I have always been interested in daily ski resort operations. For the next couple of weeks I will be posting stories with an inside perspective on what it takes to perform certain on-the-mountain jobs. This week covers lift operations.

Last week I met with Copper Mountain Lift Operations Supervisor Matt Handrick. Handrick, from Minnesota, has worked at Copper for nine years. Here’s what he had to say.

How did you get into the field of lift operations?

I started in college back at a ski area in Wisconsin, and after I graduated I came out here.

How many people are on staff?

We are right around 120 in our department. This includes lift operations as well as ticket checking. On any given day we usually have about 60 lift operators and another 15 to 20 ticket checkers.

What’s a typical day for the lift operations department?

We get here early in the morning and prepare for check in. Everyone has to be here an hour before we open so we can deal with sick calls and make sure everyone is going to the right lift. Then we send everyone out the door and start the daily safety checks. This involves checking all of the normal stops on the lift and the protection switches for the haul rope. This is to make sure the lift will stop if something goes wrong. Once all the checks and preparations (shoveling, ropes, etc.) are completed and patrol approves, the lifts open to the public.

Overall, we have a consistent start time every day, but as far as getting done at the end of the day, it varies, depending on how much work needs to be done. We go home when all the work is done. A lot of it hinges on the weather. On new snow days, for example, everyone has to shovel out all sorts of areas and it can take awhile.

What is something behind the scenes that people do not know is important to keeping the lifts running smoothly?

Our snow work. When it snows, we have to move a ton of snow and get it out of the way of the chairs, and maintain our ramp heights. When the wind blows snow in or out of the station, the ramp height can constantly be changing. This is something that a lot of our guys work extremely hard to do and don’t get recognized for it by a lot of people. They shovel a lot of snow and chip a lot of ice. We also, sometimes stay late at night fixing lifts and getting everything ready for the next day.

What must a person do to become a lift operator?

We do a three-day orientation. A lot of this is introducing them to Copper Mountain and how the resort is run. We spend two of those days actually training on the lifts: going through the motor rooms and the safety systems (braking and driving).

What’s the biggest nightmare for lift operators?

Either a fire starting in the motor room, although it has not happened since I have been at Copper, or if a roll back were to happen.

How does weather determine how the lifts are run?

High winds are something that really affects us. If the winds are blowing the right way and the gusts are high enough it can really sway the chairs. Each chair is different. We have weather stations on the hill that monitor the conditions, and in the end, it’s a joint decision between ski patrol, lift maintenance and us whether to shut a lift down. Generally, when the winds start gusting over 50 mph is when we get close to the point of shutting down lifts.

Do you still find the time to ski enough?

 I get to ski a decent amount every day. In terms of first tracks, it doesn’t happen too often because we’re usually so busy going through our safety checks and making sure the lifts are safe to load. This usually takes pretty close to the full hour.

What’s your favorite thing about being in lift operations and working for Copper?

Just being in the mountains and skiing. Also, The Real Deal Pass, in my opinion, is the best pass in the universe. This allows me to ride almost all mountains in Colorado for free, except for Vail and a few others.