The most significant infrastructure project in the history of Schweitzer Mountain Resort is underway and will see its first new chairlift next summer. Dubbed Base Camp, the all-new day skier portal will eventually feature a 1,400 parking spaces, a day lodge, access road, three new lifts and trail connections to Schweitzer’s existing terrain. As Idaho’s largest ski area, Schweitzer already offers nearly 3,000 acres of skiing. However, the Inland Northwest region is growing rapidly and guests today funnel through one base area. “To keep up with demand and continue providing an exceptional guest arrival experience, we prioritized looking for solutions that directly affected parking and mountain access,” explained Mountain Operations Director Rob Batchelder. “I’m very excited about this third phase of Master Plan development and believe Base Camp is a unique solution intended to get people on the mountain efficiently,” he continued.
Schweitzer placed a deposit with Leitner-Poma in the spring for a new detachable quad to replace the Musical Chairs double in 2023. The high speed lift will service beginner terrain and provide egress from the future base area to the current village. A skier bridge across Schweitzer Creek will be built simultaneously with the new, longer lift. “The installation of a high-speed detachable quad will be a major enhancement for all of our guests,” said Batchelder. “Not only will it be easier for beginner skiers and riders to load and unload, the new lift will increase capacity to 2,400 guests per hour, allowing guests to upload and download safer and more efficiently. It will also provide the opportunity to transport foot passengers without skis or snowboards to and from the village, even in summer,” he continued. While the new parking lot and lodge may not be ready for the 2023-24 season, the new lift and first new run will be.
Schweitzer’s 2018 Master Plan, which differs slightly from the latest Base Camp plan.
Down the road, a second new detachable will connect Base Camp to the Stella saddle, separating beginner and village-bound guests from other skiers. This nearly 7,000 foot long lift will also allow day skiers to access the backside of the mountain without the need to ride the popular Great Escape Quad. Plans call for additional snowmaking and lifts as buildout continues. “The vision for Base Camp is to become a dedicated area for our day-guests, perfect for beginner and intermediate skiers and riders, with ample parking and additional rental and SnowSports school facilities,” says Schweitzer’s master plan website. “Across the country, ski resorts have continuously faced challenges associated with growth and increased demand. The new Base Camp project is not only a big deal for our growing community, it’s a big deal for the industry, and as of the last independently owned resorts, Schweitzer’s future is very bright.”
The lift maintenance department at Vail Resorts-owned Park City Mountain could be the first in the United States to unionize under a plan announced today. A group of mechanics and electricians filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to form the Park City Lift Maintenance Professional Union, which would be would be part of the Communications Workers of America 7781 – the United Professional Ski Patrols of America. A press release states the petition was submitted with 80 percent support.
In March, Vail Resorts raised its minimum wage for US maintenance technicians to $21 per hour however the union says there are issues beyond just compensation. “The members of the mechanics team face dangerous work conditions, chronic understaffing, and low pay that is not commensurate with the precarity of their work or cost of living,” said the CWA. “These issues contribute to constant employee turnover, which makes it impossible to cultivate a crew of experienced mechanics, and their work often goes unappreciated despite being essential to the resort’s functioning. The workers have decided that self-advocacy as a unionized crew will combat these issues, and create a safe and equitable working environment for all.”
CWA 7781 currently represents some 650 ski patrollers in the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest, most recently adding Purgatory Resort bike patrollers to its ranks. The CWA also represents patrol staff at Vail Resorts properties including Breckenridge, Crested Butte and Stevens Pass.
“The prosperity, happiness, and safety of the mechanics and electricians in Lift Maintenance has been a discussion for years,” said Liesl Jenkins, a lift mechanic at Park City Mountain Resort. “Having a voice and the opportunity to negotiate with our employer is paramount to the retention of mechanics and electricians, as well as experience, in our department.”
The petition starts multi-step process between the National Labor Relations Board, the union and employer before a possible formal union vote.
Update: Park City Mountain Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh provided the following statement regarding the unionization effort:
“We’re committed to constant improvement of our employee experience, which includes our significant investment in employee wages and affordable housing for this season, among other steps. We’re proud of our efforts so far but know this work is ongoing. I’ve always believed in an open-door policy and encourage employees to communicate directly with me and our leadership team. My number one priority is working together with employees to hear and address their concerns. We believe a direct relationship with our team works best rather than through a third party, but we respect the decision of our teammates to choose.”
Park City Mountain Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh
Austrian ropeway cabin producer Carvatech has joined the Doppelmayr Group effective today. Carvatech, which manufactures gondola, aerial tramway, funicular and automated people mover carriers, will remain an independent brand under the Doppelmayr umbrella. Carvatech’s 50 employees will continue to be based in Oberweis, where the company has operated since 1956.
Doppelmayr also owns Swiss cabin manufacturer CWA Constructions, which it acquired in 2002. While the majority of Doppelmayr and Garaventa ropeways built today feature CWA cabins, Carvatech and Doppelmayr routinely partner on projects. The largest example in the USA is the Oakland Airport Connector, a Doppelmayr Cable Liner automated people mover in California.
“With Carvatech and CWA under one umbrella, we will strengthen our utmost expertise in carrier engineering and vehicle bodymaking on the world market within our Group,” noted Thomas Pichler, Executive Director of Doppelmayr Holding SE. “Carvatech is a profitable company that is optimally positioned in the market,” he continued. “We are convinced that the integration will create new impetus and valuable synergies for our business.”
From left: Robert Vockenhuber (Managing Partner Carvatech), Michael Köb (Head of Finance and Law Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH), Reinhard Aschauer (Managing Partner Carvatech) and Thomas Pichler (Executive Director Doppelmayr Holding SE).
The deal came together over the last few months as Carvatech owners Robert Vockenhuber and Reinhard Aschauer approached Doppelmayr. “When looking to secure ownership succession following our retirement, the top priority was to place our company in good hands,” said Aschauer and Vockenhuber. “We are firmly convinced that we have achieved that goal.”
The Salt Lake County Council narrowly passes a non-binding resolution against a Little Cottonwood gondola.
A Hall double goes up for sale in Connecticut, likely from the closed Woodbury Ski Area.
Analysis is complete on Lutsen Mountains’ expansion proposal and a new Forest Supervisor expects to make his decision public around the beginning of ski season.
The head of Whistler Blackcomb offers more details on the decision to move forward Fitzsimmons and Jersey Cream projects with lifts from Park City.
As it approaches 100 years in operation, Banff’s Mount Norquay today announced plans to build a new gondola, mountaintop restaurant and via ferrata among other improvements. The Norquay 100 Vision is distinct from a previous plan by Mt. Norquay’s owners to build a gondola from the Town of Banff to the ski area. The newly-proposed Cliff House Gondola would replace the North American double, a machine the ski area bluntly calls “Western Canada’s most outdated chairlift.” The Garaventa pulse lift was installed in 1974 and operates throughout winter and summer. The new detachable gondola would run in a similar alignment between Norquay’s base lodge and a new Cliff House restaurant. The building would serve as a base of operations for a new via ferrata and alpine hiking.
“For nearly 100 years, Norquay has served as Banff’s backyard, an iconic destination for skiers and sightseers, often providing visitors their first introduction to Banff National Park,” said Mount Norquay General Manager Andre Quenneville. “As we start to look towards our second century of operation, we are putting plans in place to improve the visitor experience and make ourselves more accessible as well as environmentally and economically sustainable,” he continued.
The resort notes the restaurant and gondola projects are inseparable with one providing revenue to offset operating costs of the other. “Without this project, Norquay is not economically sustainable because it does not generate enough funds to replace its existing lifts at the end of their life,” said Quenneville, noting the Norquay gondola would also take pressure off the nearby Banff Gondola.
Even with enhanced facilities, Norquay does not seek to increase its guest capacity beyond the current 3,800 people at one time. Initial review of the plan by Parks Canada is already underway and the resort hopes to qualify for a simplified regulatory review process in the lead up to its 2026 centennial.
Durango, Colorado-based Mountain Capital Partners today announced Willamette Pass, Oregon will join its collective of Western ski resorts through a joint venture with current owner Tim Wiper. Willamette Pass becomes the eighth ski resort to join MCP and its first in the Northwest. The company currently operates resorts in four Southwestern states as as well as a lift-served bike park in Texas. “For more than two decades, MCP has strengthened its position in the Southwest, acquiring, building, developing and successfully growing nine resorts in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Texas,” said MCP managing partner James Coleman. “While Willamette Pass Resort’s location introduces a new geographical region to the company, the skiing is fantastic and the opportunity to carry on the tradition of Willamette Pass made the decision an obvious one,” he continued. Willamette Pass will join the Power Pass family of season pass products and current resort leadership is expected to remain in place.
Willamette Pass features a fleet of four Riblet and CTEC chairlifts including Oregon’s first six pack. The mountain also has significant expansion potential in the fast-growing Pacific Northwest ski market. Mountain Capital Partners specializes in building and improving resorts through targeted capital improvements including new lifts and snowmaking. “MCP expects to bring meaningful upgrades to resort operations starting this winter,” said the company’s press release.
Founded in 1941, Willamette Pass offers guests access to 29 trails across 555 skiable acres. “Since this resort’s founding, this has been a family business and, together with our incredible staff, we’ve put in this work for one reason: our love for skiing,” said Tim Wiper, who has owned the resort with his family since 1982. “Mountain Capital Partners clearly shares our undeniable passion for this sport, and they are the right partner to not only lead Willamette Pass Resort into the future but also work together with us to carry on our remarkable legacy.”
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