Skiers at the Hudson Valley's Belleayre Ski Center won't have to brave the elements on their way to the summit anymore after 60 high speed gondolas now get the job done in style.

After millions of dollars were ear marked for improvements, ground was broken in late June. The massive project took just a few months to complete and on December 30, the first of many skiers were brought to the top of the mountain.

Some interesting statistics on the Catskill Thunder from the Belleayre Mountain website:

-Number of man hours to install gondola:  Over 5,500
-Total number of cabins:  60
-Spliced length of cabling:  13067.09 ft
-Top speed:  1,000 ft per minute
-Uphill capacity:  2,000 people per hour
-Tons of concrete pour for both top & bottom terminals:  200 tons each/400 tons total
-Number of towers installed:  16
-Tallest tower:  58 ft
-Date construction began:  July 1, 2017.
-Bull wheel size:  Drive (bottom) 15.75 ft and the Return (top) 17.06 ft.
-Motor size:  600hp electric primary, 600hp diesel auxiliary & 130hp tertiary diesel engine

In addition to the gondola, Belleayre was able to add additional space to the lodge, increased efficiency with their snow making and added a new trail for skiers to enjoy.

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