The 2017/18 ski season at Alta is a time of change with the removal of the old Cecret double chair, and the replacement of the Supreme triple with a high speed quad. The new Supreme opened Christmas weekend. There was a ribbon cutting followed by skiers riding it for the first time. But Supreme’s replacement with the latest and greatest has not been without controversy.
The Controversy
When the resort first announced the plan, many Alta skiers were sad to see yet another cookie-cutter high speed quad at a resort that prides itself on being “old-school.” Others expressed concern that ferrying more skiers at a higher rate would diminish snow quality on the Supreme and Catherine’s Pass zones. Yet others (myself included) lamented the new lift alignment which would put the bottom terminal at Alf’s Restaurant. That meant an even longer run-out from the steeps in Supreme Bowl to catch another lift ride.
I got to ride the new Supreme chair the day after Christmas and have a few thoughts.
The New Supreme Experience
After making several laps on the Supreme quad, I decided that all my concerns were for naught. Sure, the run-out is longer, but by maybe 30 seconds. Plus, the lift is much faster than the triple, which negates any time lost poling in the flats to reach the bottom terminal.
Yes, a faster lift with more carrying capacity means powder gets skied out faster. But you still have to hike for Catherine’s, and only one more skier per chair won’t make a noticeable difference in the grand scheme of things. Also, families of four are very common. They often complained about the old triple, because they could not ride the lift all together. With a new quad, that is no longer an issue.
My primary concern now with the new Supreme chair is the area around Alf’s is now much more busy. With both Supreme and Sugarloaf starting there, and skiers coming down from the top of Sunnyside, Alf’s is now “Grand Central Station” of the Albion side of the resort. On busy days, with the lift lines extending past the corrals, I foresee a lot of dodging bodies and traffic jams, especially in the narrow space between the restaurant and the two lifts.
Also, some skiers may be alarmed by the curve located about a quarter of the way up the lift. This is the location of the old bottom terminal and redirects the lift onto the previous lift alignment. I’ve never seen anything like it. Instead of a mid-station terminal that detaches and slows the lift down like found on Collins, Supreme’s curve is just a series of rollers that the chair hits full speed. It is bumpy and a bit alarming at first. But after subsequent rides I thought the curve was actually fun.
Final Word
Overall, I am fine with the new Supreme high speed quad. Despite being one of many opinionated Alta skiers, I’m now indifferent to the lift. I can see why management decided to build it, and I don’t think it ruins the experience of skiing Supreme at all.
So get up there, give Supreme a ride, and let us know what you think in the comments below.
I think the run out is too long. All day Saturday I heard others complaining about it. As to snow quality, it’s hard to say whether it’s due to the thin base, or the new lift bringing up new skiiers, but the runs off to the left were bottomed out into the rocks as of yesterday. Two rock runs were all I was willing to tolerate. I won’t go over into Catherine’s until we get a good dump. Sure it’s faster, but I miss my quiet Supreme runs of yesteryear.
I know this isn’t perhaps a key market, but cecret was the best for those learning to ski. My son especially loved tinkering in the trees when he was learning (thankfully we are past that stage now, but bummer for future learners). Now that’s gone. It forces all beginner skiing to Sunnyside, which is already crazy busy. Cecret was a nice break. Oh well, it’s done now…. not that I’ll miss it I guess, since I’ll still be skiing it… every…single…run…
I don’t like the long run out. I’d like to see the numbers on length of time on the new lift ride compared to the old lift. I think they lost a great spot for the beginners on Cecret. I’m not a fan of the new ride. Supreme has lost something no gained. This now feels like the long run outs in Park City and Brighton.
Unfortunately, the 2017 Supreme chair “downgrade” has proved to be a horrible decision. Families lost their little ‘Cecret’ where generations had learned to ski. Experts lost the chairlift they never really quite liked, but tolerated in order to access terrain less traveled. This new mash-up of Cecret and Supreme has cost Alta both in the ‘beginner’ market segment and in the long-time season passholder crowd.
To beginners, even short lifts like Brighton’s Explorer and Solitude’s Link are formidable challenges. When beginners are asked why they aren’t on Supreme, they’ll readily unload with how long and difficult it is. And, how it’s so long that it’s exhausting. Plus, how it’s so long it feels like it’ll never end. The decision to quadruple the length of the old Cecret chair and run it through steeper terrain was obviously not market-tested with beginners.
To experts, the long, flat Supreme run-out was a barely tolerable inconvenience/nuisance as it was. On a powder morning, there was always a tipping point when lapping Supreme’s meager 800-something vertical feet of decent terrain was no longer worth the insufferable toll of the final flats to the chair. Now, the ‘New Supreme’ forces skiers to endure not only the original tortuous 2,000 feet of flatland, but tacks-on the entire length of the super-flat Cecret beginner chair for good measure. Now it’s a minimum 3,000 foot mandatory runout of mind-numbing buzzkill.
This all could have been EASILY avoided with a mid-point loading/unloading station. Not necessarily even positioned where Supreme now angles. Mid-point loading would have ensured the support of longtime customers. Mid-point unloading, something the Collins Quad doesn’t have, would have encouraged beginners to disperse and utilize some of Alta’s flattest acreage. In fact, why can’t a mid-station still fix this supreme mistake now? Why would any business keep a product with a design flaw when it can be fixed?