We're excited to announce that the all-new Holiday Quad Chair will be ready for eager new skiers and snowboarders to load just as soon as Summit Central opens for the season. The new chair recently passed load testing and the final steps in the preparation for opening are underway.

In a nutshell the load (acceptance) test is designed to test the chair's systems at 120% of full capacity before any passengers load the lift for the first time. These acceptance tests are performed per state requirements on all lifts periodically throughout their operational lives as well. The most interesting part of this test is surely the simple yet ingenius way of adding weight to each chair without placing any people on the lift. 

Each chair is loaded with cardboard boxes lined with garbage bags, then one-by-one each box is filled with the exact amount of water necessary to match the weight required by the load test. The process of filling each box is relatively slow. However, the process of emptying the boxes is relatively quick thanks to a small hole in the bottom back corner of each box that allows the bags to poke out when filled with water. A mechanice simply cuts each bag open as each chair rounds the top terminal and the water quickly releases. Typically a few chairs are left full to test the downhill side of the chair as well.

Testing is performed on each drive, including the primary, standby, and evacuation drive. As well as the brake system.

The upgrade from an old two-person chair to a brand new four-person Dopplemayr lift with easy loading conveyor system more than doubles the uphill capacity in one of the most congested areas at The Summit. That means a vastly improved experience on the mountain for new skiers, snowboarders, and their instructors.