Crabbe Mountain to upgrade chairlift in bid to reduce repair closures
New motor opens the door to eventual year-round access for mountain biking and more, says general manager
Crabbe Mountain is aiming for fewer interruptions, and more recreation in the off season, with upgrades to its chairlift system this fall.
The two-week installation at the Central Hainesville ski hill is scheduled for November, according to general manager Jordan Cheney, just after the mountain's Fall Festival of Colours.
The $500,000 upgrade will happen two years earlier than planned.
"We don't want to be dealing with an unreliable lift and deteriorated customer confidence and the stress that it puts on staff to maintain that," Cheney said.
"We want to be able to just have confidence that the day to day is going to run smooth, and the biggest thing we have to worry about is whether or not Mother Nature gives us snow."
This past winter, seven chairlift interruptions in just over a month were reported on Crabbe's social media feeds, ranging from several hours to days in length.
But issues with the lift were not limited to last season.
In 2017, an electrical problem led to 50 people being stranded on the chairlift for over two hours as firefighters performed an evacuation.
The problems largely come down to the system's motor and drive — the electrical system that controls the motor, Cheney said.
"Without that, you don't move a chairlift," he said.
The upgrades also come after last year's mild winter led to fewer customers at the mountain.
"Way down this year, for sure," Cheney said of the seasonal profit.
"What we saw was a noticeable decrease in ... what we call the 'never evers.' So the [customer] coming who doesn't have equipment, who is renting, who is buying a lift, who is maybe getting a lesson."
Despite that, Cheney said Crabbe's board and shareholders are committed to the lift upgrades, noting the company has already made a down payment.
"It's a core part of our business. If you don't have a lift you don't have skiing," Cheney said. "The owners and shareholders are all in it for the right reasons … they've taken on some risks."
And Cheney said the upgrade will also mean more recreational opportunities in the off season.
That's because the current motor needs colder temperatures to operate and isn't able to adjust speed as necessary for foot traffic.
"We have all this parking and lodge facility and chairlift and property 12 months of the year, but we only use it for ski season," he said,
"So [we're] finding unique ways to be able to continue operating year round ... especially with the unreliability of winters the last few years."
Other slopes in New Brunswick continue operating in the summer by offering mountain biking and camping.
In 2008, Sugarloaf Provincial Park in Atholville became the first in Atlantic Canada to start transporting mountain bikers up the hill with their bikes.
In 2022, park manager Greg Dion told CBC News the mountain welcomed about 6,000 bikers in 2021.
Poley Mountain in Sussex also began offering the option in 2022. Both destinations also offer camping.
Cheney hopes Crabbe will use its chairlift for mountain biking eventually — but doesn't plan on introducing that next year.
"It'll be a couple million dollars to get ourselves set up for mountain biking properly. So we're looking at ways to get at that," he said. "Certainly after a year like we had, we're not in a position to put a couple million dollars in a mountain-bike park."
For now, the plan is to use the chairlift more often for special events, from general sightseeing to offering a birds-eye view of motorcycle and ATV races, he said.
"It will take time to be able to build the off-season to match the winter season —revenue-wise — but the question I always ask myself is … where was skiing in the 1950s and 1960s, right?" he said.
"It took decades to grow it to the point we have now, and it's got to start somewhere.
"The sooner we make that leap and ... start growing that side of the business, that just sets us up for the next 60 years."
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