- Sun Peaks applies for a permit to replace Crystal with a Doppelmayr fixed grip quad in a new alignment. The mountain is also getting its fifth James Niehues trail map.
- Ski Santa Fe and Sugar Mountain are getting new Niehues maps as well.
- Windham’s retired Wonderama triple is up for grabs.
- Granite Gorge, New Hampshire is listed for sale at a public auction July 8th but the ski area says it won’t happen.
- Hermitage Club President Harper Sibley resigns, citing an “unworkable” reopening plan. The bankruptcy case will proceed in a Vermont court.
- 85 year old Willy Garaventa recalls how the Squaw Valley tram project propelled his family’s company to eventually become the world leader in aerial tramways.
- A Montana community considers a co-op model for its shuttered ski area.
- Timberline, West Virginia’s owner may liquidate the ski assets.
- Bretton Woods’ gondola cabins are now hanging.
- Because 27 lifts isn’t enough, Big Sky is working on two more in Moonlight Basin and on Flatiron Mountain.
Lift Blog 
This would be the second lift in a row for which Sun Peaks has cut back from the planned spending, going with fixed quads instead of detachable six packs. Should we be worried about the viability of their long-term plans?
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Seems they’ve abandoned plans for a significantly longer alignment in favor of one similar to the current chair. 3,200′ is a few hundred feet shorter than last year’s fixed quad and right about where it often makes sense to stay fixed. I can understand why Crystal is a top priority as the current lift runs on diesel fuel full time. Of course I would love to see Sun Peaks continue to grow, particularly with the Gil’s, Mt. Tod and West Morrisey lifts. All of those are also slated to be fixed grip quads as well.
Interesting that of the six new lifts scheduled for British Columbia over the next two years, five are fixed grip quads.
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I’m also disappointed Crystal is a FG. It needs to be high speed as it can get VERY cold in the wind at the top. And, agree with above that too may FG going in to the mountain. On the other hand the mountain is not really doing too well. It makes money, but not a lot. Some of my family owns a few units in one of the hotels and occupancy is quite low except a Christmas and school breaks.
Personal opinion is that the mountain has a tough future. Snow is OK, terrain is OK, location is OK. All is ‘OK’ – not great. It can have good days and is nice, but not really a destination compared to other possibilities. Most international visitors are package tours and I assume highly discounted. Anyone coming international would really have a better time at Silver Star or Big White or really at Revelstoke and Kicking Horse and beyond. Revelstoke and Kicking Horse are also in a good situation as Highway 1 should be (mostly ???) 4 lanes Kamloops to Alberta in the next 5 years or so. Work is done each year on the highway but it is slow, yet progressing.
A last issue is the Kamloops airport does not have as advanced technology to allow planes to land in poor weather. Usually it is now turboprops flying in not 737 so often skis get left behind in Vancouver. Kelowna has a better airport so naturally Big White and Silver Star are more natural options (Kelowna airport is between the two).
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I agree with a lot of what you have said about the Skiing and the mountain, but property prices are through the roof at Sun Peaks and Skier days continue to grow. I believe Sun Peaks had their biggest single day this past season and Skier days were 2nd best ever in what was a poor season for interior BC.
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So what exactly are the lifts that are going in on the Moonlight Basin side?
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Just one over there. It starts at the Madison base area and goes up to a new real estate development called Lakeview.
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What’s going in on Flatiron?
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