Oldest Ski Lift In The U.S: Black Mountain: J-Bar скачать в хорошем качестве

Oldest Ski Lift In The U.S: Black Mountain: J-Bar

The title of the oldest overhead cable lift in the country is debatable but it most likely goes to the J-Bar at Black Moutain. It was not always a J-Bar. When it was installed in 1935 it was a rope tow built by Moody's Inn to service a small ski hill. Around 1937 shovel handles purchased from Sears were installed on the rope tow to make it easier to ride, although the shovel handles were very small and could only fit one hand. In 1954 the shovel handles were replaced with simple J bars without any modern equipment like springboxes. Without springboxes it can be a little difficult if you've never ridden a surface lift before. During that same time, the towers were replaced with metal I beams. The counterweight was also moved from the bottom vault drive to a new top return. As Black Mountain expanded the J-Bar was left in its own area becoming a lift with little purpose. In the 1970s and 80s, it was used to drag snow tubes up for a tubing hill. As of 2019 it rarely runs and is only kept for historical purposes. The J-Bar uses very primitive technology that is actually very effective. The drive is inside a wooden building. It is driven by a small electric motor that is very quiet. Instead of having a slow button there is a shovel handle attached to a cord that lowers a piece of an old railroad track to act as a clutch to slow it down. There is a tall tower on top of the drive building that an operator can climb into. From there they can view the top and slow the lift down with another shovel handle clutch if needed. It is a very cool old lift. Special shoutout to Joe Russo and lift operations at Black Mountain. I sent them an email to ask if these lifts could possibly run midweek for me to film. When I got there I was welcomed and got a full tour of the J-Bar drive building and got to view all the operating records. I got to learn how all of the technology functions and so on. I even got a shoutout in the snow report. I am really thankful that this got to happen. I will never forget that day!