Meadow Mountain Haul Rope Replacement

September 6, 2023

If you look up while riding the Meadow Mountain Chairlift this winter, you will notice a brand-new Haul Rope (cable) carrying you up the mountain.  

The old Meadow Mountain Haul Rope was originally installed in 1993 when the lift was installed. While the old haul rope was still safe, during our inspections, we started to notice indications of wear on the rope. So, as part of our commitment to proactive maintenance, we replaced the haul rope. 

Haul Rope replacements, even on a small beginner lift, are large-scale projects involving many moving parts requiring skilled hands. Luckily, we have a fantastic crew and brought in some incredible help, including JP Stanek, our previous Mountain Manager with Steve Spencer, the previous owner/operator of Blacktail Ski Area, conducting the splice. 

To replace the haul rope, it requires un-coiling strands on 60 feet of each end of the new rope. This connection becomes the “marriage” of the rope. Using the 60 feet of un-coiled strands, we begin to re-wrap the strands and tuck them into the rope. With Steve’s expertise, no one will know where the “marriage” or tucks are. We are left with a seamless rope that will transport thousands of skiers for years to come! 

The chairs are back on the lift, and we will be testing over the next couple of weeks ensuring Meadow Mountain is ready well before ski season.