Riblet
298424
221941517
2008-06-26T20:04:12Z
24.81.76.183
{{dablink|This article is about the tramway company. For the article on the cut of meat by the same name, see [[riblets]].}}
[[Image:Magic mile usfs 499443.jpg|thumb|Riblet's first chairlift, the [[Magic Mile]], as seen in the early 1940s]]
[[Image:Magic mile original and pee chee P1445.jpeg|thumb|Riblet's first chairlift inspired [[Pee Chee folder]] artwork.]]
The '''Riblet Tramway Company''' was once the largest ski [[chairlift]] manufacturer in the world.
The Riblet Tramway Company was founded by Byron Christian Riblet. Riblet was born in [[Osage, Iowa]], in 1865 and earned a
degree in [[Civil Engineering]]. Arriving in [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]] in 1885, his first work was laying out [[railway]] and [[streetcar line]]s. He also built [[dams]] and [[irrigation]] projects.
In 1896, Riblet was contracted to erect a Finlayson ore tramway at the Noble Five silver mine in [[Sandon, British Columbia]], to assist in moving ore down Reco Mountain to the mill at Cody. Apparently Riblet thought he was coming to build a streetcar line. Even so, Riblet decided he could improve the mining tram performance. Over time, Riblet raised more tramways in the booming mining district, building thirty [[aerial tramway]]s in the next ten years. Riblet returned to [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]] in [[1908]], after working in the [[Kootenays]], to found the Riblet Tramway Company. This company specialised in mining tramways building them in Alaska, Canada, the Western United States and South America.
Riblet built its first [[chairlift]] in [[1938]] at [[Mount Hood]], [[Oregon]]. Byron Riblet died in 1952, but the company boomed with the new, postwar [[ski resort]]s. Skiing gained in popularity, and soon ski lifts became the major part of the Riblet Tramway Company's business. They built numerous lifts, particularly in [[Washington]], [[Oregon]] and [[California]], and even as far away as [[Australia]]. The company installed over 400 chairlifts. They have the most double chair lifts operating in the U.S.
The company only built fixed-grip lifts, where the chair grip is woven into the haul rope rather than clamped onto it; because of the limited market for such lifts, it announced in early 2003 that the firm was no longer viable and was going out of business.<ref name="RibletDone">{{cite web
| last = Sowder
| first = Douglas
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = To: Our Friends in the Ski Industry
| work =
| publisher = [[Riblet|Riblet Tramway Company]]
| date = 2003-05-13
| url = http://www.riblet.com/Press%20Release.htm
| format = [[HTML]]
| doi =
| accessdate = 2007-01-23 }}</ref>
== Installations ==
Riblet chairlifts can be found in many places still in service, though the majority have been removed. This table contains those documented by SkiLifts.org as of [[December 28]][[2007]]. More Riblet chairlifts may be in existence, though some listed below may have already been removed. There is a total of 160 existing Riblet chairlifts and 103 no longer installed.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Location !! Area name !! remaining !! removed !! notes !! ref
|-
| [[California]] || [[Alpine Meadows, California|Alpine Meadows]] || 0 || 1 || removed was hybrid with YAN || [http://skilifts.org/ca-alpinemeadows.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Boreal Mountain Resort]] || 2 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/ca-boreal.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Dodge Ridge]] || 5 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/ca-dodgeridge.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Heavenly Ski Resort]] || 2 || 0 || 2 triples, one a hybrid with YAN || [http://skilifts.org/ca-heavenly.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Iron Mountain]] || 3 || 0 || "planning 2 more" || [http://skilifts.org/ca-ironmountain.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[June Mountain]] || 4 || 0 || 2 are hybrid manufacturers || [http://skilifts.org/ca-june.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Mammoth Mountain Ski Area]] || 0 || 6 || || [http://skilifts.org/ca-mammoth.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Northstar at Tahoe]] || 1 || 5 || || [http://skilifts.org/ca-northstar.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Squaw Valley Ski Resort]] || 1 || 5 || hybrid with YAN || [http://skilifts.org/ca-squawvalley.htm]
|-
| [[California]] || [[Badger Pass Ski Area]] || 0 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/ca-badgerpass.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Aspen Mountain (ski area)|Aspen Mountain]] || 1 || 4 || updated in 1985 by [[Poma]] || [http://skilifts.org/co-aspenmountain.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Aspen Highlands]] || 0 || 9 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-highlands.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Breckenridge Ski Resort]] || 6 || 2 || one remaining chair is a triple || [http://skilifts.org/co-breckenridge.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Buttermilk (ski area)|Buttermilk]] || 0 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-buttermilk.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Crested Butte Mountain Resort]] || 2 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-crestedbutte.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Durango Mountain ski area]] || 3 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-durango.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Hesperus (ski area)|Hesperus]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-hesperus.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Keystone Resort]] || 0 || 2 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-keystone.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Powderhorn ski area]] || 0 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-powderhorn.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Aspen/Snowmass]] || 5 || 2 || one triple remains, one was removed || [http://skilifts.org/co-snowmass.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Vail Ski Resort]] || 3 || 3 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-vail.htm]
|-
| [[Colorado]] || [[Winter Park Resort]] || 1 || 4 || || [http://skilifts.org/co-winterpark.htm]
|-
| [[Idaho]] || [[Bogus Basin]] || 4 || 0 || 3 doubles, 1 triple || [http://skilifts.org/id-bogusbasin.htm]
|-
| [[Idaho]] || [[Brundage Mountain]] || 0 || 2 || || [http://skilifts.org/id-brundage.htm]
|-
| [[Idaho]] || [[Lookout Pass ski area]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/id-lookoutpass.htm]
|-
| [[Idaho]] || [[Schweitzer Mountain]] || 4 || 4 || || [http://skilifts.org/id-schweitzer.htm]
|-
| [[Idaho]] || [[Silver Mountain (Idaho)|Silver Mountain]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/id-silvermt.htm]
|-
| [[Idaho]] || [[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]] || 1 || 4 || || [http://skilifts.org/id-sunvalley.htm]
|-
| [[Indiana]] || [[Perfect North, Indiana|Perfect North]] || 5 || 0 || 2 quads and 3 triples ||
|-
| [[Massachusetts]] || [[Jiminy Peak]] || 3 || || 1 double, 2 triples ||
|-
| [[Michigan]] || [[Boyne Highlands Snow Ski Resort]] || 7 || 0 || 4 triples and 3 quads || [http://skilifts.org/mi-boynehighlands.htm]
|-
| [[Michigan]] || [[Boyne Mountain]] || 7 || 0 || 1 double, 2 triples, 4 quads || [http://skilifts.org/mi-boynemt.htm]
|-
| [[Michigan]] || [[Nub's Nob]] || 6 || 0 || 1 double, 2 triples, 3 quads || [http://skilifts.org/mi-nubsnob.htm]
|-
| [[Michigan]] || [[Pine Mountain ski area]] || 3 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/mi-pinemt.htm]
|-
| [[Michigan]] || [[Snow Snake ski area]] || 1 || 0 || a triple chair || [http://skilifts.org/mi-snowsnake.htm]
|-
| [[Minnesota]] || [[Giants Ridge]] || 5 || 0 || 2 triples, 3 doubles || [http://skilifts.org/mn-giantsridge.htm]
|-
| [[Montana]] || [[Big Sky Resort]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/mt-bigsky.htm]
|-
| [[Montana]] || [[Bridger Bowl Ski Area]] || 4 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/mt-bridgerbowl.htm]
|-
| [[Montana]] || [[Bridger Bowl Ski Area]] || 3 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/mt-discoverybasin.htm]
|-
| [[Montana]] || [[Montana Snowbowl]] || 2 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/mt-montanasnowbowl.htm]
|-
| [[Montana]] || [[http://skilifts.org/mt-redlodge.htm]] || 3 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/mt-redlodge.htm]
|-
| [[New Hampshire]] || [[Crotched Mountain]] || 3 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/nh-crotched.html]
|-
| [[New Hampshire]] || [[Mount Sunapee Resort]] || 1 || 0 || Begun in 1986 by Riblet, completed 1987 by Doppelmayr || [http://skilifts.org/nh-mtsunapee.html]
|-
| [[New Hampshire]] || [[Wildcat Mountain Ski Area]] || 2 || 2 || the two remaining are triples || [http://skilifts.org/nh-wildcat.html]
|-
| [[New Mexico]] || [[Ski Santa Fe]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/nm-santafe.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Hoodoo (ski area)]] || 3 || 3 || 1 double, 1 triple, 1 quad || [http://skilifts.org/or-hoodoo.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Mount Ashland]] || 3 || 0 || 1 double, 2 triples || [http://skilifts.org/or-mtashland.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Mount Bachelor ski area ]] || 0 || 7 || || [http://skilifts.org/or-mtbachelor.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Mount Hood Meadows]] || 3 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/or-meadows.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Mount Hood Skibowl]] || 4 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/or-skibowl.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Oregon State Fair]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/or-salemfair.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Summit Ski Area]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/or-summit.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Timberline Lodge ski area]] || 0 || 5 || || [http://skilifts.org/or-timberline.htm]
|-
| [[Oregon]] || [[Willamette Pass ski area]] || 3 || 2 || 3 triples || [http://skilifts.org/or-willamettepass.htm]
|-
| [[Utah]] || [[Brighton Ski Resort]] || 1 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/ut-brighton.htm]
|-
| [[Utah]] || [[The Canyons]] || 1 || 2 || || [http://skilifts.org/ut-canyons.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[Mount Baker Ski Area]] || 5 || 2 || 3 quads and 2 doubles remain || [http://skilifts.org/wa-mtbaker.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[Stevens Pass Ski Area]] || 4 || 4 || 1 triple remains || [http://skilifts.org/wa-stevenspass.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[The Summit at Snoqualmie]] || 12 || 6 || 2 triples || [http://skilifts.org/wa-snoqualmie.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[Crystal Mountain]] || 4 || 2 || one is a hybrid with Hall || [http://skilifts.org/wa-crystal.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[White Pass Ski Area]] || 2 || 2 || || [http://skilifts.org/wa-whitepass.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[Mission Ridge Ski Area]] || 3 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/wa-missionridge.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park]] || 5 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/wa-spokane.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[# Loup Loup]] || 0 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/wa-louploup.htm]
|-
| [[Washington]] || [[49 Degrees North Ski Area]] || 4 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/wa-49n.htm]
|-
| [[Wyoming]] || [[Grand Targhee Resort]] || 1 || 0 || || [http://skilifts.org/wy-grandtarghee.htm]
|-
| [[Wyoming]] || [[Jackson Hole Mountain Resort]] || 0 || 1 || || [http://skilifts.org/wy-jacksonhole.htm]
|}
== See also ==
* [[Detachable chairlift]]: the technological successor to the fixed-grip chairlift
* [[Magic Mile]]: Riblet's first chairlift
== References ==
<references/>
== Sources ==
{{cite book
| author = Martin J. Wells
| title = Tramway Titan: Byron Riblet, Wire Rope and Western Resource Towns
| publisher = Trafford Publishing, Victoria
| date = December 2005
| id = ISBN 1-4120-5093-6
}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.riblet.com company website]
[[Category:Defunct manufacturing companies of the United States]]
[[Category:History of Canada]]<!--Canadian inevntions?-->
[[Category:History of skiing]]
[[Category:History of Washington]]