News

Five Mountains Readying Terrain Expansions for 2021-22

Peter Landsman8 Comments

Despite an 18 month pandemic, supply chain challenges and continued uncertainty, a handful of US and Canadian ski resorts are putting finishing touches on expansion projects set to debut this winter. Two of these were delayed in 2020 and resumed construction this year while others were actually accelerated during Covid. Many of this year’s projects focus on learning terrain enhancements following the pandemic winter when new and lapsed skiers gravitated toward the mountains.

McCoy Park – Beaver Creek Mountain, Colorado

The lone expansion this year featuring two new chairlifts is Beaver Creek’s McCoy Park, encompassing 250 acres of new high alpine terrain. This beginner zone follows in the footsteps of Haymeadow Park and Red Buffalo Park, which both offer dedicated terrain for new skiers and snowboarders with detachable lifts. The new McCoy Park Express will service 17 trails and the Reunion Quad will provide easy exit from McCoy Park to the Upper Beaver Creek Mountain and Strawberry Park Express lifts.

Lower Juniper – Lake Louise, Alberta

Another beginner-focused expansion featuring a detachable quad is underway at Lake Louise. The new Lower Juniper Express is the second new chairlift here in two years. It will access four new low intermediate trails and provide an alternate out-of-base option to access the upper mountain.

Sunny Side – Snow King Mountain, Wyoming

Shadowed somewhat by construction of a new 8 passenger gondola on the front side of the mountain, Sunny Side at Snow King Mountain will also open this winter. This new backside bowl features extensive snowmaking and a Skytrac fixed grip quad.

Buzzsaw – Searchmont, Ontario

Searchmont hasn’t hosted a single day of skiing since March 2020, which makes its terrain expansion even more remarkable. New owner Wisconsin Resorts took delivery of two Skytrac triples last year, one of which replaced an existing Borvig double. The second lift sat in storage last winter and is now being installed to service two brand new beginner trails.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUC8jcpL7T3/

Merrill Hill – Sunday River, Maine

2021’s only New England expansion is a ninth peak at Sunday River. Merrill Hill features four ski trails and 23 new home sites near the South Ridge base area. This low angle zone will be serviced by a new Doppelmayr fixed grip triple, the mountain’s 15th chairlift.

News Roundup: Government Proceedings

Peter Landsman11 Comments

So Long Squaw Valley, Hello Palisades Tahoe

Peter Landsman44 Comments

This is the last time you will see Lake Tahoe’s largest ski resort referred to as Squaw Valley on the blog. Today Alterra Mountain Company announced Palisades Tahoe will replace the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows brand. After extensive research into the etymology and history of the term squaw, the company determined last year it was widely considered a racist and sexist slur that needed to be retired. Palisades references craggy terrain located near the top of the Siberia Express and Tahoe needs no explanation.

“It is inspiring that after seven decades in operation, a company as storied and established as this resort can still reflect and adjust when it is the necessary and right thing to do,” said Palisades President and COO Dee Byrne. “This name change reflects who we are as a ski resort and community—we have a reputation for being progressive and boundary-breaking when it comes to feats of skiing and snowboarding. We have proven that those values go beyond the snow for us. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of Palisades Tahoe and after more than 10 years at the resort, I’m honored to be leading our team into this new era.”

Two chairlifts are in the process of being renamed and elements across the resort will feature a new orange and dark blue color scheme. Nearly 5,000 locations where the existing logo and/or name appear will be swapped out by signage teams and more than 32,000 uniform pieces will be replaced. Finalists for the renamed Squaw Creek triple are Eagle Eye, Highline, Resort, Snow King, Storm Rider and Valley View while Squaw One Express‘s updated name is still pending.

The two historically separate sections of Palisades will be referred to as Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley going forward. A high speed, three stage gondola is under construction to connect the two sides, though the exact completion timeline remains unannounced. You can bet the new gondola will sport the Palisades brand when it opens.

News Roundup: Skytrac Upgrades

Peter Landsman12 Comments
  • New Zealand and Victoria, Australia resorts reopen after extended Covid closures (New South Wales remains locked down.)
  • Mt. Spokane will replace the drive terminal of Chair 2 with a new one from Skytrac.
  • Skytrac is completing similar mods to Tumbelina at Monarch Mountain.
  • The fate of the Pandora’s expansion on Aspen Mountain will be decided October 13th.
  • Sierra at Tahoe still doesn’t know the full extent of lift damage from the Caldor Fire but remains optimistic.
  • Users get stuck on one of Mexico City’s new gondola lines following an earthquake.
  • The Holding family agrees to sell most of Sinclair Oil Corporation’s assets, though Sun Valley and Snowbasin aren’t included.
  • The Forest Service issues a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Lutsen Mountains’ proposed expansion with public comments being solicited through October 25th. A new alternative would see the addition of five new chairlifts on Moose and Eagle Mountains rather than the initially planned seven.
  • The only lift in Oklahoma won’t open for the second year in a row and is in danger of removal.
  • Schweitzer adds 14 chairs to Stella.
  • A quick update from Snow King Mountain:

News Roundup: First Load Test

Peter Landsman10 Comments

Caldor Fire Reaches Sierra at Tahoe

Peter Landsman26 Comments

One of California’s largest active wildfires made a dramatic run to the east Sunday, crossing into Sierra at Tahoe’s West Bowl before reaching the front side of the mountain. A Forest Service webcam on the Tahoe King drive terminal showed fire surrounding the summit Sunday evening, with flames at one point directly underneath the Grandview Express. Infrared mapping from just before 7:00 pm detected heat in large swaths of the ski area but not in the base area or back side.

Earlier in the day, the resort posted that the fire was approaching and crews and equipment were in place to try and protect structures. “Please send your prayers for protection for all fire personnel as they continue the battle to protect our Playground,” wrote Sierra at Tahoe.

The mountain operates six Yan fixed grip and three Doppelmayr detachable chairlifts on 2,000 acres of terrain. The Caldor Fire, which ignited August 14th, has burned more than 170,000 acres.

By morning, reporters on the scene said no major structures were lost in the base area and lifts appeared to be intact.

https://twitter.com/colincampbell/status/1432349145793273856

News Roundup: Last Chance

Peter Landsman17 Comments

News Roundup: Turning to ‘22

Peter Landsman13 Comments

Mountain High Owners Purchase Dodge Ridge

Peter Landsman11 Comments

Invision Capital and Karl Kapuscinski of Southern California’s Mountain High Resort today announced their acquisition of Dodge Ridge, a mid-sized area located between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. Longtime Dodge Ridge owners Frank and Sally Helm are retiring after 45 years at the helm. Kapuscinski, who brings more than 30 years of resort management experience at Mountain High, Stevens Pass, Spirit Mountain and others, will become President and CEO of both resorts. Dodge Ridge General Manager Jenni Smith will remain in her role reporting to Kapuscinski.

Dodge Ridge operates a fleet of eight chairlifts four surface lifts on 862 acres of the Stanislaus National Forest. The new ownership group may be better equipped to upgrade aging lifts, some of which date back to the 1960s and ’70s. Dodge Ridge remains among the 15 largest US resorts without a detachable.

“Dodge Ridge is one of those extraordinary skiing and riding experiences that comes with a lot of passion and a lot of history coupled with a great mountain vibe that’s really warm and friendly,” said Karl and Audrey Kapuscinski in a statement. “We think it’s critical to maintain the very core of the resort and its personality and identity, and that’s going to be our goal from day one. We are extremely proud that Sally and Frank chose us as the new owners of Dodge Ridge and please stay tuned as we look forward to future announcements and developments.”

Dodge Ridge will join the Powder Alliance, a global reciprocal program of which Mountain High is a founding member. Other partners in the alliance include Oregon’s Timberline Lodge and Loveland Ski Area in Colorado.

News Roundup: Firm Orders

Peter Landsman18 Comments