Projects & Plans

Bridger Bowl Master Plan Envisions Six New Lifts

Peter Landsman4 Comments

America’s second largest nonprofit ski area plans significant changes to its lift layout under a proposed 2025 master plan. Located near fast-growing Bozeman, Bridger Bowl proposes to add an expansion lift called Bradley Meadows, an infill lift called Pierre’s Knob 2 and three smaller lifts serving beginner trails and terrain parks. The plan was prepared by SE Group and is still undergoing finishing touches.

Bridger Bowl remains the continent’s third largest ski area without a detachable lift and that distinction is unlikely to change, though specific lift types have not been released. The first major project is a lift in Bradley Meadows, a carryover from Bridger Bowl’s 2015 Master Plan Update. This lift would service advanced terrain to the north of the existing Alpine triple. Bradley Meadows lies within Bridger’s existing Special Use Permit area in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest and includes several new trails. As part of the lift-served expansion, Bridger would construct a patrol only platter lift to the ridge, supplementing an existing patrol platter used for avalanche hazard reduction work. A new rope tow is also planned to service a terrain park between Alpine and Powder.

A second new chairlift carries the working name Pierre’s Knob 2 and would access terrain between Pierre’s Knob and Schlasman’s. These two chairs are quite far apart and require significant traversing to transit between them. The new lift would service several new trails on the south side of the mountain. All told, additional developed trails in Bradley Meadows and Pierre’s Knob 2 would encompass 70 acres.

Bridger Bowl also plans to expand its offering for beginners. Much of Bridger’s existing beginner terrain is located in high traffic areas near existing lifts. A more secluded beginner pod is planned, which would require a modest expansion of Bridger’s Special Use Permit area and a new chairlift. A second, shorter beginner chairlift is planned closer to the Virginia City lift. Interestingly, the current Snowflake lift used to run in a similar alignment before it was moved in 2017. The plan also includes major enhancements to snowmaking, a new night skiing program, lodge upgrades and additional parking.

The Bridger Ski Foundation plans to host two community open houses to solicit feedback on its proposed master plan. The first one, to be held at the ski area on February 27th, will include season passholders and members. A second open house is open to anyone on March 1st in Bozeman. You can also submit feedback online before the Master Development Plan is formally submitted to the Forest Service for acceptance.

Lift-Served Bike Park Coming to Northwest Arkansas

Peter Landsman12 Comments

Arkansas will get an operating chairlift for the first time in 50 years come 2026. Runway Group, owned by members of the Walton Family, today announced it will build a lift-served bike park in Bella Vista. The OZ Trails Bike Park will feature more than 20 miles of gravity trails designed by Gravity Logic & Rock Solid and connect to existing trail networks. The site lies just 15 minutes from the Walmart home office in Bentonville and will feature a bike shop, full-service dining, hiking and public art.

As part of the project, Leitner-Poma will construct a state-of-the-art detachable quad beginning this spring. The lift will span roughly 2,700 feet and carry bikers and hikers 270 vertical feet from a base plaza to the top of the park. Every other chair will be a dedicated bike carrier. “As Northwest Arkansas’s first purpose-built gravity cycling facility, the park’s location strengthens the natural connection between Bella Vista and Bentonville, positioning both communities as premier global cycling destinations,” said Tom Walton, Runway Group CEO. “Its focus on progression ensures everyone from beginners to experts will find their place here.”

Once the lift is complete in early 2026, there will be just four states without an aerial ropeway: Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

Angel Fire to Construct Two New Lifts

Peter Landsman8 Comments

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.

Cataloochee Announces New Quad Chair

Peter Landsman4 Comments

North Carolina’s Cataloochee Ski Area will construct a base-to-summit chairlift this summer, replacing the Omigosh double. Doppelmayr USA will manufacture the lift, which will feature a 740 foot vertical rise and Alpenstar drive terminal. As with the current lift, the new Omigosh will include an intermediate station for internediate level skiers to unload part way up the mountain.

Omigosh is the oldest lift at Cataloochee, constructed by Hall in 1968. Though it has been upgraded over the years, it moves limited skiers to the summit. The new quad will boost capacity and improve the guest experience. Construction is set to begin in May and conclude in advance of the 2025-26 season.

Castle Mountain Announces Haig 1 Expansion

Peter Landsman8 Comments

Alberta’s Castle Mountain will expand lift-served terrain by 25 percent next season as it opens its first detachable quad on Haig Ridge, located above the existing Huckleberry lift. Castle is currently the second largest resort in North America without a high speed lift behind only Red Mountain, British Columbia. Installation of the quad chair, which previously operated as Angel Express at Sunshine Village, represents the largest capital investment in Castle’s nearly 60 year history. Independent Castle Mountain has a long history of repurposing used lifts from Sunshine, Beaver Creek in Colorado and Angel Fire, New Mexico. “The addition of a lift serving this phenomenal terrain will forever transform our guests’ experience”, said Dean Parkinson, General Manager. “The terrain that will soon be available to all has been well loved by our cat skiing guests for over a decade, primarily for its deep snow and great skiing. We are excited to finally be opening up this terrain for everyone to enjoy.”

The 20 tower Haig 1 lift will span 4,757 linear feet with an impressive 1,805 foot vertical rise and five minute ride time. It’s is expected to open for the 2025-26 season, marking the end of cat skiing in the expansive Haig zone. The project is known for now as Haig 1 but will receive a new name before opening. “Castle Mountain Resort is proud to be taking on this project, utilizing its fantastic team, augmented with subject matter experts to ensure the success of the project,” the resort said in a release. “The lift will receive mechanical, electrical, and operational upgrades in order to be ready to go for December 2025.”

Forest Service Approves Taos Base-to-Base Gondola, Lift Improvements

Peter Landsman10 Comments

More than three years after it was first proposed, Taos’ Base-to-Base gondola is closer to reality. In a draft decision published today, the Forest Service proposed approving both the gondola and replacements for Lifts 2 and 8, though the decision is still subject to an objection period.

The gondola’s purpose is multifold. First, it would provide much-needed alternative to Lift 1, the only non-beginner lift out of the Resort Center. When Lift 1 goes down, the only other way for skiers to access the mountain is via road to Kachina Basin. The detachable gondola would also improve skier access to backside lifts 4 and 7. In summer, the gondola would link the village and Taos Ski Valley’s summer summer activity hub with bike park, via ferrata and hiking trails. The gondola would become the longest lift at Taos with eight seat cabins transiting 7,300 linear feet. While the base-to-base would not directly service much skiing, it would rise 800 vertical feet and provide access to a green trail running between Kachina Basin and the village. A small cabin maintenance facility is planned adjacent to the Kachina terminal.

The gondola is being designed to move 1,800 guests per hour both winter and summer and is expected to reduce vehicle traffic between base areas. A ticket will be required to ride in order to minimize foot traffic into the Wheeler Peak Wilderness adjacent to the top terminal. “Use of the gondola by non-ticketed guests may be allowed in the future following further study of guest use patterns and the broader use of the Wheeler Peak Wilderness,” notes the Forest Service. The agency did not set a minimum price for gondola rides, noting it could be “nominal.”

A second approved project would replace Lift 2, a 1995 fixed grip quad running from near the top of Lift 1 to Taos Patrol Headquarters. This lift would likely be a detachable quad and boost capacity from 1,800 to 2,400 skiers per hour. Lift 8 is also approved for similar treatment in the coming years. That lift services terrain below Lift 2 and dates back to 1991. When all three projects are completed, Taos will operate five modern detachable lifts, up from zero just five years ago.

Parties who previously commented on the projects have 45 days from today to file any objections.

Killington to Replace Superstar Express and Upgrade Skyeship Gondola

Peter Landsman24 Comments

The sale of Killington and Pico to local investors has closed and today the group announced their initial tranche of capital investments. Over the next 12 to 16 months, Killington plans to spend roughly $30 million to build a Superstar Express six pack, add 1,000 HKD low energy new snow guns and replace all 116 Skyeship Gondola cabins. Skyeship’s cabin storage facility will also be replaced in the near future. The current Superstar lift is the oldest detachable chairlift in New England, dating back to 1987 (tied with two other lifts at Killington/Pico and the Grand Summit Express at Mount Snow.)

The news comes just over a month since Powdr announced the sale of Killington and listing of three other resorts. “Over the next 10 years, our goal is to reinvest all the profits the mountain creates,” said Michael Ferri, one of two lead investors in Killington Independence Group, LLC, comprised of 16 total investors. “[Profits] will stay here in Vermont, they will stay here at Pico and they will stay here at Killington,” said Ferri.

A new Sigma Diamond cabin installed on the K-1 gondola, the same model Skyeship will receive.

Surprisingly after 37 straight lifts from other manufacturers, Killington selected Doppelmayr to construct the new Superstar Six. Unlike Killington’s Snowdon Six, the new lift will not feature bubbles. “There are a number of factors, but this lift is a relatively short ride which makes having bubbles on the lift less impactful, especially considering the added complexity of needing a storage barn for overnight storage of bubble chairs,” said Killington. Superstar has one of the longest winter operating schedules in the country, spinning for World Cup ski racing in November all the way until the end of the season in May or June. “The Superstar lift replacement will affect spring skiing this season and potentially the 2025 Stifel Killington Cup, noted Killington President and CEO Mike Solimano. “We do plan to make more snow in North Ridge to extend the season in the Canyon this year and are working with the lift manufacturer to finalize the construction plan for the lift before making the call on the Killington Cup,” he continued.

Skyeship Gondola, set to receive new cabins and a new maintenance facility.

Leitner-Poma will supply new cabins for Skyeship, the same Diamond model the K-1 Gondola received in 2018. “Many of our current operational challenges with [Skyeship] can be attributed to the older cabins,” noted Killington. “The challenges are exasperated by not being able to store the cabins in a heated building causing door opening and closing mechanisms to become frozen overnight.” All of these improvements are slated for the next two years with more expected to follow over the next decade.

Snowbasin Announces Becker Replacement

Peter Landsman32 Comments

Snowbasin Resort will construct its seventh detachable lift next summer, replacing the Becker triple in a new alignment. The detachable quad, to be constructed by Leitner-Poma of America, will load closer to the Wildcat Express and unload in a simlar location to the current triple. Becker is a 1986 Stadeli triple, one of just 21 Stadeli-built lifts remaining in the United States. When the replacement is complete in 2025, Snowbasin will operate just one fixed grip chairlift, another Stadeli triple called Porcupine. Snowbasin has been on a roll lately, adding the Wildcat Express in 2017, Middle Bowl Express in 2021 and DeMoisy Express in 2023. Snowbasin’s owner, the Holding family, has been on a similar improvement push at its Sun Valley Resort in Idaho. Between the two mountains, the Holdings have purchased eight detachable chairlifts in nine years.

The new Becker will span more than 5,800 linear feet with a vertical ascent of approximately 1,300 feet, serving a variety of terrain and providing access to the Strawberry area. The new lift will transport 1,800 skiers per hour and cut ride time in half from 12 minutes to six. In conjunction with the lift installation, Snowbasin will widen and re-grade Bear Hollow, Snowshoe and Slow Road to improve flow and safety.

Snowbasin also announced a refurbishment of the Needles Gondola‘s 86 cabins, which are nearing 26 years old. The first third of cabins will receive new mechanisms, windows and seats this summer with the rest to follow over the next two years.

West Virginia Kicks Off Second Gondola Project

Peter Landsman4 Comments

Over the weekend the State of West Virginia broke ground on an $8 million gondola project at Hawks Nest State Park. Doppelmayr will build the fixed grip system, which will carry visitors down 465 vertical feet to the New River and be fully ADA accessible. The top drive, bottom tension design will feature three six passenger cabins in a pulse configuration. A fourth carrier will accommodate kayaks and other outdoor recreation equipment. The new gondola replaces a 1970 Hall jig-back which closed in 2021 due to safety concerns. “A whole lot of people who love Hawks Nest State Park have been waiting for the tram project,” said West Virginia Governor Jim Justice at the groundbreaking. “Hundreds of thousands of folks have created memories here on the tram over the last 50 years, and I’m excited for the next hundred thousand visitors to the park to be able to do just the same.”

This is the second gondola construction project underway in the Mountain State. A $12.4 million gondola is set to open at Pipestem State Park this fall. The Hawks Nest gondola is expected to follow in late spring 2025, completing the replacement of two iconic ropeways. Governor Justice said he expects to be among the first to ride each new gondola with his Bulldog named Babydog.

Monarch Mountain Expansion Approved

Peter Landsman4 Comments

With the electronic stroke of a pen, the Forest Service green-lighted a 377 acre expansion of Colorado’s Monarch Mountain yesterday. The project will include 62 acres of cleared trails, gladed terrain, a fixed grip triple chairlift, restrooms and a warming hut in No Name Basin. “We are SO excited to actually get started on this project after years of planning and project review by multiple entities,” said Scott Pressly, Vice President of Mountain Operations. The basin’s 2,700 foot chairlift will rise 960 vertical feet and become Monarch’s first new lift in 25 years.

The no-frills ski area plans to begin work soon. “This project will involve two summers of construction (2024 & 2025) with the No Name Basin terrain scheduled to open for the 2025-26 winter season,” wrote Pressly. Monarch has not publicly identified the manufacturer of the new lift, though Skytrac built its very first lift drive terminal at the ski area, naming it the Monarch.