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Squamish
Canada
147 Posts |
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 Coffee swillin', wine lovin', Owl fearin' Andie McDowell stunt double, who sports retro gear
Vancouver, BC
5465 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 11:46 AM
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| I can't find anywhere on the site about where exactly they are proposing to put this gondola. The Chief? Wasn't that already nixed a few years back? |
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Squamish
Canada
147 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 11:47 AM
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The idea is to go to a little bench underneath Habrich.....Trick the public into thinking it's a new idea!
Dan |
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Coffee swillin', wine lovin', Owl fearin' Andie McDowell stunt double, who sports retro gear
Vancouver, BC
5465 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 11:51 AM
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OK I looked again and found it:
quote:
The proposed Sea to Sky Gondola project will provide accessible transportation to 2,700 feet above majestic Howe Sound on a routing between Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief. It will have a base terminal located on the vacant gravel pit site along the Sea to Sky Highway. The top terminal will be located on the ridge leading to Mount Habrich, which is land currently owned by the Province of BC. It is important to note that this proposed alignment will NOT be to the top of the Stawamus Chief as was previously attempted by a different group of proponents several years ago.
I'm against it. Can't they stand to see a few areas undeveloped? Yeah, I know, money. They just keep trying, don't they? |
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Coffee swillin', wine lovin', Owl fearin' Andie McDowell stunt double, who sports retro gear
Vancouver, BC
5465 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 11:55 AM
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quote:
Base terminal plans include: ticketing, parking and maintenance facilities, a small food and beverage outlet, retail space, outdoor equipment and guiding services (i.e. hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing etc.).
The top terminal has the potential to provide access to mountain top viewing areas, interpretive walks, hikes, cross country mountain bike trails, snowshoeing, a West Coast inspired lodge serving a high quality locally produced menu, and a theatre experience highlighting the history, culture and activities in the area.
Ugh. |
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27 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 12:19 PM
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| from the website, it looks like what is described as a 'stunning mountain top' is actually about 700m distance downslope from the access road into Shannon Crk. |
Edited by - dwd on 06/30/2011 12:21 PM |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1422 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 5:01 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by dwd
from the website, it looks like what is described as a 'stunning mountain top' is actually about 700m distance downslope from the access road into Shannon Crk.
Indeed. Hardly an undeveloped area either (lots of clearcuts up there). It's on the edge of a big bench so it should have a nice view, which I guess is the whole point of the gondola. |
Edited by - scottN on 06/30/2011 5:04 PM |
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Squamish, BC
Canada
116 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 9:29 PM
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I've always been against the deactivation of logging roads like the Shannon Creek Road because I see the economic advantages of leaving them open are huge. I see the gondola in the same light as re-activating the Shannon creek road, except cheaper.
For instance, there are cliffs and crags back there that you can see from the Chief trail that would make for some great multi-pitch climbing on granite of the same quality as the Chief and Silanay.
There's also a little known heli-drop mountain bike route that starts on Goat Ridge, and room for a lot of other mountain incredible downhill trails.
And of course there is the mountaineering routes on Habrich and the Sky Pilot group which used to be just a few hours hike from the end of the logging road in the 80's and very early 90's. Now most people hike or bike the extra 12 km of road to get in there, making this a very long day trip.
I see a simple gondola being much less impactful and irritating than the "Garibaldi At Squamish" ski development, or any of the cat skiing and snowmobile activity in the sea-to-sky. Putting a gondola to an unnamed knoll south of the Chief, starting in what used to be a gravel pit and ending in what used to be a clear cut is all right in my book.
Better than another damn golf course or housing development. |
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Squamish, BC
Canada
116 Posts |
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Smurf Village, BC
Canada
1495 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2011 : 9:38 PM
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My initial reaction was "NOOOOO!!!", but after reading oplopanax's post, I think I need to think on this some more before making a stand one way or the other.
In general, I am against development in our dwindling wilderness, but if the area has already been trashed by logging....hmmm. |
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Vancouver
Canada
286 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 12:06 AM
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| I can't say I think this is necessarily a horrible idea. Way different than the previous proposal. I think we could use some more access points in and around sea to sky. |
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660 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 06:28 AM
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| I'm actually rather in support of anything that corrals and fleeces the tourists, keeping them away from much nicer areas. Not of course the ones involving fly-in lodges in pristine areas, smack dab in the middle of the most valuable wildlife habitat, but a gravel pit and some logging slash is fine by me. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1009 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 09:36 AM
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IF its going to be similar to Grouse Skyride then a 45$ trip that starts at 9am probably isnt going to offer much in the way of amazing access.
Would be nice if they opened up the Shannon road for us but then having a driveable road to the top of your sky ride is probably not the best business model.
Casinos and gondolas...wow....not sure this is the greatest idea but I am willing to hear more before I make my mind up |
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304 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 11:22 AM
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| Surprised anyone would give financing to such a Coney island stupidity. Both principals listed on their webpage look to have significant real estate background -- surely they can't be dumb enough to promote a single purpose tourist trap novelty? Maybe there's some sort of Kadenwood type condo development lurking in the wings . . . |
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Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
37 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2011 : 12:27 PM
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What Erik Frebold, a coworker of mine who has put up some routes in Squamish, has to say:
quote:
Goat ridge doesn't strike me as quite as obvious a launch point for hikes as they claim-- quite a bit of alder and bluffs to deal with first. Also it seems a shame to bisect the parkland with a gondola.
Also, their map doesn't actually show... the gondola going anywhere near Goat ridge, despite their claim, unless the two principals, who are both experienced real estate developers, also have something extra in mind for the Shannon Creek valley... road expansion, bridges, houses?
Finally, isn't there quite some new development of climbs going on right now on the bluff they claim has "no known climbing activity"? Quite a breathless document, all in all. 60-80 person-years of construction work eh?
New climbing access to Habrich environs? I don't see climbers rushing to pay $25 for the Grouse gondola to get up the Widowmaker Arete.See More
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Squamish, BC
Canada
116 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2011 : 1:53 PM
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Note I'm not a "proponent" or a "defender" of this project, but I do think it has merit.
It's not on Goat Ridge although Goat does in fact see hiking, many people I know access it from the Petgill Lake trail. A local mountain guide I know has told me that he believes Goat Ridge is the nicest day hike he's ever done, unfortunately I've let it out of the bag now.
To be clear, here is where the gondola is proposed:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=202990725876969996552.0004a71bcef99e4f4f87f&msa=0&ll=49.673932,-123.149314&spn=0.027689,0.066047
As for development in the Shannon Creek area, completely ridiculous. GAS can't even get off the ground as a ski development and it has easier road access and service, and a reason for being. Squamish council would have to approve any development there, and take on the infrastructure costs; these are the things that are stalling GAS, and I can't see anyone approving something as crazy as real estate in Shannon Creek.
As for climbers paying to access the area, I have in fact seen climbers riding the gondola to get to the widowmaker, and to hike/climb Crown and all of the other minor peaks, and they also pay to go down (ie: grouse grinders). Putting this close to a climbing centre like Squamish guarantees that there will be some exploration. I figure the rock is very similar to the Chief since it's on the Habrich side of Shannon, and Habrich is like a bigger Cheif.
There's no need to look for ulterior motives -- the gondola and restaurant would easily pay for themselves.
All that being said, I'll still be surprised if this gets off the ground. |
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521 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2011 : 5:20 PM
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| I agree with what oplopanax is saying that this gondola project definitely has merit. It would be good for the Squamish area, good for tourists, provide better and more efficient access for climbers heading to Habrich or Sky Pilot areas (and perhaps the Mountain Lake area), and would give the opportunity for those that simply can not hike due to physical limitations, to experience a new area. I'm sure they would clean up the clear cut area up top, and plant trees, etc... in order to make it more visually appealing as well. |
Edited by - path finder on 07/02/2011 5:21 PM |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2011 : 5:29 PM
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| God forbid should some one actually have to "try" to get to areas like Habrich and Skypilot. Approaches are filters to weed out lazy wankers that probably shouldn't be there anyways. SHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAH |
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521 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2011 : 5:41 PM
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quote:
God forbid should some one actually have to "try" to get to areas like Habrich and Skypilot. Approaches are filters to weed out lazy wankers that probably shouldn't be there anyways. SHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAH
I would say that greater than 99.99% of all routes in BC already serve that purpose to weed out lazy wankers, haha! It would would be good for those climbers that have time constraints to get in and out in an efficient manner. |
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962 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2011 : 08:02 AM
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Let's see... how much more ugly can Squamish be? It's already a deathly strip of urban commercial sprawl along the highway. When was the last time a tourist actually went downtown, other than to drive through on the way to the Brew pub?
We got a billboard, casino and gas bar at the north end of the Chief parking. Add a gondola parking lot at the south end. No more pristine views of Garibaldi, Shannon Falls and the Chief as you drive up from Vancouver. Now there's going to be gondola wires bisecting the scenery. At least Grouse Mountain's gondola isn't in anyone's face. Will the upper terminal be visible from below? An ugly scar blasted from the moutain face surrounded by a clearcut and gravel? Mid-tower projecting adjacent the renowned Shannon Falls?
What exactly does this add to my experience?
I would expect the gondola top area will require an upgrade of Shannon Creek road to be a service road for the facility and for construction access. So, the road will be gated? Public access prohibited? Otherwise, the cheapskate climbers will just use it for free (like we do now).
Where does it say the gondola operation and restaurant will pay for themselves? Grouse Mountain's doesn't. They need all sorts of other business functions to eke out a profit and they are a lot closer to a million plus population than Squamish. I can't wait to see what else they come up with. Real estate development, ski hill, windmills, wildlife refuges, parapenting, heli-everything?
What are they using for a water source, power and waste disposal?
I'm skeptical... |
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962 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2011 : 08:06 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by oplopanax
Oh, and if anyone is interested, here's the the Squamish Chief article with a rendering of the route of the gondola.
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110629/SQUAMISH0303/110629980/-1/SQUAMISH/-8216-sea-to-sky-gondola-concept-launched
quote:
Greenfield, a former Intrawest employee who was involved in the development of Mont-Tremblant in Quebec as well as resort developments in the United States and Europe, said "The view from the top station “is a view nobody else has,” Greenfield said. “Nobody else has a fjord and the sea from a mountaintop. Whistler doesn't have it; Vancouver doesn't have it. We think it's unique.”
Uh, Cypress Mountain?
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Squamish Gondola Proposal
