- The Forest Service approves issuance of a special use permit for Mountain Capital Partners to operate Elk Ridge.
- Another new ski resort opens in North Korea with more lifts that look like knockoffs of a certain European manufacturer.
- Arctaris plans to close on Saddleback December 23rd, but a last minute call for donations raises some questions. A detachable quad is no longer planned but rather fixed grip lift replacements.
- Disney’s Riviera Resort, the only hotel with its own dedicated Disney Skyliner station, opens Monday.
- Facing repeated annual losses and falling skier visits, Spirit Mountain gets a bailout from the City of Duluth.
- Sasquatch Mountain names its new Leitner-Poma quad Yeti Cruiser.
- The nonprofit which operates Sky Tavern receives a new lease despite objections from nearby Mt. Rose.
- New Sea to Sky Gondola cabins arrive in Squamish.
- The Forest Service begins review of Lutsen Mountains’ possible expansion onto public land.
- Crystal Mountain, BC may not reopen this season as hoped.
- Utah’s 15th ski area launches tomorrow.
Lift Blog 
Granby Ranch’s owner Marise Cipriani has surrendered the real estate portion of the area to the holding company’s lender.
https://www.skyhinews.com/news/granby-ranch-kicks-off-season-unaffected-by-ownership/
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North Korea used to buy a lot of used Doppelmayr lifts through shady brokers for their previous area. Are you sure they didn’t do the same again? It was big news here in Austria when a used gondola that previous ran in Ischgl showed up there a few years ago.
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FYI, here is a link to an english language article on the Ischgl NK affair: https://www.nknews.org/pro/north-koreas-new-cable-car-from-austrian-ski-resort/
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And here is the gondola from Ischgl that made it to North Korea.
https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-tcd4-pardorama-doppelmayr-5632.html
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Oh great! Now there are more doppelmayr knockoffs
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Yeti Cruiser, what a fun name!
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Another major ski day at Mt Snow (Foudners Day with $29 tix) and another major lift break down. This time Beartrap.
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I knew that a Saddleback HSQ was too good to be true.
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You have to wonder about the long term viability of Saddleback if the prospective buyer is soliciting donations prior to closing on the property. Seems interesting that a for profit entity advertising above-market returns for investors needs to resort to this to raise capital.
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While I agree with the Lutsen expansion so they can survive in this industry, I still think they should focus on improving their old lifts like Bridge, Ullr, and Mystery. These would improve flow and attract people for less dollars than a major terrain expansion. 2 fixed grip quads for Bridge and Ullr would really improve their aging infrastructure.
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Does Elk Ridge have a detachable poma? There aren’t many photos on Google of the lift.
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Thanks for including MN ski news (two items even – though of course the Spirit Mountain situation isn’t ideal.) I’ve been watching for Lutsen expansion updates, and hadn’t seen this link yet. One more reason I check this website maybe more than the actual news…
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