27 thoughts on “Cuchara, CO

  1. Collin Parsons's avatar Collin Parsons June 10, 2020 / 4:13 pm

    Where was Chair 2 relocated to?

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    • Peter Landsman's avatar Peter Landsman June 10, 2020 / 4:17 pm

      I don’t believe it has shown up anywhere yet. But I also could not find it on the Cuchara property today. Maybe scrapped?

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    • Carson's avatar Carson February 25, 2021 / 9:59 pm

      It’s east mountain at hidden valley Missouri

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      • Mishers's avatar Mishers December 11, 2024 / 6:08 pm

        That is broadway from Alpine valley WI

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        • Utah Powder Skier's avatar Utah Powder Skier December 11, 2024 / 11:08 pm

          Fairly certain that Broadway was relocated to Bittersweet, as they share an owner and the timelines match up. Also worth noting that Broadway likely featured a more compact motor room, similar to Lodge at Alpine Valley WI. I don’t believe any of Alpine Valley’s Riblets had lifting frames and seeing that East Mountain was a double rather than a triple, I’d say its safe to assume East Mountain is Cuchara’s Chair 2.

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  2. Utah Powder Skier's avatar Utah Powder Skier June 10, 2020 / 7:54 pm

    Why was Chair 2 removed in the first place when 3, 4, and 5 were left standing?

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  3. skier72's avatar skier72 February 25, 2021 / 8:12 pm

    Chair 2 pics (taken from coloradoskihistory.com):













    Liked by 1 person

    • Chairlift World's avatar Chairlift World April 3, 2023 / 4:14 pm

      Pictures 5, 8, 9, 10, and 13 remind me of Beginner and Spruce at Pajarito where the longer lift is seen climbing over a hill from the smaller lift. The differences are that Beginner is a CTEC and Spruce is a shorter center pole. Spruce is also further away.

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  4. Rossington's avatar Rossington February 25, 2021 / 11:36 pm

    What about chair 1?

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    • skier72's avatar skier72 February 25, 2021 / 11:52 pm

      It’s a rope tow.

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      • Utah Lost Ski Area Project's avatar Utah Powder Skier February 26, 2021 / 7:53 am

        The one in the 2nd pic isn’t lift 1, I think that one was lift 6.

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      • Michael's avatar Michael February 26, 2021 / 12:15 pm

        One minor correction- that’s not a rope tow but a wire roped Handle Tow. The handles have been removed.

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  5. Utah Lost Ski Area Project's avatar Utah Powder Skier February 26, 2021 / 8:05 am

    It appears that Chair 2 went to Hidden Valley, Missouri. The towers, drive terminal, amount of towers, length, return terminal carriers, and lift shacks match directly, along with the years not conflicting. It does list on the spreadsheet that he lift came from Alpine Valley, Wisconsin, but there weren’t any Riblet doubles removed from there at that time.

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    • Nahms's avatar Nahms February 26, 2021 / 10:19 am

      Sure look extremely similar

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  6. Ryan's avatar Ryan February 28, 2021 / 2:48 pm

    According to Colorado Ski History, Lift 2 was removed in 2010.. and the dining lodge was demolished in 2010 as well.

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  7. bluebottlenose's avatar bluebottlenose April 25, 2024 / 6:07 am

    Considering the fact that this place has been abandoned for almost 25 years, this place looks great! There is a place about 40 minutes away from me called tuxedo ridge in NY, it’s been abandoned since 2016 and the place looks like a jungle. I have some photos i will try to send

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    • Ryan's avatar Ryan April 25, 2024 / 9:02 am

      Given that the Rocky Mountains in Colorado are considered a high mountain desert, we don’t get a ton of moisture vs what you guys get out east, so the forest growth is pretty much limited to the pine and aspen trees here. Not much else. 

      Liked by 2 people

    • bluebottlenose's avatar bluebottlenose April 25, 2024 / 4:49 pm

      I found some of my photos from tuxedo ridge, they have 1 hall, 2 borvigs, and a poma with a unique top terminal i have not seen before, all doubles from the 60’s and 70’s. Heres their trail map:

      Bowl lift:

      Alley lift:

      Tiger lift:

      Bunny lift:

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      • bluebottlenose's avatar bluebottlenose April 25, 2024 / 4:51 pm

        Shame they went under, i have never ridden an old style Poma or a Borvig, despite being from the northeast.

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      • bluebottlenose's avatar bluebottlenose April 25, 2024 / 4:58 pm

        Here is a photo of the lodge:

        I went there last June to try and hike up again, but the place was so overgrown that i decided it wasn’t really worth it:

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  8. Tucker's avatar Tucker May 27, 2025 / 12:27 pm

    Its possible they could have Chair 4 open by next season, pending final inspections by state regulators.

    It would just be Chair 4, but it still gives them around 50 acres of skiable terrain. That would make Cuchara’s available terrain comparable to Howelson Hill (50 acres), and Echo Mountain (60 acres).

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