Bogus Basin is getting two BIG mountain upgrades this year. We’re replacing the Coach Chairlift (originally Deer Point Chairlift, installed in 1980) and the 50-year-old Bitterroot chairlift with two brand-new, fixed-grip quad chairlifts from SkyTrac! Your community Mountain Operations team started this extreme effort in the spring of 2024, first removing the historic Coach and Bitterroot chairs, cables, towers, and other equipment. This effort cleared the way for the installation of the new Skytrac lifts.
Cable Splicing on The Coach Chairlift
Fast-forward to September 2024 – we’ve just spliced the cables on the Coach Chairlift, one of the final steps in the brand-new chairlift’s assembly.
What is Chairlift Cable Splicing
Chairlift cables, or haul ropes, are thick steel wires that carry the chairs and passengers to the top of the mountain. These heavy, durable cables are composed of six strands of metal wire wrapped around a durable plastic core.
Image: Shutterlock
Cable splicing is the process of joining the ends of the haul rope to form a continuous loop. This is done by carefully unraveling and interweaving the individual strands from each rope end to create a seamless and secure connection. The spliced section of the cable must be just as strong as the rest of the rope to withstand the tension and weight of the lift in motion.
Installing a new haul rope is a complex task that requires a coordinated effort from a 10-plus-person team led by expert cable specialist Jorg Tonett.
Jorg is one of 4 cable splicers in the USA. The profession is highly specialized, and they are busy all summer long, replacing and installing new cables around the nation.
The Process
The first step in the cable splicing of the Coach Chairlift is pulling the new haul rope through the lift’s infrastructure. Crews guided the new rope onto the bull wheels and sheave trains, which are the wheels on top of each tower that support the haul rope as it moves along the lift line. Once the cable is in place, the team meticulously adjusts it to the proper tension. This is a precise process, as too much slack can negatively impact the cable’s course, while a too-tight rope may lift off the sheave wheels during movement, potentially disrupting the system. Achieving the right balance is crucial for a smooth, safe operation.
When the haul rope is in line, it’s time to combine it into one continuous loop- this is referred to as the ‘splice’ or the ‘marriage’! To do this, the team clamped and untwisted the six tail strands of each end of the cable. The plastic core is removed and replaced with one of the metal strands from the other end of the rope for the length of the splice. Each strand is cut and tucked into place as another is braided into the core until a seamless overlap of 160 ft is complete!
Want to see more? Check out this video from Sunday River!
Next steps
After the new haul rope is in place, we’ll mount the chairs on the brand-new Coach chairlift! We can’t wait to ride on the brand-new Coach chairlift, and Coach’s Corner run with y’all this season!
About Bogus Basin Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is a 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to engaging the community to provide accessible, affordable, and fun year-round mountain recreation and education. Opened in 1942, Bogus Basin offers 2,600 acres of daytime skiable terrain, and 200 acres for night skiing; eleven lifts and three people-mover carpets; an 800-foot tubing hill. The Nordic Center offers 37 kilometers of groomed trails. Environmental education and community outreach programs serve over 20,000 individuals annually, primarily youth. Summer activities include the Glade Runner, a 4,251 foot mountain coaster, The Mine Shaft Challenge course, mountain biking, events, hiking and chairlift service for hike and bike transport. Bogus Basin is located 16.5 miles north of Boise, Idaho and operates under a special use permit with the Boise National Forest. www.bogusbasin.org
