By Marty Basch

I thought I might get melancholy. Maybe even misty-eyed.

That didn't happen.

Instead I couldn't wait for the old gray mare to get to the top of the run so I could begin mine.

With the word out that Sugarloaf is replacing the Spillway chairs, I thought it would be a good time to head up the Carrabassett Valley legend and ride the old lift one last time before saying good-bye on a bluebird Tuesday with temps in the mid-30s, sunshine and hardly any wind.

It was sweet.

Everything comes to an end. The old gondola came and went. Paul Schipper's incredible streak is a memory.

And soon are the present day Spillway chairs.

Given their infamy of late, it's a welcome change.

The Spillway East chairlift  derailed December 28, 2010 sending five chairs to the snow resulting in several injuries and a pending lawsuit (according to ESPN).

Sugarloaf announced it will replace the Spillway lifts, part of a $4.3 million off-season upgrade that includes more expansion (135 acres) of backcountry terrain at Burnt Mountain.

The $3 million fixed grip Dopplemayr quad chair will be installed along the same path as the Spillway East chair.

The old lifts are scheduled to be taken down in May with the new lift slated to be constructed and completed by mid-November.

The new quad will feature a conveyor loading system (fellow Maine resort Shawnee Peak installed one last December and after a couple of wobbly starts on my part I can report that the thing works), which will allow the lift to run at speeds of up to 500 feet per minute. The lift will travel 3,746 feet, rise 1,457 vertical feet, feature a total of 16 towers, and will be powered by a 400 horsepower motor. An additional 400 horsepower Cummins Diesel engine will serve as a backup. Skiers slide onto a moving belt before sitting in the chairs.

Sugarloaf is also a cold and windy spot. Having lifts on wind hold is part of the experience. According to the resort, the new lift's been designed to be as wind-resistant as possible. It will travel at a lower height, and installed closer to the treeline to reduce its exposure to wind. The chairs will be heavier than a standard four-person chair, making them more wind-resistant and less susceptible to chair-swing.

Given the December accident, there's no doubt there are those riding the existing lift wondering if something like that will happen again. This will allay those concerns. The Spillway chairs access the mountain's middle and are instrumental in the area's traffic flow and getting to other lifts.

It is a welcoming development.