By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
DAVIS – Measures to repair the Timberline Thunderstruck triple lift were completed and on Saturday, it reopened after receiving a thumbs-up from inspectors. The grand reopening of the chairlift was attended by former Chief Justice of the W.Va. Supreme Court of Appeals Richard Neeley and his wife Carolyn, Tucker County Commission President Lowell Moore, Aspen Village developer Chuck Smith and his wife Kimmie, Timberline Four Seasons Resort owner Fred Herz and members of the Jim Harriot family.
On Wednesday, Timberline issued the following release:
On Saturday morning Tower 12 of Timberline’s Thunderstruck triple lift experienced a mechanical malfunction. The cross-arm which supported the cables along which the lift chairs travel detached from the tower structure, causing a derailment. This occurred after the lift had passed visual safety inspection and was cleared for operation.
Thankfully, the lift malfunction caused no serious injuries. Timberline remains open with two functioning lifts in operation capable of transporting skiers to the top of the mountain. This weekend’s Wendy’s Race and Telemark Festival will continue as planned. We are making all repairs based on the engineer and ski professionals’ recommendation. Although we are working diligently to undertake lift repairs quickly to restore access to mid-station and lessen the wait in our lift lines, our concern for skier safety at the highest levels supersedes our desire for a swift resolution.
That said, we have taken the following measures to ensure the safe re-opening of Thunderstruck. We have assembled a world-class team of manufacturers, engineers and safety inspectors who have been working diligently since the event took place to assess and repair the lift, with multiple levels of oversight at every step in the process. We are requesting that these same experts do a thorough inspection of our other lifts as well, even though they are performing properly. We anticipate all inspections and load testing to be completed, and for Thunderstruck triple lift to be fully operational by Saturday morning, Feb. 27, allowing skiers to enjoy the rest of ski season in confidence.
Partek Ski Lift Enterprises and Beitzel Corporation are working together to complete the job at hand. The initial tower work is expected to be completed by Wednesday. Exceeding industry standards, every lift tower and weld has had NDT inspection performed by Ariel NDT, and all welds on the new modifications will be inspected prior to lift reopening. Tower 12 will receive a new cross-arm installed by Ropeway Construction with anticipated completion by Thursday. Ropeway will also perform a haul rope inspection to be completed by Friday (after the tower has been repaired). Per the lift manufacturer, we are engaging in the most rigorous inspection procedures of all of Timberlines’ lifts and adhering to the highest industry safety standards.
According to National Ski Areas Association, riding a chair lift is an exceptionally safe mode of transportation by contrast to that of driving a car or even riding an elevator. We would like to thank our skiers and our community and expert first responders for their support and professional responses. We will keep you updated throughout every aspect of this process as we complete these steps.
Herz said work was completed on the Thunderstruck chairlift was completed through the week He said inspections were completed on Thunderstruck and the two other chairlifts at Timberline and everything was good with each lift.
“We were able to work even through the cold weather to complete necessary repairs,” Herz said. “We went through three welding groups to get to the right one for our weather conditions. They have completed everything so there is no public question on the safety of our chairlifts whatsoever.”
Herz said he was thankful the incident on saw minor injuries, and said he is grateful for all those who helped at the scene.
“I am truly humble to how the first responders from Timberline and Canaan Valley Ski Patrol rallied to the situation,” Herz said. “They helped us get the lift evacuation last Saturday in a little over an hour and a half.”
Herz offered thanks to the many county employees and volunteers helping at the scene.
“I appreciate Tucker County EMS making sure Health Net was on standby in case they were needed,” Herz said. “We would like to reach out and thank the EMS and first responders for their help. We would also like to thank our dedicated skiers.”
The initial incident happened last Saturday morning at approximately 9 a.m. when one of the chairlifts at Timberline Four Seasons Resort breached resulting in two skiers being transported to the hospital. The malfunction, involving the Thunderstruck triple chairlift, caused a reported 25 skiers to fall to the ground. Approximately 100 others were rescued.