Idea #1: Two-Bullwheel Solution
Dick Holbrook, mountain manager at Sunburst Ski Area, Wisc., was faced with a perplexing problem: After converting an old handle tow to a rope tow, he found that the rope slipped on the smooth steel flange and hard rubber liner of the single drive wheel. Holbrook found a solution by borrowing a concept from Sunburst’s rope tows, which use a double-wrap capstan for traction.
The return bullwheel was removed and reinstalled on top of the drive bullwheel to create the double wraps as shown in this photo. An automobile hub, along with a ditto steel automobile wheel, was installed a foot away from the bullwheels to act as a deflector and to move the rope from one wheel to the other. The missing return bullwheel was replaced with more automobile hubs and wheels much like a standard rope tow. It is a great idea and has worked perfectly for the last two years.
Idea #2: Lift Shack Microwaves
Mac Hatch, the mountain operations manager at Brian Head, Utah, was looking for an innovative way to boost morale among lift attendants who have to spend hours in their small cubicles. And, he found it in a microwave oven. Hatch had the maintenance crew install microwaves in the top attendant’s building at each of Brian Head’s lifts. A convenient location was found above the windows, and the ovens were placed on sturdy shelves made in-house with steel braces and plywood. Purchased from K-Mart, the microwaves cost about $50 each.
All attendants rotate with one another and spend half the day at the bottom of the lift and the other half at the top, switching at noontime, giving each attendant equal opportunity to heat up lunch or microwave popcorn, cold pizza, soup, coffee, hot chocolate, tea and wet gloves. Our recommendation: Consumer Reports (January 2002) lists the Goldstar MA-790 for $80 as a “Best Buy.”
Idea #3: All-Season Towing
Dave Vohs, GM and owner of Christie Mountain Ski Area, Wisc., loved his 4 by 4 off-road utility vehicle and wanted to use it both summer and winter. The problem was that the standard towing hitch was a ball type, which worked well for pulling a trailer in the summer, but not for moving snowguns with towing rings in the winter.
He found the solution in a homemade hitch drawbar with a pintle hook at the end. The custom hitch was made first by extending the length of a standard drawbar. Next, a 3/8-inch steel plate measuring 3 by 4 inches was welded to the end as shown in this photo. The standard pintle hitch was purchased from Farm and Fleet. Holes drilled in the end plate matched those on the pintle.
An alternative to visiting Farm and Fleet is to order online from McMaster Carr at www.mcmaster.com and for search option, type in “pintle.” Total material cost for this project was about $75.
