Every Tuesday, I feature my favorite Instagram photos from around the lift world.
Month: March 2019
News Roundup: Passcape
- LST Ropeways’ prototype detachable chairlift in France is once again open.
- Despite a wild winter in Colorado, the shiny new Glenwood Gondola is tracking towards a March 16th launch.
- Mt. Spokane’s first new lift in four-plus decades has been spinning since December but the mountain’s nonprofit operator is still seeking donations to help pay for it.
- Epic Passes go on sale and a new Epic Day Pass offers Vail Resorts skiers the option to pre-buy a flexible number of days at a big discount.
- The Mountain Collective Pass is back for 2019-20 and, as expected, no longer includes Sun Valley or Snowbasin.
- Following the collective model, an Indy Pass is brewing with eleven regional resorts already signed on.
- Court documents suggest the Hermitage Club may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- The highly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Walt Disney World Resort August 29th, which would be a great date for the Skyliner to start carrying guests to it.
- Aspen voters approve the Lift 1 corridor project by 26 votes, but it may be a few years before a Telemix joins the Ajax lift fleet.
- Two years after a fatal ride accident blamed on corrosion, the Ohio State Fair is spending $116,000 to replace all the carriers on a different attraction – its chairlift.
- Doppelmayr is looking for workers to help build lifts across the country this summer.
- Vail Resorts season-to-date lift revenue is up 9.6 percent from a year ago, with skier visits increasing 7.9 percent.
- Attitash won’t open Summit this weekend but not for lack of trying.
- In California, the City of Long Beach is in the very early stages of considering a multistop gondola.
- For the first time in years, Black Mountain is opening its 1935 vintage J-Bar this weekend.
Washington’s First Bubble Chair Coming to Mission Ridge
The fifth US state to feature a bubble lift will be a place close to my heart – Washington. Although both Alterra and Vail Resorts now operate mountains in the Evergreen State, it’s independent gem Mission Ridge that will debut a bubble lift next season. Subject to Forest Service and state approvals, the used detachable quad will replace the Poma-built Liberator Express, which launched in 2005. The existing lift came used from Winter Park and is now 34 years old.
Liberator stretches more than 6,500 feet and rises 1,600′ vertical but has not been very reliable in its life up north. “The costs and limitations associated with maintaining the Liberator required us to take a new approach, so we began a search and found an ideal replacement,” said General Manager Josh Jorgensen in a statement. “If approved, this investment will offer consistency of operations and a much more comfortable ride up the mountain,” he added. “The new lift will come with all new electronic systems and controls which will serve Mission well for many years into the future.”
“We feel fortunate to have this opportunity,” noted Larry Scrivanich, the Seattle entrepreneur who purchased Mission Ridge from Harbor Properties 16 years ago. At the time, Harbor also owned and had invested in new lifts at two other mountains while mostly neglecting its Wenatchee property. Under Mr. Scrivanich’s leadership, Mission not only added the Liberator Express, but also Washington’s most comprehensive snowmaking system. The resort recently launched an expansion plan, seeking to add three more lifts and a ski-in, ski-out village northeast of the current base area. Some noted at the time of the announcement that the Liberator lift should be addressed first. Now it will be, though with another used lift. If all goes according to planned, Mission Ridge guests can be the only ones in the world to ride a classic Riblet double chair to a bubble detachable next winter.
Correction: This story originally stated that the lift would be new from Doppelmayr. It has been updated to reflect that the lift, while Doppelmayr, is coming used from Europe.
Windham Is Shuffling A Lift to Replace C Lift
Major lift moves will continue in the Catskill Mountains of New York this summer as Windham Mountain Resort moves its original detachable quad to replace a CTEC triple chair nearby. “As one successful winter season full of upgrades begins to wind down, plans for the next are already in the works,” said the resort in a media release. Last December, the larger Westside Six chairlift rendered the quad redundant and it hasn’t opened since. The move will mean two different high speed lifts will serve as out-of-base workhorses in addition to Windham’s third detachable on East Peak.
C Lift, also known as Wonderama, started out on East Peak in 1987 and moved to its current location in 2006 to replace a Carlevaro-Savio triple. The latest lift in this alignment will be the fourth new detachable built between neighbors Hunter, Windham and Belleayre in just the last three years.
Windham also announced new grooming, trail widening and automated snowmaking investments today.
Instagram Tuesday: EU
Every Tuesday, I feature my favorite Instagram photos from around the lift world.
Owl’s Head to Replace Lake Lift
The world’s first high speed quad is finally headed for retirement after 38 winter seasons in two countries. Owl’s Head in Quebec will dismantle the Lake quad this spring, a machine which originally entered service at Breckenridge as Quicksilver in 1981. The Doppelmayr detachable moved to Quebec in 1999 but has been out of service of late due to mechanical problems.
The replacement will be a $2.6 million Doppelmayr Alpen-Star fixed-grip quad with loading carpet that will open in time for next season. The new lift will move up to 2,200 skiers per hour. This is the first major investment by a new ownership group at an area with seriously aging infrastructure. “We were more than due to upgrade this lift,” said Destination Owl’s Head CEO Pierre Bourdages. “The loading carpet will be a huge improvement, especially for young and new skiers.”
Copper Confirms Tucker Lift is a Go
Just months after launching two of the largest lifts in the country by vertical transport feet per hour, Copper Mountain today announced its seventh new lift in nine years will bring chairlift service to Tucker Mountain in time for the 2019-20 ski season. The Leitner-Poma triple will load at the bottom of Blackjack and terminate at over 12,200 feet atop The Taco. Copper Mountain skiers and snowboarders will gain quick repeat access to 273 acres of expert chutes and faces. Capacity of the bottom drive, bottom tension lift will be 1,200 per hour.
The move, approved by the White River National Forest last April, is part of a $100 million push by Powdr Co. to transform the Copper experience. “I’m thrilled to announce Copper’s newest Tucker Mountain chairlift allowing more skiers and riders to access Copper’s unique high alpine terrain.,” said Dustin Lyman, president and general manager of Copper Mountain Resort in a news release. “With all of the exciting development at Copper, now, more than ever, is a great time for the next generation of skiers, snowboarders and families to call Copper Mountain Colorado their home mountain,” he continued.
Copper’s parent company is also adding a quad chairlift at its upcoming Woodward Park City action park in Utah this summer. Killington may also see a new North Ridge Quad in time for next season.
Alterra to Build New High Speed Lifts at Alpine Meadows & Winter Park
Alterra Mountain Company will spend $181 million on capital improvements at its network of resorts this offseason, $32.3 million of which will go towards new lifts. The announcement comes on the heels of competitor Vail Resorts’ proclamation that it will devote $139 to 143 million to capital projects in 2019, including new lifts for Crested Butte and Stevens Pass.
At Colorado’s Winter Park Resort, a new Leitner-Poma six-pack will replace the Sunnyside triple, increasing uphill capacity by 800 people per hour and reducing ride time from eight minutes to 3.8. Sunnyside is a 1989 CTEC that provides egress from Parsenn Bowl and often experiences significant wait times.
In California, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will debut the first Leitner-Poma of America LPA detachable to feature an intermediate station. The approximately 5,000 foot quad lift will follow the current Hot Wheels alignment with an offloading opportunity at the current top terminal site. Chairs will continue one minute further to Sherwood Ridge for direct access to the backside of Alpine. The first Leitner-Poma lift at Alpine Meadows will move a total of 2,400 skiers per hour between the three stations and cost approximately $10 million. “The new lift will benefit the Alpine Meadows experience on many levels,” said Ron Cohen, president and chief operating officer at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “Terrain currently served by Hot Wheels is frequently used by learners and ski and ride school as the next progression after the beginner terrain in the base area. A detachable lift will make loading and unloading much easier for these groups, and the ride time will be more than cut in half. Alpine Meadows is a fantastic place to learn how to ski, and I am proud that we are continuing to foster that quality.” Squaw is also adding new rope tow and carpet lifts in the High Camp area to further improve beginner options and skier circulation.
As announced at the beginning of the winter, Doppelmayr will complete the Steamboat gondola rebuild this summer, adding new towers, all new cabins and more. With a speed increase, this key out-of-base lift will feature an increased capacity of 3,600 skiers per hour.
Another significant lift-related investment is RFID access gates and ticketing infrastructure at Deer Valley Resort. Other Alterra properties are getting snow cats, expanded snowmaking capabilities, restaurant remodels and new bike trails. “Alterra Mountain Company’s unique year-round mountain destinations offer skiers, riders and summer visitors of all ages from all over the world special, memorable experiences, and each aspect of our business plays a part in bringing the guest back year after year and inspiring a lifelong love of the mountains,” said Rusty Gregory, Chief Executive Officer of Alterra in a company-wide press release. “We are committed to investing in everything from lifts to snowmaking to creative dining experiences, and technology that weaves it all together for a seamless visit.” The privately-held firm has budgeted more than half a billion dollars for capital improvements through the 2022/2023 ski season. All 13 Alterra destinations participate in the Ikon Pass, which starts at $649 and goes on sale tomorrow morning.
Lookout Pass Announces Quad Project
Before building lifts on Eagle Peak, growing Inland Northwest ski area Lookout Pass will replace core out-of-base Chair 1 with a Skytrac quad, its first brand new lift in 37 years. The fixed-grip quad will double uphill capacity on the Interstate 90 side of the mountain and better position Lookout for planned future expansion. The ski area, which sits at 5,600 feet along the Idaho-Montana border, added three Riblet chairlifts in the early 2000s but all came used via other mountains.
The new Chair 1 will follow the existing alignment and utilize some of the current Riblet towers with a slope length of approximately 2,900 feet and vertical rise surpassing 800 feet. Lookout’s project is the fourth announced new lift for the State of Idaho in 2019 following commitments by Tamarack Resort and Schweitzer. Sun Valley recently pushed back its Cold Springs quad project to 2020.
News Roundup: Four Too Many
- Attitash’s Summit triple is down indefinitely again, this time with a gearbox issue. Peak Resorts executives say even if they wanted to replace the lift with a detachable, there is about a two year wait with both lift companies.
- Northstar California partially evacuates the Promised Land Express by rope on a busy Sunday.
- The new master plan for Timberline Lodge prescribes replacing Pucci with a detachable quad and Bruno’s with a series of carpets.
- At Pajarito, Townsight will end up missing the entire season due to unspecified mechanical issues.
- Alyeska retires its last of seven Riblet double chairlifts, Tanaka.
- A six year old falls 29 feet from an Eldora chairlift after failing to load properly and a petition is asking for policy changes.
- The founder of The Hermitage Club is contesting a no trespass order.
- A child falls from Park City’s Silverlode Express.
- Architectural Digest profiles leading resort design firm SE Group.
- Leitner will build what is sure to become an iconic 3S gondola between Switzerland and Italy from 2021.
- 2019/20 Ikon Passes go on sale March 5th and are virtually unchanged from this season’s versions.
- Tuesday is also the day you should vote if you live in Aspen.
- Timberline, West Virginia throws in the towel and the local paper has an update on the the circumstances.
- A night evacuation takes place at Ski Vorlage.
- James Coleman’s brand new bike park is already a hit.
- Five teenagers perform a flawless catch of a Screaming Eagle lift dangler and earn free Grouse Mountain season passes.
- Somehow a sit skier and lift operator both fall 17 feet from Snowmass’ Elk Camp quad on Tuesday.
- Following a brutal 16 day road closure, Snow Valley eyes a Saturday reopening.
- Bloomberg Businessweek visits the Vail/Alterra HQs and catches up with partners like Boyne Resorts and Telluride.
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