- The largest gondola network in the world looks to add four more lines.
- Aspen Mountain is likely to gain approval for Pandora’s next month with lift installation targeted for 2023.
- The Burnaby Mountain Gondola remains a top funding priority in the Vancouver region.
- 49 Degrees North names its new detachable quad Northern Spirit.
- Opposition emerges to the Lutsen Mountains expansion proposal.
- Kelly Canyon flies towers for its new Skytrac.
- Ground is broken for a seven station urban gondola system in Santiago, Chile.
- Beaver Creek releases its new map with McCoy Park. Okemo’s new lifts hit the trail map. Saddleback too.
- A proposed wildlife park with gondola ride receives a $400,000 grant from the State of North Dakota.
- Maine’s Mt. Abram reactivates its long disused Mini T-Bar.
- A documentary about Canada’s largest lost ski area will debut at the Banff Film Festival.
- MND Ropeways commences construction on its first North American detachable at Waterville Valley.
- 462 ski areas operated last season in the United States, 8 fewer than 2019/20.
- Purgatory’s Ice Creek expansion and triple chair are approved, subject to a 45 day objection period.
- Ski Cooper’s wish list includes a frontside detachable quad and lifts on Chicago Ridge.
- Alberta’s Hidden Valley may not open this season.
- Nitehawk takes delivery of Lake Louise’s former Summit Platter for immediate installation and conversion to a T-Bar.
- A Snow King gondola update.
- Fire-damaged Big Snow American Dream will remain closed into 2022.
- As some suggest a gondola, Denver International Airport seeks proposals for a non-rail link between its three concourses.
Lift Blog 
I think some Beaver Creek skiers might be turned away from McCoy Park by the whole fact that the only way out is by a fixed grip lift, as it’s only one of two areas where you can’t use a detachable lift (the other being Elkhorn).
And a lot of the McCoy Park trail names remind me of the trail name choices Breck used for Peak 6, for some reason.
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It’s a confusing map, certainly. If I read it correctly, you can access the base oF McCoy from the summit of Larkspur, but there is no way to ski from the summit of McCoy down to Talons (or anywhere at all) without riding the fixed grip? They could sure use a notation like Vail has at Game Creek (“you must ride the lift out or game creek bowl!”) or BC has over at Rose Bowl.
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Is that true though? Are you certain there is no ability to ski down from the top of the McCoy Park Express via Primrose?
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This map seems to suggest “Unwind” gets you out via Larkspur Bowl …
Also, that new trail map shows Unwind continuing well past Sanctuary towards Primrose … which is odd, considering it terminates amidst a bunch of blue runs.
Definitely confusing.
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This map also suggests Unwind has access to Primrose.
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I think you can get out via Larkspur Bowl and not need to take Reunion. However, given that would dump skiers from a beginner trail onto an intermediate one, they may encourage people to simply ski down and take Reunion.
When Strawberry Park becomes a chondola in a couple of years, the flow in and out will make more sense for beginner skiers.
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A chondola would definitely be the ideal lift to replace Strawberry Park. Ski school and beginners can get the gondola cabins and download on them after they’re done in McCoy Park. Everyone else can take the chairs.
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I am stoked about the idea of that large gondola network growing even more! How exciting. I hope I can ride it someday.
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More progress on the Freedom SuperChair.
Still trying to figure out how many combis it’s going to have.
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(Pictures from the Breckenridge blog entry on the lift: https://blog.breckenridge.com/2021/08/20/introducing-the-freedom-superchair-a-new-chair-creates-a-classic-pair-on-peak-7/)
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I’d love to see that detach at Cooper along the proposed alignment. The ride time on the 10th mountain chair is noticeably long, and yet it doesn’t actually get you to the top of the mountain.
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What criteria does NSAA use for its count of ski areas? By my reckoning, Washington has 17 or 18 ski areas (depending on whether you count Snoqualmie and Alpental separately), but they say there are 14 in their document.
49 North, Badger Mountain, Bluewood, Crystal Mountain, Echo Valley, Hurricane Ridge, Leavenworth Ski Hill, Loup Loup, Meany Lodge, Mission Ridge, Mount Baker, Mount Spokane, Sahalie Ski Club, Sitzmark, Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Summit (and maybe Alpental), and White Pass. That’s 17 or 18, isn’t it?
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Probably the 14 that Peter list here that have lifts… 49* North, Badger, Crystal, Echo, Hurricane, Loup Loup, Mission Ridge, Baker, Spokane, Sitzmark, Bluewood, Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie, White Pass. Leavenworth, Sahalie, and Meany only have rope tows and are only Leavenworth is open to the public and not a lodge that happens to have a rope tow.
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If you count Alpental separately, then Ski Acres and Hyak should also be separate. Boyne and Booth Creek before them run all four as a single unit.
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Very true, but you can ski between the other three while Alpental is off on its own on the other side of the freeway.
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Lots of resorts are one that you can’t ski between and have roads or considerable distance between them. Off the top of my head you can’t ski between sugarbush’s Lincoln and Mt. Ellen and slide brook never runs, you can’t ski between Loveland basin and valley, you can’t ski between snowshoe and silver creek, you can ski between timberline and summit but have to take a shuttle to get back to timberline, you can’t ski between olympic valley and alpine this year without taking a connection gondola that probably won’t be finished this year. Also need a connection gondola between Stowe and spruce peak across a road and parking lot. You can’t ski between big bear and snow summit. I am sure there are a ton of other resorts I am missing that are operated as one that you can’t ski between. It definitely happens.
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They have to operate in the season to count for NSAA. I know Sitzmark didn’t last winter.
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Peter,
If Sitzmark didn’t operate and you don’t count Sahalie and Meany because they are not open to the public/don’t sell lift tickets or offer really any kind of services besides a private members lodge that happens to have a rope toe(s) that makes 14.
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