Eldora Mountain Resort will launch its first detachable lift next ski season, a six-pack replacing two decades-old fixed-grips at Powdr Co.’s newest resort near Denver. Doppelmayr USA and Highlander Ski Lift Services & Construction will partner to manufacture and install the six-pack this summer and fall, reuniting the team that collaborated to launch the new Cloudchaser lift at sister resort Mt. Bachelor in 2016. Highlander also installed Solitude’s Summit Express in 2015.
“This new high speed lift is another significant improvement that will greatly enhance the Eldora experience for our snowsports community,” said Brent Tregaskis, general manager at Eldora in a press release. “The goal of Eldora and Powdr Adventure Lifestyle Co. is to service our guests and community as best we can.” Powdr bought Eldora last June and promised to make major upgrades.
The new six-place detachable will replace both Cannonball, a 1973 Heron-Poma double, and Challenge, a 1971 Hall triple relocated to Eldora from Sun Valley in 1992. The yet-to-be-named new lift will load between the Indian Peaks and Timbers lodges and rise 1,000 vertical feet in just 4.5 minutes. Capacity will reach an impressive 3,600 skiers per hour with 17 towers and a slope length of 3,829′. Eldora released renderings of the new lift showing sleek dark red and black Uni-G terminals.
The old lifts will be recycled and chairs sold to the public with a contest to be held soon to name the big new lift. Four other detachable chairlifts have been announced by Colorado resorts for next ski season: a Doppelmayr high-speed quad at Beaver Creek and Leitner-Poma six-packs at Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail.
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AH HUH!!! Can I call it, or what.. A few weeks ago we were talking about 6-packs in Colorado and I mentioned Eldora would be a great candidate to put a 6-pack in to get rid of the 2 fix gripped lifts that run the same length to the same area. CONGRATS, ELDORA! Welcome to the 6-Pack club!!
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In fact, welcome to the high speed club!
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Member number 165. Likely to be a few other additions this year as well.
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Bring em on! This is shaping up to be a good year for Doppie, LP, & Sky-T.
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How many former members are there? Any other than Ascutney?
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Ascutney is it. Willamette Pass has made no secret that it would like to trade away its six-pack due to high maintenance costs. (http://www.saminfo.com/classifieds/advert/34-2002-doppelmayr-ctec)
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Beech Mountain, NC also got rid of their Doppelmayr HSQ in favour of a Doppelmayr quad.
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I know you’ve talked about Giants Ridge, but who else is joining? 49 Degrees or Taos getting theirs this year?
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Hopefully all three!
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