giving them a longer lifespan over the years. Chairs are automatically stored at night and reloaded onto the cable in the morning.