After getting some fresh snow over the past couple of days, I decided to head up to Loon Mountain on Friday before we got an rain and thaw event on Saturday. There was extra incentive to go up there on Friday as well: the Kanc8 lift opened for the first time ever. The high-speed, eight-person bubble lift replaced the Kanc Quad and has one of the best base stations I’ve ever seen. Thanks to the new snow, the terrain skied quite well, especially the recently opened runs on the West Basin side. Ski New Hampshire captured the first riders of the lift:
We are super excited to to have been a part of @loonmtnresort's grand opening of the Kanc 8 chair yesterday! This 8 person lift with heated seats and a bubble for element protection is the first of it's kind! Be sure to check it out on your next ski vacation. pic.twitter.com/nDzgZqL6rb
— Ski NH (@SkiNewHampshire) December 11, 2021
Here are some thoughts on the lift: I think it’s probably the nicest lift in the Northeast. They are by far the most comfortable chairlift seats that I’ve ever sat on. It’s an extremely fast ride up, going nineteen feet a second. The backside of the chairs features various photos of Loon in very impressive high-resolution quality. The lines for its opening were initially long due to an opening ceremony and some stoppages along with issues setting up the safety gate at the base terminal. Once the initial crowd got through, the lines were practically ski-thru. The only real complaint I had is I didn’t feel the heat coming from the seats, but I imagine they are still dealing with some of the technological kinks of the new lift. It’s definitely a bucket list item for New England skiers and riders.
Next up on Loon’s lift replacement plan is the Seven Brothers, which will be replaced by the former Kancamangus Quad. Further down the line are replacements/upgrades of Loons Gondola (The White Mountain Express), the Lincoln Express(which services South Peaks terrain), and the North Peak Express. The base over at West Basin (next to the Kanc8 lift) will be redesigned and renovated as well. Some photos, along with the stats of Loon’s new lift are below.
Kancamangus 8 Stats:
Riders Per Hour: 3500.
Speed: Travel speed of 18 ft. per second, or 1,100 ft. per minute.
Features: Raisable loading carpets, tinted bubbles that protect riders from weather conditions, heated seats, bike carriers(for mountain-biking summer operations), and an auto-locking restraining bar.
Terrain Serviced: Easy, intermediate, and advanced runs. Runs lead to Kissin Cousin Double, Sarsaparilla Carpet, North Peak Express, East Basin Double, White Mountain Express, Little Sister Double, and Seven Brothers Triple.
Image Credits: Loon Mountain Resort, SkiNH, Ian Wood