Magic Mile
Encyclopedia
The Magic Mile is an aerial chairlift
at Timberline Lodge ski area
, Mount Hood
, Oregon
, U.S.
It was named for its unique location above the tree line and for its original length. When constructed by Byron Riblet
in 1938, it was the longest chairlift in existence, the second in the world to be built as a passenger chairlift, and the first to use metal towers.
There have been three instances of the Magic Mile chairlift at Timberline. The first existed from 1938 until 1962. The second from 1962 through 1992. The existing chairlift has operated since 1992.
s and copious and dense snow challenge lift crews to keep the lift open. Procedure is to close the lift if winds exceed 50-60 mph or dense fog reduces visibility below approximately 25 feet (7.6 m). These conditions close the Mile approximately 40% of winter days.
Construction of the original Magic Mile began in mid-1938 and finished late 1939.
As the Riblet company's first chairlift, the design strongly resembled the company's previous efforts building aerial trams for mining material transport.
Construction of the chair complemented the opening of Timberline Lodge in February 1938. The first magic mile chair loaded passengers on November 17, 1939 and was dedicated by the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway
(later King Olaf
). A portable rope tow was erected for the previous season (1938-1939) , and remained in operation for at least several years.
The original chairlift was a single: each chair held one rider, but there were many chairs on the rope. The ride took 11 minutes and carried 225 passengers per hour. It was as popular a summer tourist attraction then as it is now.
The lift line was situated slightly east of the present chair. The upper bullwheel
was inside Silcox Hut
, which is 212 m (700 ft) ESE and 40 ft (12.2 m) lower in elevation. The bottom was east of the lodge about 377 m (1236 ft, one quarter mile) ENE at essentially the same elevation as the present chair.
Timberline Lodge shut down for World War II
and struggled financially through the 1940s and early 1950s. Mounting disrepair, vandalism, neglect and unpaid taxes closed it February 17, 1955 at which time the Magic Mile was nonfunctional. The lodge reopened late that year under Richard Kohnstamm's management. The Mile was made functional again, and in the following summer, ski racing camps began.
By 1962, the Magic Mile had long been a challenge to maintain. The operator of Timberline had succeeded in making the lodge financially viable, and so removed the Mile and built a new double Riblet
-made chairlift at the present location. It featured a midway station for loading and unloading. Midway unload allowed chairlift operation when conditions closed the upper mountain. The midway load was useful for mid-to-late summer skiing when little snow remained on the lower mountain.
The ride would have taken about the same time, at 10 to 12 minutes, but tighter chair spacing and two riders per chair made the capacity about 800-1000 per hour.
The bottom of the Mile was placed at the west side of the lodge for easy lodge access, and for skier convenience from the top of the Pucci chairlift, which was installed in 1956.
The Palmer chairlift, which opened July 1, 1980, was situated for convenient skier and snowboard transport from the top of the Mile. The Palmer was upgraded to a high speed quad in 1996.
The current chairlift named Magic Mile was upgraded from a fixed grip double to a detachable high speed quad
in 1992, but is slightly longer at 5500 feet (1,676.4 m).
The midway station was removed, and the top station is slightly higher than its predecessor.
This Poma
-built chair has a capacity of 3,000 passengers per hour, but is operated at 1,600 passengers per hour, with a ride time of just under 6 minutes.
The use of a detachable chairlift significantly reduces maintenance needed to clear the haul rope. When inclement weather is expected, the chairs are removed and stored in the lower lift house. The rope runs at low speed to prevent the buildup of snow and ice. The chairs are redeployed in an automatic operation which takes about 30 minutes.
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
at Timberline Lodge ski area
Timberline Lodge ski area
Timberline Lodge ski area is the ski and snowboarding area of Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark in the U.S state of Oregon. It is one of a few ski lodges in the United States with most of the skiable terrain below the main lodge...
, Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
It was named for its unique location above the tree line and for its original length. When constructed by Byron Riblet
Riblet
The Riblet Tramway Company was once the largest ski chairlift manufacturer in the world.The Riblet Tramway Company was founded by Byron Christian Riblet. Riblet was born in Osage, Iowa, in 1865 and earned a...
in 1938, it was the longest chairlift in existence, the second in the world to be built as a passenger chairlift, and the first to use metal towers.
There have been three instances of the Magic Mile chairlift at Timberline. The first existed from 1938 until 1962. The second from 1962 through 1992. The existing chairlift has operated since 1992.
Common characteristics
The loading station of all three chairlifts are or were located near the lodge at 5,950 feet (1829 m) elevation and transported riders to the 7,000 foot (2134 m) level, up an average gradient of 20%. Except for the very lowest part of the route, the lift is not protected by trees or land features and faces the full force of snow storms. Heavy winds frequently produce huge snowdriftSnowdrift
A snowdrift is a deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. Snowdrifts resemble sand dunes and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind is slowed, usually against a stationary object. Snow normally crests and slopes...
s and copious and dense snow challenge lift crews to keep the lift open. Procedure is to close the lift if winds exceed 50-60 mph or dense fog reduces visibility below approximately 25 feet (7.6 m). These conditions close the Mile approximately 40% of winter days.
First chairlift 1938–1962
As the Riblet company's first chairlift, the design strongly resembled the company's previous efforts building aerial trams for mining material transport.
Construction of the chair complemented the opening of Timberline Lodge in February 1938. The first magic mile chair loaded passengers on November 17, 1939 and was dedicated by the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway
Princess Märtha of Sweden
Princess Märtha of Sweden , full name Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra was the granddaughter of King Oscar II of Sweden and the consort of Crown Prince Olav of Norway . She was the first Crown Princess of Norway in modern times who was not also Crown Princess of Sweden or Denmark...
(later King Olaf
Olav V of Norway
Olav V was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud of Norway...
). A portable rope tow was erected for the previous season (1938-1939) , and remained in operation for at least several years.
The original chairlift was a single: each chair held one rider, but there were many chairs on the rope. The ride took 11 minutes and carried 225 passengers per hour. It was as popular a summer tourist attraction then as it is now.
The lift line was situated slightly east of the present chair. The upper bullwheel
Bullwheel
A bullwheel is a large wheel on which a rope turns, such as in a chairlift. In that application, the bullwheel that is attached to the prime mover is called the drive bullwheel, with the other known as the return bullwheel....
was inside Silcox Hut
Silcox Hut
The Silcox Hut is a small rustic mid-mountain lodge located at elevation on Mount Hood, Oregon, United States. It is approximately vertical above Timberline Lodge and roughly one mile distance directly up the mountain....
, which is 212 m (700 ft) ESE and 40 ft (12.2 m) lower in elevation. The bottom was east of the lodge about 377 m (1236 ft, one quarter mile) ENE at essentially the same elevation as the present chair.
Timberline Lodge shut down for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and struggled financially through the 1940s and early 1950s. Mounting disrepair, vandalism, neglect and unpaid taxes closed it February 17, 1955 at which time the Magic Mile was nonfunctional. The lodge reopened late that year under Richard Kohnstamm's management. The Mile was made functional again, and in the following summer, ski racing camps began.
Second chairlift 1962–1992
Riblet
The Riblet Tramway Company was once the largest ski chairlift manufacturer in the world.The Riblet Tramway Company was founded by Byron Christian Riblet. Riblet was born in Osage, Iowa, in 1865 and earned a...
-made chairlift at the present location. It featured a midway station for loading and unloading. Midway unload allowed chairlift operation when conditions closed the upper mountain. The midway load was useful for mid-to-late summer skiing when little snow remained on the lower mountain.
The ride would have taken about the same time, at 10 to 12 minutes, but tighter chair spacing and two riders per chair made the capacity about 800-1000 per hour.
The bottom of the Mile was placed at the west side of the lodge for easy lodge access, and for skier convenience from the top of the Pucci chairlift, which was installed in 1956.
The Palmer chairlift, which opened July 1, 1980, was situated for convenient skier and snowboard transport from the top of the Mile. The Palmer was upgraded to a high speed quad in 1996.
Third chairlift 1992–present
Detachable chairlift
A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the...
in 1992, but is slightly longer at 5500 feet (1,676.4 m).
The midway station was removed, and the top station is slightly higher than its predecessor.
This Poma
Poma
Poma, also known as Pomagalski S.A. is a French company, specialising in construction of cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Poma has installed more than 7800 devices on five continents,...
-built chair has a capacity of 3,000 passengers per hour, but is operated at 1,600 passengers per hour, with a ride time of just under 6 minutes.
The use of a detachable chairlift significantly reduces maintenance needed to clear the haul rope. When inclement weather is expected, the chairs are removed and stored in the lower lift house. The rope runs at low speed to prevent the buildup of snow and ice. The chairs are redeployed in an automatic operation which takes about 30 minutes.