Lower terminal in the Highlands base area.Return terminal seen from Thunderbowl.Tower 12.This lift replaced two fixed-grip doubles that ran in series.Drive station unloading area.Top station seen from above.Drive station underskin.The last few towers.T18.Middle part of the line.Lower lift line.Lower terminal from above.Another view up from the base.
Even though this is not the only lift from the base area at Aspen Highlands, it is the only lift that accesses the upper mountain, as the only lift accessible from the neighboring Thunderbowl lift, besides itself, is Exhibition. Therefore, I have seen Exhibition have some pretty long lines during the morning hours when everyone is getting up the mountain.
Before Exhibition and Loge Peak were built, it took four Riblet doubles to get to the top: Exhibition I to Exhibition II to Cloud Nine to Loge Peak.
With the first two high speed quads, it became a two lift ride to the top since Exhibition created a one-seat ride to the Merry-Go-Round, and Loge Peak was extended downhill to start there too.
For the first five years, Exhibition II was retained as a backup lift for the main Exhibition.
And for the first year of the current Thunderbowl triple’s existence, Exhibition II functioned in conjunction with it as an alternate route up to the Merry-Go-Round if Exhibition ever went down.
Then in 1999, the remaining Riblet doubles were all replaced with the single Cloud Nine high speed quad.
I do concur it would probably have helped if Cloud Nine started at the old Exhibition II loading point instead of where the original Cloud Nine double started, so it could be accessed directly from Thunderbowl.
I think simply adding back Grand Prix in its original alignment as a detachable would be effective in reducing the number of skiers coming all the way down from the pod under Merry-Go-Round to Exhibition. Simultaneously making Thunderbowl detachable would allow skiers to have a really solid second option up the mountain and significantly reduce the “rush hour” Exhibition lift lines.
A replacement lift for Exhibition II was approved in May 1994 but hasn’t been implemented. Unfortunately, the 2013 Master Plan calls for a (F4C) fixed-grip quad, not a detachable lift. SkiCo errored by not making Thunderbowl detachable and this would be repeating that mistake. The expectation for an Aspen Snowmass guest is for detachable lifts. Unfortunately, the proposed alignment is identical to the removed lift. A better alignment, as suggested, would be to place the loading terminal at the end of Trover’s Trail and Memory Lane. The old Grand Prix detachable poma was accessible from more terrain than the Riblet chair.
Really interesting history lesson on Highlands that few remember, thanks! Part of me misses the old layout from the 60’s – 70’s. My father used to ski Exhibition II all day, beginner terrain now labeled intermediate, and I could ski tougher runs and still meet him at Merry go Round for lunch. I miss the Grand Prix Poma platter for Moment of Truth laps without skiing to the bottom. Seems like It would be easy to bring back the platter, the line is still there although I think it may be used for uphillers, great respect to them. Not entirely disappointed that Thunderbowl chair is fixed grip. Just skied 6 morning Thunderbowl laps on February 9th with fresh tracks to be found, (over groomed that is) for every run. If it was a detachable I would have been lucky to get in 2 or 3 laps before it was skied out.
No matter how you slice it Highlands is still a great hill! One of the best places on Earth!!!
Lift Blog 
Even though this is not the only lift from the base area at Aspen Highlands, it is the only lift that accesses the upper mountain, as the only lift accessible from the neighboring Thunderbowl lift, besides itself, is Exhibition. Therefore, I have seen Exhibition have some pretty long lines during the morning hours when everyone is getting up the mountain.
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Before Exhibition and Loge Peak were built, it took four Riblet doubles to get to the top: Exhibition I to Exhibition II to Cloud Nine to Loge Peak.
With the first two high speed quads, it became a two lift ride to the top since Exhibition created a one-seat ride to the Merry-Go-Round, and Loge Peak was extended downhill to start there too.
For the first five years, Exhibition II was retained as a backup lift for the main Exhibition.
And for the first year of the current Thunderbowl triple’s existence, Exhibition II functioned in conjunction with it as an alternate route up to the Merry-Go-Round if Exhibition ever went down.
Then in 1999, the remaining Riblet doubles were all replaced with the single Cloud Nine high speed quad.
I do concur it would probably have helped if Cloud Nine started at the old Exhibition II loading point instead of where the original Cloud Nine double started, so it could be accessed directly from Thunderbowl.
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I think simply adding back Grand Prix in its original alignment as a detachable would be effective in reducing the number of skiers coming all the way down from the pod under Merry-Go-Round to Exhibition. Simultaneously making Thunderbowl detachable would allow skiers to have a really solid second option up the mountain and significantly reduce the “rush hour” Exhibition lift lines.
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A replacement lift for Exhibition II was approved in May 1994 but hasn’t been implemented. Unfortunately, the 2013 Master Plan calls for a (F4C) fixed-grip quad, not a detachable lift. SkiCo errored by not making Thunderbowl detachable and this would be repeating that mistake. The expectation for an Aspen Snowmass guest is for detachable lifts. Unfortunately, the proposed alignment is identical to the removed lift. A better alignment, as suggested, would be to place the loading terminal at the end of Trover’s Trail and Memory Lane. The old Grand Prix detachable poma was accessible from more terrain than the Riblet chair.
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Really interesting history lesson on Highlands that few remember, thanks! Part of me misses the old layout from the 60’s – 70’s. My father used to ski Exhibition II all day, beginner terrain now labeled intermediate, and I could ski tougher runs and still meet him at Merry go Round for lunch. I miss the Grand Prix Poma platter for Moment of Truth laps without skiing to the bottom. Seems like It would be easy to bring back the platter, the line is still there although I think it may be used for uphillers, great respect to them. Not entirely disappointed that Thunderbowl chair is fixed grip. Just skied 6 morning Thunderbowl laps on February 9th with fresh tracks to be found, (over groomed that is) for every run. If it was a detachable I would have been lucky to get in 2 or 3 laps before it was skied out.
No matter how you slice it Highlands is still a great hill! One of the best places on Earth!!!
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