Whitefish Orders a Sizable Six Pack

Peter Landsman1 Comment

With strong visitation and record season pass sales, Whitefish Mountain Resort today announced major lift projects for each of the next two summers. The big news is a deal with Leitner-Poma for a six place lift replacing Chair 4. The 1978 Stadeli triple had a great run but boosting out-of-base capacity and relieving pressure from the Big Mountain Express became top priorities for the resort. The new flagship will lift guests from the base lodge to Inspiration Ridge along a 5,700 foot alignment. Rising 2,200 vertical feet in less than seven minutes, it will be the largest lift investment in resort history and the first Leitner-Poma installation in the state of Montana. Preliminary work will begin this summer with completion scheduled for late 2022.

This summer, Leitner-Poma subsidiary Skytrac will complete the planned move of Chair 8 to higher elevation terrain in Hellroaring Basin. This will allow the basin to open earlier in the season and create a new pod of defined runs.

Another planned project already approved by the Forest Service is a third new lift to Hellroaring Peak. The timeline for that one has not yet been determined.

β€œI think it is important for passholders to know that the resort continues to reinvest into its infrastructure each year providing more value to the season pass,” said Dan Graves, Chief Executive Officer for Whitefish. “These are truly exciting times at Whitefish Mountain Resort.”

Arizona Snowbowl Unveils New Master Plan

Peter Landsman9 Comments

As if a new Telemix, six pack and two quads weren’t enough, Arizona Snowbowl plans to keep improving. The Forest Service recently accepted the resort’s new Master Development Plan, which outlines projects envisioned to be completed over the next 15 years. It includes not only more chairlifts but also new snowmaking, parking, lodges and summer activities. The upgrade plan would modestly raise the lift/trail network’s comfortable carrying capacity from 3,870 to 4,500 skiers per day. 252 acres of new terrain would be cleared, all located within the existing permit area.

Aspen, the oldest lift on the mountain dating back to the 1960s, would be removed and replaced by a fixed grip quad servicing a few acres of new terrain. This project was previously approved but not yet implemented as other replacements took priority. Aspen 2.0 would more than double uphill capacity of the previous lift and improve the beginner experience. Two conveyor additions have also been approved but not yet implemented.

A second new fixed grip quad chair called Fort Valley Glades would service low intermediate and novice terrain out of a new base area. This would help alleviate congestion surrounding the existing Agassiz and Hart Prairie lodges. This lift would span approximately 2,550 feet with a capacity of 1,500 skiers per hour, unloading near the top of the current Sunset triple.

A fixed grip quad with the working name Hart Prairie II would add even more beginner and intermediate terrain at Snowbowl. This lift would serve 665 vertical feet along the northern edge of the current Special Use Permit boundary.

Other lift-related projects include the replacement of Sunset with updated equipment and final capacity upgrades of both the Arizona Gondola and Grand Canyon Express to 2,400 guests per hour. The Humphreys Peak quad may also be upgraded from 1,000 to 1,500 skiers per hour through the addition of chairs.

There’s good reason to continue investing. Arizona Snowbowl’s attendance has increased an average of 12 percent annually since 2012, in large part thanks to the addition of snowmaking. Snowbowl now sees more guests on peak days than it previously welcomed some seasons reliant on natural snow.

It’s important to remember acceptance of a master plan by the Forest Service does not constitute approval of individual projects. However, the document gives us a good idea of where Mountain Capital Partners would like to take Arizona Snowbowl in the years to come.

Mt. Rose Announces Lakeview Express Project

Peter Landsman15 Comments
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has decided to replace the Lakeview triple with a modern detachable. The lift will bolster out of base capacity currently provided mostly by the Northwest Magnum 6. “Beloved by many, the 41 year old Lakeview lift saw much greater ridership this past season, and proved the need for increased lift capacity to intermediate and even novice terrain,” read an announcement to season passholders. “Estimated to be the largest capital improvement project in the history of Mt. Rose, this express lift will be a key part in an overall Lakeview Experience involving trail additions, enhancements, and overall skier traffic benefits in the greater plan of this mountain zone.”

The new lift will be constructed in the summer of 2022 and open at the start of the 2022/23 season. The manufacturer and chair size were not announced. Mt. Rose also has approval to add a two stage chairlift in the Atoma expansion zone, which would become the mountain’s fourth detachable.

Sugar Mountain to Add Fourth New Lift in Six Years

Peter Landsman1 Comment

Another new chairlift is coming to North Carolina’s largest ski area. Sugar Mountain Resort and Doppelmayr will partner to build a fixed grip quad this summer called Big Birch, replacing the Green triple. The new lift will transport 1,792 skiers per hour to mid-mountain, an increase of 22 percent.

“Building new ski lifts makes Sugar Mountain Resort happy,” notes a press release. “Moving people seamlessly, efficiently and comfortably from point-to-point is our goal and most importantly, it makes guests happy.” Other recent additions at Sugar Mountain include the Summit Express, Easy Street and Gunther’s Way lifts, all by Doppelmayr. The lift company and Sugar Mountain’s owner both hail from Austria, hence their strong partnership.

Note: Any news dated April 1st should be read with caution. However, I do not believe this is a joke. After all, Sugar announced the new Easy Street quad on April 1st, 2019!

News Roundup: Good Friday

Peter Landsman4 Comments

Whistler Blackcomb to Shut Down Again

Peter Landsman54 Comments

The largest ski resort in North America is closing for at least three weeks effective midnight tonight. The pause comes as part of a provincial effort to slow the spread of Covid-19 through new restrictions on business and travel. Gyms, indoor dining, and houses of worship are also closing by order of the BC government. Whistler Blackcomb was specifically identified to “address and prevent community spread related to non-essential travel,” according to a news release. Other British Columbia ski resorts are currently allowed to remain open.

“Covid-19 continues to create challenges for people and businesses throughout B.C., and we are grateful for the sacrifices people continue to make to keep one another safe,” said British Columbia Premier John Horgan. β€œWe know that the idea of more restrictions is not welcome news, but we are asking people to rise to the challenge with the confidence that vaccines mean better days are ahead. We are not out of the woods yet, but the provincial health officer’s orders, combined with our vaccines, give us the tools we need to move out of this pandemic together.”

Whistler Blackcomb parent company Vail Resorts recently announced 28.4 percent decline in net income due to effects of the pandemic. Whistler Blackcomb was disproportionately impacted due to the Canadian border remaining closed. Destination visits declined to 15 percent of Whistler Blackcomb visitation this season compared to 48 percent in the same period the prior year. Skier visits across all North American Vail Resorts declined 8.2 percent for the season as of March 7th.

The Whistler Blackcomb closure order is scheduled to last through April 19th, 2021. Whistler Mountain had been scheduled to close April 18th with Blackcomb Mountain planned to remain open until May 24th.

On Monday evening Whistler Blackcomb Chief Operating Officer Geoff Buchheister issued the following statement:

“Throughout the season, Whistler Blackcomb has prioritized the health and safety of our guests and employees. Monday’s order from the Province of British Columbia to close Whistler Blackcomb came as a surprise and we respect the decision and are taking immediate steps to comply. We would like to thank all of our guests and employees for their willingness to adapt to our COVID safety protocols and will update the website with more information on the future of the 2020-21 season.”

By Tuesday, resort officials decided to close both mountains for the season and turn their attention to summer.

News Roundup: RFP

Peter Landsman17 Comments

Chair Falls from Camelback’s Sullivan Express

Peter Landsman102 Comments

A chair fell from the Sullivan Express at Camelback Resort in Pennsylvania today along with three passengers who were riding in it. Pictures posted to social media show a significant patrol response as well as ski and snowboard gear surrounding the chair on the ground. A local dispatch log notes a call came in at 3:39 pm for a 40 year old male with back and hip injury, a 12 year old male with an arm injury and a 9 year old female with an abdominal injury. The entire west side of the resort was closed for the remainder of the day. Weather in the area was reportedly good with sunny skies, light winds and temperatures in the 50s.

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The lift involved is a 1995 Doppelmayr detachable quad with DS series grips. It operates in winter as well as summer for water park operations. While Doppelmayr detachable lifts have an excellent safety record, other instances of chairs falling have occurred. A 2015 incident on Mt. Bachelor’s Sunrise Express was blamed on component failure. At Thredbo, Australia, quad chairs fell in both 2016 and 2019 from the Gunbarrel Express due to windy conditions.

As of Monday morning, the Sullivan Express remains closed with the Bailey double operating in its place. Sullivan’s sister lift, the Stevenson Express, is operating normally.

Camelback released the below statement Monday afternoon:

Camelback issued a second statement the morning of Tuesday, March 23rd:

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry confirmed to me it is investigating the incident but declined to provide further information. “The results of the investigation are not considered a public document,” an agency spokesperson noted.