New Mexico’s Angel Fire Resort plans to bolster its lift fleet over the next two years. This coming summer, the resort plans to add a fixed grip quad on the back side of the mountain, travelling from the base of the Southwest Flyer to the bottom of Lift 3. Interestingly, a Riblet double called Lift 6 operated in roughly the same alignment from 1966 to 1998. Leitner-Poma will build the new quad, which will travel approximately 3,400 feet and rise roughly 950 feet. It will provide direct access to The Steeps and open for winter 2025-26.
By winter 2026-27, an even larger lift is planned. Leitner-Poma will install the first detachable six pack in New Mexico, servicing beginner and low intermediate terrain from the main base area. This sixer will effectively replace Lift 2 but on a much longer alignment, running 5,268 feet to mid-mountain. Work on the six place will also begin in April but is scheduled to span two summers. Neither lift has a name just yet.
Lift Blog 
The backside FGQ will be pretty useful for lapping the black terrain as well as providing egress if the Southwest Flyer is down.
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Sort of a “poor man’s” DeMoisy at Snowbasin in terms of set-up and benefits.
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The difference is that DeMoisy became the primary lift in Strawberry Basin. Whereas this FGQ will really just be a lift that exists to ensure that if Southwest Flyer goes down, people aren’t stranded back here.
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does anyone know the exact lift line of the new detachable six place?
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Based on the description/length, the only thing that makes sense would be a summit terminal somewhere on Headin’ Home above Crossover and below where it merges with Texas Flats. That seems like an aggressive step up for lower level skiers trying to progress beyond the Dream Catcher lift – only way to the bottom is well over a mile, even if it’s pretty low angle cruising.
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It is pictured on website now. The top terminal is above Crossover.
The lift is also pictured as starting lower down than some may have anticipated.
https://www.angelfireresort.com/new-chair-lifts-pickleball-courts-more-are-coming-to-angel-fire-resort-soon/
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In the winter of 02-03, I probably rode 25 days at Angel Fire. Did a couple hikes and a couple rope-pulls behind a groomer to access Nitro and Detonator (C-4 wasn’t cut back then, far as I remember). It was fun, but a lot of work.
It blows my mind that they’ve never managed to, I dunno, find a used 2 or 3 person lift to install back there. A fixed grip would be fine, it would help keep novices out and snow wouldn’t track out as fast. But it’s always been an undercapitalized resort.
But I do hope these improvements do well for them! My brother skied there maybe 8 years ago and he commented then on the limited lifts and reliance on cat track connectors.
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The 6 pack should be amazing for the bike park, which has become a major part of their business and is really the only major bike park in the true southwest.
The closest competitors are Snow Summit, Telluride, Purgatory, Brian Head, Sunrise Park and Lee Canyon. Of those only Telluride and Snow Summit come close to Angel Fire in quality or size, and both are still much smaller… And sit on the border of the southwest market.
This new lift will be the perfect length and location to access and lap their most popular trails, solidifying Angel Fire as one of the best 3 or 4 bike parks in NA. It will also reduce the rare lines and can easily hold 4 bikes in a carrier.
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