- Doppelmayr wins the contract to build Cablebus Line 3, a six station/40 tower gondola in Mexico City with a bid $19 million under Leitner.
- Steamboat’s new gondola won’t open until mid to late December.
- A falling tree de-ropes the Busch Gardens Williamsburg gondola off multiple towers.
- NSAA reports the number of US ski areas operating last season increased by 11 to 473.
- A brand new chairlift at Ski Wentworth gets battered by wind and falling trees from Hurricane Fiona but is believed to be undamaged.
- Lake Louise says both Upper Juniper and Sunnyside high speed quads could be constructed as early as 2023 (map here).
- A new map shows the location of Vail’s upcoming Chair 17 in Sun Down Bowl.
- Deer Valley’s new map shows where the new Burns Express goes.
- Apex Mountain uses video footage and social media to identify a group who tampered with the resort’s detachable quad.
- The Los Angeles transit authority expects to release the draft Environmental Impact Report for the Dodger Stadium gondola October 17th.
Lift Blog 
I do not understand why Burns Express will not continue to the top of Little Baldy Peak. Heading back to Jordanelle will still require riding Mountaineer, and Gnat’s Eye runs from the top of the peak to allow beginners an easy way down.
From the wording of the Lake Louise announcement, it sounds like the hopeful timeline is for Upper Juniper and Sunnyside’s grading/cutting to be done next summer, with Sunnyside presumably following the year after. However, I could be looking too deep into the wording…
LikeLike
To be honest I never understood it either but three lifts up there could crowd out that part of the mountain like flagstaff is a great example of that. Personally I think they should have just reused the old burns lift for the location they went for. And put a new high speed quad in the spot of the old burns lift line.
LikeLike
This is exactly what I’ve been saying also about Burns Express. It’s confounding to me why they wouldn’t just extend it to the top of Little Baldy. There’s gotta be some reason why that we don’t know about, because that length and alignment simply doesn’t make sense.
LikeLike
Edit: So something I just found out is the county line between Summit and Wasatch counties runs literally a few feet past where the top terminal is located. I wonder if they didn’t extend it because the regulatory hurdles of having a lift cross county lines was too much? Maybe someone here knows more about that? Of course Sterling Express directly crosses the county line, so who knows.
LikeLike
From a beginner progression point going to the top of Little Baldy Peak is a lot bigger progression than a carpet to the new Burns. You are talking around 700ft+ of Vertical and one long run for a beginner with a steep intimidating top, the worst part to be steep. Imagine trying to get a beginner group down that in a lesson. Not happening. Not setting a beginner or instructor up for success or a good time.
It would also create overlapping pods with lots of potential to get on harder terrain for beginners. It is mostly blues off the top and the lift would have to go over them get to the top. Not to mention it would be very crowded and confusing up there, especially for a beginner. Increasing the chance of getting on inappropriate terrain.
The way they have the new burns it also kind of takes you out of the base area so you almost feel like you are more on the mountain and going somewhere My guess is it will get a couple more trails and more of a small pod like feel.
You can then progress to Mountaineer for the top as its own defined slightly harder pod. By that time you should also be more comfortable navigating and working your way around the mountain. Again progression.
This lift is clearly a beginner lift first and commuter lift second. I think it makes sense because I don’t think this lift would get much use as a commuter lift. Like what you parked at Jordanelle and just had lunch at snow park and now want to get to you car? Get real. You parked at Jordanelle you are skiing somewhere else on the mountain and take Mountaineer to get back same as you always did.
It was a good choice. A great beginner lift that opens up weird commuting options is a better than an unneeded commuting lift no one would use thats a terrible beginner lift but is supposed to be a beginner lift.
LikeLike
I think the power play these days is a dedicated, ultra-short detach more or less cloistered off from general skiing traffic. PCMR has Meadows; Beaver Creek has Haymeadow; Steamboat is doing it at Greenhorn Ranch; etc …
This lift is not meant to improve skier flow or make certain trail pods more accessible to intermediate or expert skiers. It’s purely a teaching tool for young kids and first-time skiers.
To me, the most controversial aspect of it is it doesn’t sit immediately adjacent to a lodge or gondola. You need to take some other lift to get to this, and then ski down from it when you’re done. That seems less than ideal.
I also don’t understand why such a lift is going in so low down on the mountain.
It seems obvious the visually cluttered collection of lifts between the parking and mid-mountain (Silver Lake, Carpenter, Homestake) should be replaced by a signature, high-capacity gondola. Then, it would make sense to build a mid-mountain learning center somewhere up by Silver Lake Lodge. That, in my view, is where a lift like this belongs.
LikeLike
I completely understand the need for a modern beginner complex anchored by a detachable lift and agree that the location of Burns Express is perplexing if this is truly its purpose.
LikeLike
Curious as to what 77 Snow Park, VT added ski area to the NSAA report is.
LikeLike
Looks like a ski jumping hill.
LikeLike
Vermont really is the state that gets closest to the ski culture and feel of Europe. This place looks like its straight outa Norway or Finland.
LikeLike
Dang, did part of that crossarm on the Busch Gardens gondola get broken off?
LikeLike
No, it’s a one way triangle lift so there are only sheave assemblies on one side of each tower.
LikeLike
Not to brag or anything.. but..
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/colorado-mountains-see-first-significant-snowfall-of-season
LikeLike
bummed about wild blue but makes sense it’ll take a bit longer. will Greenhorn Ranch Express be done? I haven’t heard much about it
LikeLike
If I recall correctly, the article stated that the Greenhorn Ranch learning area would be ready for opening day, which I assume implies that the lift would be ready at that time.
LikeLike