The nation’s largest nonprofit ski area will embark on two lift replacement projects this summer after initially planning just one. Bogus Basin has signed a contract with Skytrac to build the fixed grip quads replacing the aging Coach and Bitterroot chairlifts. The mountain notes the local population grew more than 25 percent between 2010 and 2020 with strong demand for winter recreation. “Bogus Basin is rising to this occasion, continually enhancing our product offerings to ensure everyone has a special experience on their local mountain,” the resort said in a blog post announcing the projects.
The Forest Service already approved the plan to replace Coach, a 1981 Yan double. The Yan beginner lift is in its second location and originally ran where the Deer Point Express spins today. The new Skytrac will follow a longer alignment, spanning 1,412 feet in 2.9 minutes. Vertical will increase from 163 feet on the current double to 323 feet. Bogus will create a wraparound beginner run off the top that is almost 3.5 times longer than the current bunny slope along with adding additional groomed and gladed intermediate terrain. New snowmaking and lighting are also planned for Coach.
Bogus Basin acknowledges that both Coach and Bitterroot were initially planned to become detachable quads in the mountain’s 2015 master plan. However, costs for detachables have risen dramatically in the Covid era. Bids from both manufacturers exceeded $6 million for a 1,400 foot detachable quad at Coach. Just five years ago, Bogus purchased a high speed quad more than twice as long for $4.3 million. Luckily Skytrac came in with a $2.5 million bid to replace Coach with a fixed grip quad and Bogus realized it could use the savings to also replace Bitterroot.
The mountain is a 501(c)(3) organization run by a board of directors that invests all profits back on the mountain. “Bogus Basin is charged with the fiduciary responsibility of the community’s investments to ensure excellent and sustainable recreation for the Treasure Valley,” the resort notes. “When analyzing the statistics of the Coach chairlift upgrade, opting for a fixed-grip quad translates to a slightly longer ride time of 1.5 minutes compared to a high-speed quad, while saving over $2,500,000 for a second lift upgrade.”
Bitterroot is a Riblet double dating back to 1973 that only operates on weekends and holidays. The new Skytrac will run in an improved alignment and perhaps more often. The top station will move to the North side of the Pioneer Lodge and ride time will decrease to 4.9 minutes. “Guests will now have more convenient access to the lodge’s amenities as well as the runs that access Morning Star Express, Bitterroot quad, and Superior Express chairlifts,” the mountain notes. This second new Skytrac will run 2,462 linear feet with a vertical rise of 538 feet. Bitterroot is located entirely on private land thus its replacement does not require Forest Service approval.
Bogus Basin notes that it has invested more than $60 million since 2017 and will continue to make improvements to serve Boise’s growing population. Bogus has up to three future chairlift installations and numerous snowmaking and facility upgrades on tap after this busy summer.
Lift Blog 
Coach never looked like an ideal place to put a detachable.
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Sure, there are short detachables of around that length, but this doesn’t strike me as the kind of alignment to go with a detachable.
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It would have been just fine, space- and use-wise, but this will be decent. I don’t usually say this, but it is actually a needed update. Chair 7 is super uncomfortable, with very slow lines, and Bogus has to pay like eleventy million high school kids as chair riders for kids’ lessons since it’s a double and one instructor can’t be on three chairs. Should be easier now. The longer alignment might help mitigate Chair 2’s lines a little bit as well, as there will be more skiing to do on 7. Disappointed with replacing 5. It runs fine and the unfounded “rickety double” reputation helps keep the joeys away. Such is life.
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Really like this upgrade. I think staying fixed makes sense for both chairs.
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Yeah, I agree these are good upgrades. The current Coach lift often has long lines and increasing the beginner terrain with a longer, higher capacity lift is a no brainer. I also like the new alignment of Bitterroot, which makes it easier to get back to the Morningstar terrain. I will be sad to see that Riblet lift go, though. Showcase rarely runs, so Bitterroot was the one Riblet still in regular use.
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I am wondering what the 9/12/3 o’clock race kid cluster at the race building will look like now that it will be between the unload and most of the lapping terrain. Hopefully it’ll be nothing, or just a temporarily annoying issue. We’ll see.
I do really like that they are planning on opening 5 more often. Today is a good example of why they should. Parked out or close to it on a glorious 8″ Friday, broken clouds and a breeze, with some real nice short, steep pitches just sitting there all lonely like. A big passholder lot completely empty and yearning for some spilled beer, cheetos, charcoal briquettes, and dog poop.
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I’m all for the upgrade, but like you, I’m a little interested to see how it works out… not just the race kid cluster, but all of us bombing down from Chair 2 onto tennis court flats trying to keep enough speed to make it over to bitterroot basin. There’s going to be a lift unloading right in the middle of the tennis court raceway… I guess we’ll have to slow down and skate over. Safety first. I suppose this will also change traffic in Pioneer Lodge now that both lifts will be on the opposite side of the building entrance. We’ll all start using the patio doors. Plus for the first year, that lift will be dark… with a slurry of night skiing around it. It will be weird seeing sit there idle after 4pm. Change is good.
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Dear Peter:
Yours truly,
Bill Fetcher
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It’s sixteen miles north-northeast of Boise.
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Boise, Idaho.
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On the divide between the Grimes Creek and Shafer Creek drainages, just above the highest point on the Boise Ridge Road.
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It’s up to Peter how he writes his headlines. I’ve noticed that since we’re all lift nerds, we tend to look up different areas to see what’s going on there as well.
As for a glossary, there have been several versions on many websites but if you’d like a list, contact me at pbropetech@gmail.com and I’ll send you the comprehensive version I use in my classes.
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