Kancamagus 8

May 2022

Bike Laps Just Got 50% Faster

Lift Maintenance and other resort operations teams kicked off this spring by installing Doppelmayr’s Bike Clip carriers on the chairs of Kanc 8. To accommodate the carriers, bubbles have been removed and half of the 64 chairs have been placed on the storage line inside the bottom terminal. Each one of the 32 active chairs features four Bike Clip carriers.

As a part of Flight Path: 2030, Kancamagus 8 is a pivotal project. Introducing new technology and lifts elevates the ski experience and has propelled Loon into the future. The Kanc 8 is one of two resorts in America and the only one in the East to adapt this technology for biking, furthering our mission to excel in every season.

December 2021

Let's Ride

On Friday, December 10 we celebrated the grand opening of the Kancamagus 8 – the most technologically advanced chairlift in the East. This incredible lift has been two years in the making and it is an exciting time for Loon as it is the first major project of Flight Path: 2030.

As guests and team members gathered to witness this monumental event there was a definite buzz in the air. A DJ played us through the morning as excitement built outside and guests finally got their first look at the parking structure interior as the doors were opened and chairs were loaded onto the line.

Jay Scambio rang the ceremonial Austrian cowbell presented by Doppelmayr signaling the official homecoming of the Kanc 8. The echoes of guests' own bells could be heard across the Governor Adams Lodge base area welcoming the Kanc 8 to the family.

“We needed to install a lift with technology and features that will remain cutting edge for years to come – and Kanc 8 is just that. Loon’s founder, Governor Sherman Adams, was a pioneer and innovator and that spirit is rooted in our efforts here at Kanc 8” - Jay Scambio, General Manager and President

A huge thank you to everyone who celebrated with us on Friday we hope that you enjoy the many features that make Kanc 8 so special. If you missed the celebrations and those who haven’t visited yet to ride the Kanc 8, what're you waiting for?

December 2021

Wow Loading

Installation of the most technologically advanced chairlift in the East is complete. Join us Friday, December 10 at 10:00 am for the grand opening of Kancamagus 8.

Prior to loading the first chair, a short ceremony will be held to welcome guests and share the importance of this project to the future of Loon.

It is truly a time to celebrate. Join us for music, giveaways, and more.

November 2021

Coming Together

The final pieces of Kanc 8 are coming together.

A project of this magnitude has an immense level of detail and as you can see by the size of the parking structure, there is a lot of it. It’s big – but with a lot of purpose both inside and out.

The parking structure is designed to completely house Kanc 8’s technology and provide nightly storage for the 8-place chairs. The structure also requires room for grooming. Guests will be skiing and snowboarding directly inside to load the lift, so the space allows for a snowcat to push snow and lay down corduroy inside.

While inside, guests will notice how quiet the lift operates. Doppelmayr’s Direct Drive technology has eliminated the need for a gearbox making the lift more efficient and whisper quiet. Doppelmayr has also automated the process of removing the chairs for nightly storage. One lift operator can now load and off-load chairs with ease.

Exterior work is nearing completion, with the installation of the siding, roof, windows, and garage doors. “We’ve got the roof on, we’ve got the walls up, all the lights, all the power, everything's going on all at once here” - Brian Norton, Vice President of Operations. On the west side, a heated patio is being completed to open up the arrival experience at the Governor Adams Lodge base area, allowing guests a chance to take a break with a great view of the mountain...year-round.

Kanc 8 is built for all seasons and will be the home of downhill mountain biking starting in summer 2022. “Taking bikes to Kanc 8 is going to transform our biking. We are going to add more vertical feet to our bike park, you’re going to get a quicker ride and a totally unique experience while riding the lift utilizing Doppelmayr's Clip system, where you will actually load and unload your own bike” - Kevin Bell, vice president of marketing.

Installation of the most technologically advanced chairlift in the East is in its final stages. We are excited to welcome you back to Loon this winter and for the grand opening of Kancamagus 8 coming in December. Stay tuned.

October 2021

Windows, Walls + Chair Installs

Since the arrival of the first shipment from Austria back in April, the new Kanc 8 chairs, spanning 15 feet and cloaked in tinted grey bubbles, have been patiently sitting awaiting installation.

The day finally arrived last week, as crews carefully began to load each chair onto the parking rail. With all chairs in place, 62 in total, they're now ready and waiting inside the parking structure.

The parking structure is nearing completion with much of the siding now in place. On the west side of the bottom terminal, windows and garage doors are complete. The work continues inside on the finishing touches and the details of this project.

SEPTEMBER 2021

Haul Line Splicing & Bottom Terminal

September not only brought a change in season but a very noticeable change on the mountain; the installation of the haul line for the Kancamagus 8. This stage in lift construction is a large undertaking and the people power it requires is huge. Teams from across the resort came together to make this happen.

The installation is complex and must go through a process called splicing before it is complete. Splicing is the action of combining two ends of the same rope to form one continuous loop that will then become the haul line of the lift.

Construction is coming on leaps and bounds at the bottom terminal too – the raisable loading carpet is fully installed, the roof is on and nearing completion, and with the addition of the external walls it is clear to see the true size and magnitude of Kancamagus 8.

AUGUST 2021

A Work of Art

Major components of the first Doppelmayr D-Line lift in the East are now in place. The conical lift towers have been flown in, the top terminal is nearing completion and the parking structure’s steel has been raised. “This project is bigger and badder than all the other projects” comments Steve Mayhew, Dopplemayr’s project manager.

Driving towards Loon, the impressive steel beams of the Kanc 8 parking structure are visible from across the river. “It’s a work of art.” says Ken Mack, Loon’s special projects and snow surfaces manager. The eye-catching construction is drastically different from its predecessor and has a bigger purpose than aesthetics. The core functions of the custom open-air structure are to store the eight-place chairs as well as serve as a loading area for guests. In winter, the entrance will be snow covered and groomed nightly, providing guests a covered loading experience, keeping them out of the elements. Come summer, mountain bikers will load Kanc 8 in the same manner, minus the snow.

Kancamagus 8 is essential to reimagining the Governor Adams Lodge Base Area. “It’s the first piece of the puzzle.” affirms Jay Scambio, Loon’s president and general manager. Planning is well underway and installing the most technologically advanced chairlift in North America sets the tone for elevating the experience at that base area. Services, programs, indoor & outdoor experiences...all are being considered as we remain focused on upholding the pillars of Flight Path: 2030 and pioneering the new New England.

JULY 2021

Top Terminal

After the buzz of the tower arrivals died down the work continued uphill at the Kanc 8 Top Terminal. The Doppelmayr crew constructed the bones of the top terminal structure and the heart of the lift, the bullwheel, is now in place. The lift mechanics were then dressed and covered with the side panels. In the picture below you can see crew members assembling and polishing the panels before installation - the attention to detail on this project is remarkable. From the gantry, the view of the new lift line is impressive.

JUNE 2021

Up, Up And Away

The concrete has cured and it’s time to set the new towers. Our friends from the north were back on Monday, June 21 to assist in the aerial placement of the new conical lift towers. Teams from Doppelmayr, Loon and HeliCarrier Helicopters all worked methodically over 2 days to set 10 of the 11.

The new conical towers took between 4-6 flights each to install. The towers are so large they were flown in 2 separate pieces and secured. The top assembly was next, followed by the sheaves which were installed by a crew on the ladders and the top platform. Once all the pieces were placed, one team would work on the finishing touches while another started installing the next tower. Working their way down the mountain, all but tower 1 were installed over a 2-day period. Tower 1, at the base will be installed at a later time by a crane.

MAY 2021

The Wheels Keep Turning

As work continues on site, this week saw the arrival of both the top and bottom bullwheel for the Kanc 8. Both wheels arrived from Austria disassembled in 4 pieces and when fully assembled the diameter of the bullwheel will be over 25ft, that's an impressive size and we're looking forward to seeing it in place.

MAY 2021

Towers Take Flight

It's been an action-packed few days here at Loon as the old Kanc Quad towers were dismantled and removed by helicopter on Tuesday, May 25. A crew from Doppelmayr systematically worked their way down the mountain, first removing the cross arm and then the tower itself. Each component was flown off site to be stored.

The following day, Wednesday, May 26 work began in the early morning transporting concrete from the base area to each of the Kanc 8 tower foundations, once again using the helicopter. A team at the base loaded a bucket of concrete whilst the pilot and ground crew poured a second bucket on the mountain, when the pilot circled back the empty bucket would be switched for the full bucket and so forth.
Below are a few selected videos and photographs showing the tower removal and the pouring of the foundation. 

APRIL 2021

Dismantling

Our teams have been hard at work these last 2 weeks dismantling the Kancamagus Express Quad. The Governor's Pavillion has been demolished and the foundation removed. The chairs have been removed, dismantled, and stored so they can be reused in a different location. Currently, teams are working on deconstructing the grip room, chair storage area, and the bottom lift terminal. Once they are finished removing and storing the bottom portion of the lift, our teams will work their way up the mountain to dismantle the top terminal.

FEBRUARY 2021

Behind the Scenes

Over the past 10 months’ work behind the scenes on the Kancamagus 8 has been all systems go. Impacts of the pandemic presented early concerns centered around manufacturing and construction, but our team has continued fine tuning details and the anticipation is mounting.

A major component of the Kancamagus 8 will be the parking structure – where guests will load the lift. Design for the parking structure is almost finalized, as well as the general contractor for its construction. Doppelmayr has nearly finished fabricating the lift components in Austria, and once completed, they will be shipped to Loon in storage containers. There will be A LOT of containers coming this way, 80 to be exact.

Fun Fact: 80 x 40ft Long = 0.6 Miles – That’s over half a mile of containers.

Components are expected to arrive by the end of March, and it will be all hands-on deck as the resort naturally winds down for the end of the 2020/21 season. The Kancamagus Express Quad will take its final spin around the bullwheel this Spring and we hope you’ll be riding it until the end. The day after it closes, work will begin to get ready for its replacement.

For now, the excitement builds within the Resort, and we eagerly await the arrival of our first shipping containers.