- In a real estate sales presentation, Red Mountain leaders say expansion lifts on Mt. Kirkup and White Wolf Ridge are a higher priority than replacing existing lifts.
- Sasquatch Mountain, BC provides an update on the Green Chair, which hasn’t spun all season.
- An avalanche strikes a closed detachable lift in France.
- Another French avalanche takes out a tower and hits a terminal.
- Rime ice topples a lift tower in Spain.
- A double chair rolls back during operation in China (likely a lift from BHMRI, not a western manufacturer.)
- Also in Asia, a viral video shows a gondola cabin dragging through deep snow.
- Bluewood, Washington upgrades Triple Nickel with Partek carriers, will sell old Borvig ones.
- Anakeesta offers up chairs from its former Chondola but not the gondola cabins.
- The 13 year-old critically injured in an unloading incident at Ski Vorlage, Quebec last week died four days later, her family says. Quebec’s ropeway regulator inspected the lift post-accident and identified several unspecified corrective actions, now completed.
- A five year old is hospitalized after falling from Sunday River’s Jordan Mountain double.
- Groundbreaking could come soon for the Aspen development that includes a new Lift 1A.
- Skytrac to construct both new lifts at Little Switzerland, Wisconsin.
- Five people board a quad chair on the Sourdough Express at Vail, one later jumps off after the lift stops (unclear if they were directed to do so by Vail Resorts staff.)
- Wisp temporarily closes two lifts for separate repairs.
- Tye Mill at Stevens Pass goes out of service.
- Also two lifts at Pico.
- Stratton’s gondola to remain closed into next week due to a maintenance issue.
- Sundance Express at Sun Peaks to be closed this weekend for maintenance.
- Castle Mountain, Alberta temporarily closes the new Stagecoach Express to swap a motor.
- At Marquette Mountain, Michigan, a misload bends apart a Riblet chair (quickly replaced without incident.)
- The Supreme Court strikes down some of President Trump’s import tariffs but not Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs most affecting lift manufacturers. In response to the decision, the President orders a 10 percent global tariff to last 150 days (USMCA compliant goods and items already subjected to Section 232 tariffs are exempted).
News
News Roundup: Disputes
- Val Bialas, New York reopened today after nine years closed.
- The potential buyer for closed Sleeping Giant, Wyoming specializes in roadside attractions like the Royal Gorge gondola and may not reopen skiing.
- A woman is convicted of stealing nearly $5 million from Mighty Argo gondola investors.
- Glenwood Caverns, Colorado files for bankruptcy after a $120 million judgment resulting from a 2021 ride incident.
- The owner of land under parts of Park City’s Timberline and Iron Mountain Express files suit against Vail Resorts, alleging existing easements don’t allow lifts.
- Mt. Bohemia, Michigan has a land lease issue as well.
- A lawsuit proceeds against Bittersweet, Michigan from a volunteer ski patroller who fell 20 feet from a lift after attempting to load a toboggan.
- A skier dies at Welch Village, Minnesota after hitting lift tower.
- A 13 year old is critically injured in a tragic unloading entanglement at Vorlage, Quebec; the mountain remains closed until further notice.
- Bromont rope evacuates Versant du Midi.
- A guest falls from Copper Mountain’s American Flyer.
- A new master plan for Mt. Timothy, BC targets reactivation of the Mad Platter, replacement of the triple with a quad, relocation of the T-Bar and a new platter.
- SilverStar, BC renames the Powder Gulch Express to Putnam Express and Alpine Meadows to Attridge.
- British Columbia releases 268 pages of documents related to the hanger arm failure on Kicking Horse’s gondola last season. The Incident Investigation Report says an undetected crack likely developed over several seasons as a result of both manufacturing and operational factors.
- Cannon expects its tram replacement project to cost between $25 and 33 million.
- Loch Lomond, Ontario’s North chair goes down for maintenance.
Bear Den Partners Invests in Smugglers’ Notch
The new owners of Burke Mountain today acquired a majority stake in Smugglers’ Notch, another of Vermont’s largest independent mountains. Under the deal, prior owner Bill Stritzler and his family retain a minority ownership stake while Bear Den Partners becomes the primary owner and operator. Bear Den’s chairman, Ken Graham, is a lifelong skier and investor with local ties. Jon Schaefer leads the company as CEO. Schaefer also runs Berkshire East and Catamount in Western Massachusetts and helped rebuild Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain and Bousquet in recent years. “We were intentional about finding an operator who truly understands what makes Smuggs special,” said Stritzler, who stewarded the mountain for 29 years. “We sought out Bear Den Partners as an equity partner because they share our belief that this resort is about families, employees, and community, not trends or shortcuts. This transition is about continuity and stewardship, and we’re confident Smuggs is in the right hands.”
Smuggs features incredible terrain and a family-friendly vibe but also aging infrastructure. The mountain’s seven Hall lifts date back to the 1960s and ’70s. Several were relocated to Smuggs in the ’90s from other mountains as the rest of the industry modernized. The largest top-to-bottom lift, Madonna, dates back to 1963 and takes some 15 minutes to ride. In 2023, Stritzler floated a gondola connection with Vail-owned Stowe, a proposal that garnered significant environmental opposition. Under this new ownership model, less flashy investments are likely. “Smugglers’ Notch will continue to operate with its existing culture, values, and commitment to guests, employees, and the surrounding community,” the new owners noted. “Future investments will be targeted and collaborative, focusing on core infrastructure, guest experience, employee support, and long-term stewardship of the resort.” They specifically cited snowmaking, trail and lift improvements as near-term priorities. “Longer-term, Bear Den will initiate a full master planning process for lift, lodging, and base-area modernization while preserving the Smuggs identity: authentic, family-focused, and proudly independent.”
Pass changes are also likely. Berkshire East, Bousquet, Burke and Catamount all participate in the Indy Pass but Smuggs shuns multi-mountain passes entirely. No changes are planned for the current season other than lodging discounts for passholders of other Bear Den and Schaefer mountains. “Bear Den is evaluating future season pass reciprocity among Burke Mountain and now Smuggs to provide added value without compromising each mountain’s independence or threatening its comfortable carrying capacity with unanticipated crowds,” the company said. Future passes may also include Berkshire East and Catamount.
News Roundup: Settlement
- The Hermitage Club to build a detachable quad to mid mountain this summer.
- Snowmass likely to replace the Sky Cab pulse gondola with a detachable system in 2027.
- Under a proposed settlement, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies would pay some 300 riders who were on the Mont-Sainte-Anne gondola during two abrupt stopping incidents in 2020 a total of CA$5.1 million.
- Blackcomb closes Catskinner for a few days for haul rope inspection/repair.
- Glen Eden’s Limestone quad goes out of service for repairs.
- Also Luckey’s at Table Mountain.
- And Lift 2 at Loveland.
- Ragged Mountain works to return Barnyard to service.
- Tremblant runs the rarely open Casino Express as a substitute for the Soleil Express for a few days.
- Two workers are killed on a Bartholet construction site in Oman when a work carrier falls.
- A snowboarder dies in Japan after being dragged by a backpack while trying to disembark a lift.
- A Graffer gondola for the Cortina Olympics may not be finished in time.
- An unseated passenger is okay after falling from height at Mammoth.
- Nonprofit Badger Mountain, Washington fundraises to maintain utilities and insurance.
- Another transit gondola route is floated in Park City.
- After two incidents and two lawsuits, Sun Peaks stops allowing a concessionaire to load “Snow Limos” on chairlifts.
- Closed Sleeping Giant, Wyoming in talks to sell to an unnamed operator with properties in Colorado and New Mexico.
- Gore Mountain conducts a high-profile evacuation of its gondola following a deropement.
- Cornerstone General Contractors is the low bidder to be construction manager/general contractor on the Eaglecrest used gondola install.
- An update on the sale of Eldora to a nearby town.
- Several Oregon ski areas suspend operations due to minimal snowpack.
News Roundup: Back at It
- Park City resubmits applications to build an Eagle six pack and Silverlode eight place.
- Snow King, Wyoming to add eight cabins to its gondola for summer concert capacity.
- The triple at Mont Cascades, Quebec closes until further notice due to mechanical issues.
- Same with Buzzsaw at Searchmont, Ontario.
- Red Mountain, BC goes without the key Motherlode triple this week due to a motor issue; runs a a snow cat shuttle instead.
- Crescent Hill, Iowa completes installation of a whole new drive terminal for its double chair.
- Little Eagle at Vail is evacuated after an incident; Vail Resorts declines to say whether anyone was injured amid online rumors (update 2/4: in a Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board Meeting, the state’s Supervisory Tramway Engineer said no one was injured.)
- Winslow at Dartmouth Skiway is also rope evacuated.
- A reader says Frenchman’s at Sun Valley was also rope evac’d this week.
- Visits to US resorts by Canadians are down 41 percent this winter.
- Mountain Village, Colorado intends to select a vendor for the new gondola this calendar year.
- Doppelmayr to build four urban gondolas in Puebla, Mexico with 12 total stations and 96 towers.
News Roundup: Granite State
- Tenney Mountain rope evacuates Hornet.
- Two people are injured falling from the Panorama Express at Gunstock.
- Hatley Pointe, North Carolina loses its main lift due to a mechanical issue.
- Cuchara successfully opens Chair 4 for the first time since 2000.
- Mt. Jefferson, Maine may close after this season.
- The publicly-owned ski hill in Des Moines, Iowa seeks a new chairlift.
- With a strike dragging on, Le Massif announces the end of ski season, then promptly reaches a deal to reopen tomorrow.
- With public and private funding secured, Mont-Sainte-Anne plans to sign a contract to replace three aging detachables in March.
- A mixed-use development near Park City could include a gondola connection to Deer Valley East Village.
- Vail CEO Rob Katz discusses unionization efforts in the ski industry and reflects on last season’s strike at Park City.
- A rider who died after falling from a chairlift at Cypress Mountain last week may have lost consciousness before falling.
- Elected officials are under investigation for meeting with the owner of Telluride about a sale during the patrol strike.
Instagram Tuesday: Supreme
Every Tuesday, I feature my favorite Instagram photos from around the lift world.
News Roundup: Beyond Snow
- Several rope evacs this week – Heavenly, Mt. Baker, Snoqualmie and Maple Ski Ridge, New York.
- Sadly also two fatal falls from lifts at Cypress Mountain, BC and Ski Apache, New Mexico.
- A death at Timberline Mountain, West Virginia last week is also revealed as a chairlift fall.
- Levi, Finland signs on to the Indy Pass.
- Facing a large insurance payment in a few weeks, Camp 10, Wisconsin could close without community support.
- An update on the soon-to-open new T-Bar at Waterville Valley.
- A Doppelmayr gondola is proposed in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.
- Doppelmayr could also build a sightseeing gondola in Butte, Montana.
- Leitner-Poma is expected to supply the first lift for the Trails at Mena in Arkansas this summer.
- Doppelmayr and Leitner split an order for urban gondolas in Queenstown, New Zealand.
- Cannon Mountain continues structural analysis on the recently-retired aerial tram with a May target to solicit bids from manufacturers for replacement reusing tower and terminal structures (starts at 18:00.)
- A new map shows where the Showcase quad will run on Blackcomb Mountain.
- The brand new urban gondola in Paris is already carrying 12,500 riders per day, 14 percent more than forecast, and a second line is under consideration.
- During the Telluride strike, an entity controlled by local elected officials proposed buying a majority stake in Telski.
- Chris Cushing of SE Group discusses designing 100 new trails and 10 new lifts at Deer Valley.
- The North chair to reopen soon at Snow Ridge, NY after a year closed due to tornado damage.
- A look into the world of restoring gondola cabins instead of replacing them or an entire lift.
- Early season visits to Vail Resorts North American mountains declined 20 percent through January 4th compared to a year earlier.
- Update: An empty chair detached from Shedhorn 4 at Big Sky today. I’m told a grip did not attach properly leaving the bottom teminal. The empty chair ended up in the pit. Statement from Big Sky Resort: “Around 2:45pm today on Shedhorn 4 lift, a grip failed to reattach to the haul rope while exiting the bottom terminal. The chair was unoccupied at the time, and the lift’s automatic safety system immediately stopped operation. The team acted quickly to offload all remaining guests from the lift. Shedhorn 4 will remain closed while we thoroughly inspect every grip before reopening. We appreciate your patience as safety remains our top priority.“
News Roundup: 462 Cabins
- Telluride’s ski patrol strike ends after 13 days.
- Le Massif partially reopens with limited hours as a strike drags on.
- More than 500 people spend most of an overnight atop the Palm Springs Tramway following a technical issue, now resolved.
- Nearly 200 are rescued safely from Whitefish’s Big Mountain Express in a multi-hour rope evacuation.
- Sugarloaf’s SuperQuad goes down due to a gearbox issue.
- Leitner-Poma will build the new Canyons Village gondola at Park City.
- Anakeesta’s new LPOA gondola to be called Crystal Express.
- Doppelmayr wins the contract for Killington Snowdon with a total project cost of $7.04 million.
- Doppelmayr also will build the world’s longest urban gondola in Mexico City with 12 stations, 462 cabins and 114 towers over 9.4 miles.
- Wildcat reopens its beginner chair after a year-long closure.
- Castle Mountain’s new map shows lift expansion on Mt. Haig.
- A state evaluation following the Park City gondola mishap last week notes no mechanical malfunction but says “a gondola cabin leaving a terminal with a passenger being suspended by the foot is not acceptable and has the potential for extremely serious injuries.” During a Utah Passenger Ropeway Safety Committee Meeting, Park City’s Director of Mountain Operations Nick Dana notes “we did have a loading incident on Red Pine Gondola last week so we’re continuing to look into that and work with the manufacturer to investigate into our door monitoring switches there at top of Red Pine Gondola.”
- Also from the UPRSC, the Forest Service notes several recent chair detachments on Riblet and Stadeli lifts in Montana.
News Roundup: Back Up
- Telluride plans to reopen Lift 1 Monday with non-union workers.
- Here’s some detailed on the ground reporting from the Telluride strike.
- Le Massif, Quebec also shuts down completely due to a strike.
- Mountain High, California temporarily closes due to rain damage.
- Mt. Waterman’s Chair 1 sustains severe damage from the same storm.
- Marquette Mountain, Michigan’s Rocket chair will miss this season due to a gearbox issue.
- Boyne Mountain, Michigan rope evacuates Disciples 8.
- Trollhaugen, Wisconsin rope evacs Chair 4.
- Sasquatch Mountain, BC’s Sasquatch chair remains out of service.
- Black Mountain, New Hampshire loses its only two chairlifts over the holiday period; both are now back in action.
- Mont Farlagne, New Brunswick loses its only chairlift to a gearbox issue, considers buying a T-Bar for future redundancy.
- Burke Mountain’s 1965 J-Bar is back after missing a season.
- Norway Mountain, Michigan revives the Thor double after many years inoperable.
- Asessippi, Manitoba notes several carriers are unusable on the Porcupine triple but the lift will continue to run.
- Seven people are injured in Italy when an aerial tram fails to slow down properly when docking.
- A child dies after becoming entangled in a conveyor lift in Japan.
- A woman is uninjured after dangling upside down from the doors of a gondola cabin at Park City (video).
- Mount Snow shutters Ego Alley and Seasons for different reasons.
- The latest court filing over a delayed lift project at Bluewood, Washington alleges Steelhead Systems’ “experience in the sale and delivery of used chairlifts” has “been marred by disappointing results, delays and unexplained cost overruns.”
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