Utah ski resorts are proving this season that lifts need not be giant to positively impact guest experiences. I got to visit the state’s three newest chairlifts this week, which are all short but sweet with beginner skiers in mind.
High Meadow Express – Park City Mountain
The High Meadow Express is the centerpiece of re-imagined teaching terrain above Park City’s Canyons Village. With mellow loading and unloading speeds, a quick ride time and an improved alignment, the high speed quad marks a significant step up from the fixed quad it replaces. High Meadow Park is now wide open with perfectly pitched beginner trails. Expanded snowmaking rounds out the freshened up beginner zone.
Homestake Express – Deer Valley Resort
Homestake Express launched this morning at Alterra-owned Deer Valley, becoming the resort’s 13th detachable quad. Ride time is now under two minutes between Silver Lake Lodge and Bald Eagle Mountain. There are only eight towers now, down from 12, freeing up space on the busy Silver Link ski run. The new Homestake also features slatted backrests for wind resistance.
Snowpine – Alta Ski Area
In Little Cottonwood Canyon, the new Snowpine Quad carried its first skiers yesterday. The Skytrac Monarch was manufactured just 30 miles away in Salt Lake. While it only has two towers and a dozen chairs, the new lift serves dual functions. It will provide ski-in, ski-out access to the new Snowpine Lodge, which opens January 30th. Alta’s first fixed grip quad also provides a beginner-friendly alternative to the surface tow it replaces. The return terminal is height adjustable for the big snow years.
Lift Blog 
It’s interesting that Alterra spent money on foot rests for the Homestake lift, but Viking has them as well.
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I should have mentioned the new Park City lift has the between the legs safety bar and straps for pulling it down. No foot rests.
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Deer Valley has foot rests on every lift except the beginner doubles. The Canyons did not have foot rests on any of the lifts installed new by American Skiing Company. The old Park City only had them on the detachables. So far all 3 resorts have followed their old foot rest conventions under their new owners.
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Pretty sure all chairs at Deer Valley have footrests. Part of the “Deer Valley Difference”
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Does anyone know what happened to the old High Meadow Quad?
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Still feels weird to replace Homestake since it has another high-speed quad next to it that also takes people from Silverlake to the main lodge.
The High Meadow replacement makes more sense after taking a look since it looks like they also redid a bunch of the teaching runs that it let onto. I seem to recall having issues with that lift when I tried to learn to snowboard at The Canyons
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It is interesting that Vail went with dt grips. They got agamatic grips on con and quicksilver.
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Agreed!
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