June 11th 2012

On The Double: The East's Most Legit 2 Seaters

Much of the region's best terrain comes two at a time..
Words by Alex Kaufman l STE Online Editor
Photos courtesy of listed

(Reviving some of the winter's top stories this June)

While high speed quads might be great for pumping people or bagging a large count of park laps, the double chairlift is an iconic link to eastern skiing’s past as well as a reliable workhorse that accesses some of the gnarliest terrain in our Appalachians.
 
In a sample size of hundreds of votes on the Ski The East Facebook page, the skiers have spoken and created the definitive list of the most legit double chairs in the East. While the debate may go on, this list is pretty solid and 100% skier generated.
 
#1 Madonna 1 Chair at Smugglers Notch, VT
The longest double chair at a ski area of double chairs, Madonna 1, or M1 as it’s known climbs 2100 vertical feet and gained votes for the terrain it serves and a recent tower adjustment which decreased wind exposure. This lift delivers serious challenge, as well as classic winding cruisers with views of neighbor Stowe. It also helps to sell toe warmers. Doc’s, FIS and Liftline will test your mettle from the top. It’s a Hall style chair and was installed in 1963.
 


Smuggs M1 nabs the top spot. The sheer scope is obvious. (Smuggs photo)

#2 Red Chair at Magic Mountain, VT 
When your ski area has one primary chairlift and it’s a 1700 vertical foot double chair, you know it’s going to be important. Toss in a dose of shareholder pride (a la MRG) and you’re got Magic’s Red Chair. Spinning (not every year) since 1970 there’s nothing south of Killington in Vermont that deliver’s challenge like the Red Chair. Shareholder’s recently pooled funds to re-paint it for 2012 and when the snow is right, there's butts in every seat and many hoots from the woods.

Magic's Red Chair is a source of pride for all who ride her. (savemagic.com photo)

#3 Castlerock Chair at Sugarbush, VT
For decades there’s been discussion about installing snowmaking on Castlerock Peak. It never happened and Castlerock continues to hold a special spot in the Mad River Valley’s heart, trumped only by a certain single chair up the road. It may only operate when natural snow permits, but this means that the trails have never been widened for snowmaking and the base never gets that firm snowmaking underbelly. The Ski The East Freeride Tour arrives at Castlerock on March 10 for the Castlerock Extreme Challenge.


Wide chair spacing means more acres per skier. (Atkinson photo)

 
#4 Mittersill Chair at Cannon Moutain, NH
Shuttered in 1984, the Mittersill Ski Area has been given new life with the installation and opening of the 1650 vertical foot Mittersill Double as of January 1, 2011 as part of Cannon Mountain. The chair ran 80 days last winter and is offered as a “lift accessed backcountry area” that is deemed “extra hazardous” to dissuade the less than capable.  New chair opened on Jan 1, 2011. It ran 80 days last winter and does not see any snowmaking. 
 

Recently back on the lift served map at Mittersill. (Keeler photo)

#5 East Chair at Cranmore, NH 
Installed in 1955 and modified in 1969, the East Bowl Double is likely the oldest operating double chair in New England. As the “town-hill” of North Conway, NH, the East Bowl is the section of the mountain that does not face the village. 
 

The locals side of Cranmore. (Chairlift.org photo)

#6 Lookout Chair at Stowe, VT
Installed in 1979, the Lookout serves the skiers just south of the heralded Forerunner Quad on Mt. Mansfield and climbs 1750 feet. Many of the front four can be accessed from the Lookout. It can haul 1200 skiers per hour, but typically only sees a full load on weekends.


Morabito chomps the Lookout Liftline circa 2005 (C. Nelson James photo)

 
#7 Spillway Chair at Sugarloaf, ME (since been replaced)
The Spillway chair was actually two chairs. Spillway East was 1000 feet longer than West and had an extra 400+ vertical feet to it. East had a bad day last season and was removed over the summer. A fixed grip quad replaced both Spillway chairs and was opened on Dec 17, 2011.
 

The chair that was.. (Sugarloaf photo)

#8 (tie) Badlands Chair at Blue Mountain, ON
Installed in 1994 as a transplant from Okemo. It serves 290 feet vertical feet and services the Badlands Terrain Park. It was the only park double to make the list. The Summit Chair at Black Mountain, NH technically serves every acre of terrain on 1100 vertical feet. It was installed in 1965 and handles the annual speed dating event. 9 minutes to love.


Park laps in the fog (Blue Mountain photo)


Black Mtn NH's Summit Chair (Black Mtn photo)
 
#9 Way Back Machine at Mt. Abram, ME
This is the primary people mover at the recently gone very green ski area near the larger Sunday River. When the snow is right, the boundary to boundary policy is enjoyed to the fullest.
  

Are you authorized? (Mt. Abram photo)

#10 (tie) Sterling Chair at Smugglers Notch, VT serves the southernmost section of the mountain and allows skiers to access some popular sidecountry. The Rangeley Chair at Saddleback, ME
was installed in 1963 then lengthened and rebuilt in 2003 and delivers a vertical rise of 1177.

Rangeley Double (Saddleback photo)