Alpine Hauler

alpine hauler

New On the Mountain

The Alpine Hauler in Use

The new Alpine Hauler Deck is designed to carry many items. Measuring 8 feet long by 4 feet 6 inches wide, it features several anchor points to fasten items of various shapes and sizes securely.

In the accompanying photos, we demonstrated the system by securing two terrain park features: a box and a rail. By handling the features on a flat, even surface, we significantly reduced the risk of back injuries often associated with moving heavy objects on uneven or slick ground. These features were loaded onto the Alpine Hauler Deck in the shop and then manually rolled to the edge of the snow. A snowcat operator easily picked up the deck and transported it to the terrain park. Once there, staff unloaded the features without requiring the snowcat to remain onsite. Following staff training, the features were reloaded onto the Alpine Hauler Deck. At a convenient time, the snowcat operator retrieved the deck and brought it back to the shop. Terrain park staff then rolled the Alpine Hauler back into the shop and unloaded it.

The Alpine Hauler is built to enhance safety, convenience, and efficiency.

Safety

The Alpine Hauler eliminates the need for personnel to be near the snowcat blade to hook up terrain park features using straps or other devices. This significantly reduces risks in an inherently dangerous area, even for experienced snowcat operators.
Snowy, uneven terrain around the blade can make footing precarious, adding unnecessary danger when lifting and moving heavy terrain park features.

Convenience

Coordinating schedules between snowcat operators and terrain park staff can be challenging and costly. The Alpine Hauler allows each crew to work independently, saving time and effort. For example:
- Terrain park staff can load features onto the Alpine Hauler at the end of their shift.
- Snowcat operators can pick up the Alpine Hauler and transport it during their shift without waiting for terrain park staff to be onsite.
- Multiple Alpine Haulers allow grooming fleets to transport several loads in a single run while maintaining grooming duties.
This flexibility ensures more efficient use of time for both snowcat operators and terrain park crews.

Efficiency

The Alpine Hauler can carry one large feature or up to three smaller features in a single trip, significantly reducing the number of snowcat runs required.
By minimizing trips, wear and tear on snowcats is reduced, and labor efficiency is improved.
Snowcat operating costs, ranging between $150 and $300 per hour, make the time saved by using the Alpine Hauler highly cost-effective.
If the Alpine Hauler reduces snowcat operating time by one to two hours daily, these savings quickly add up throughout a season, even for smaller resorts.
The Alpine Hauler’s cost-efficiency ensures it pays for itself in a short time.

The Alpine Hauler is not just a tool; it’s an investment in safer, more convenient, and more efficient snow resort operations.

How It Started

We got our hands on a bunch of unused galvanized snowgun carriages. We modified one to work better with common parts. Now, the Alpine Hauler is ready for just about anything:

It provides a 6′ wide by 6′ long footprint to mount just about anything you want
4 wheel option available
It’s built to handle most things you need to haul up the mountain
You can provide your own work basket or other frame to mount on it.