This lift opened a signature expansion in 2022.The bottom terminal at the base of the Park.Doppelmayr lift operator house and maintenance rail.Tower 1.View riding up the line.Arriving at the top terminal.Another view of the drive with a large generator for power outages.View down the line at tower 17.Upper part of the lift line.Middle lift line.View downhill.McCoy Park used to be exclusively for cross country skiers, hence its low profile.The first few towers.T2.View up from the base.Return terminal with maintenance rail.Loading area.Unloading area.Side view of the top terminal.View from the summit.Tower 21.Tower 18.The last few towers.Another look down the long lift line.Combo assemblies.Tower 14.T10.Doppelmayr EJ chair with Agamatic grip and puck foot rests.Side view of the load point.Lift overview from the top of Bachelor Gulch.
15 thoughts on “McCoy Park Express – Beaver Creek, CO”
Donald ReifFebruary 4, 2022 / 5:24 pm
This is the first high speed quad at Beaver Creek to use the newer puck style footrests rather than the traditional design used on all of the other high speed quads.
Okay, this new area looks kinda fun. It looks like they only cut a few trails and the rest is ‘find your own route’ style through the willows. It was nice as a Nordic area but I had never thought of it as a candidate for Alpine skiing before.
It’s hard to overstate how exceptional this new terrain really is.
The entire bowl skis incredibly well. The moderate max-angle off the top and continuous gentle grade make this perfect for relatively inexperienced skiers. The main runs never flatten out too much … meaning even the youngest/smallest skiers and laziest snowboarders won’t be complaining too much. (The cat track in from Strawberry Park is admittedly quite flat though). Compared to Red Buffalo Park, I’d say this area is more rolling terrain with a more gentle average pitch but some steeper max pitches.
For truly green circle terrain, the experience is totally unqiue. It’s a wide-open bowl, with a seemingly endless number of little runs between tree islands. There are (mostly natural) rollers everywhere: the terrain drops and rises and undulates. A family of four with different personalities and risk appetites could have four completely different runs, all within eyesight of each other. There are tons of small tree islands, thick and thin glades, and sparse tree stands speckled across the trails. It’s a true back bowl experience for upper-beginner and low-intermediate skiers. But everyone can really enjoy these runs.
And of course, the views are exceptional. Red Buffalo Park may be higher altitude, but this bowl has far superior views. It’s also got a very sunny exposure mid-day and the concave bowl shape makes it feel more like its own, contained area.
All that said, it is a bit of a bummer BC lost so much nordic acreage. That was also quite unique. But it’s obvious way more visitors to the mountain will enjoy the new usage pattern.
This high-speed quad also seems like the right call for the area. On a sunny Saturday with fresh snow shortly after opening (and on a day when Breck and Vail and Keystone were getting prominently featured on Epic Lift Lines’ IG story) the modest-size maze was filled out but quick to get through. And even with fully loaded chairs pumping out skiers continuously, the skier density throughout the area was totally comfortable. We’ll see if that trend holds …
I’m an expert, and this terrain still looks AMAZING. I’ve watched many Youtube videos of the trails, and there seem to be many hidden, low-angle tree powder stashes. I’m so glad BC decided to make this a downhill zone.
Looks Like McCoy Park Express has the red weighted drop sheaves. Other lifts have the thickened side plate on the assembly instead of the weighted drop sheave. (Not a lift mechanic so may be using wrong terminology)
Yes, there are three styles of the standard 401 sheave- aluminum hub, aluminum side plates; aluminum hub, steel side plates; and steel hub, steel side plates (the red sheaves). The S/As will articulate the pair but not as much as the S/Ss. Having #1 or #2 as a drop sheave is standard practise on the detachables.
Lift Blog 
This is the first high speed quad at Beaver Creek to use the newer puck style footrests rather than the traditional design used on all of the other high speed quads.
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Puck style footrests must be cheaper because they are too small to be comfortable. I hope this is a one off event.
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Okay, this new area looks kinda fun. It looks like they only cut a few trails and the rest is ‘find your own route’ style through the willows. It was nice as a Nordic area but I had never thought of it as a candidate for Alpine skiing before.
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It’s hard to overstate how exceptional this new terrain really is.
The entire bowl skis incredibly well. The moderate max-angle off the top and continuous gentle grade make this perfect for relatively inexperienced skiers. The main runs never flatten out too much … meaning even the youngest/smallest skiers and laziest snowboarders won’t be complaining too much. (The cat track in from Strawberry Park is admittedly quite flat though). Compared to Red Buffalo Park, I’d say this area is more rolling terrain with a more gentle average pitch but some steeper max pitches.
For truly green circle terrain, the experience is totally unqiue. It’s a wide-open bowl, with a seemingly endless number of little runs between tree islands. There are (mostly natural) rollers everywhere: the terrain drops and rises and undulates. A family of four with different personalities and risk appetites could have four completely different runs, all within eyesight of each other. There are tons of small tree islands, thick and thin glades, and sparse tree stands speckled across the trails. It’s a true back bowl experience for upper-beginner and low-intermediate skiers. But everyone can really enjoy these runs.
And of course, the views are exceptional. Red Buffalo Park may be higher altitude, but this bowl has far superior views. It’s also got a very sunny exposure mid-day and the concave bowl shape makes it feel more like its own, contained area.
All that said, it is a bit of a bummer BC lost so much nordic acreage. That was also quite unique. But it’s obvious way more visitors to the mountain will enjoy the new usage pattern.
This high-speed quad also seems like the right call for the area. On a sunny Saturday with fresh snow shortly after opening (and on a day when Breck and Vail and Keystone were getting prominently featured on Epic Lift Lines’ IG story) the modest-size maze was filled out but quick to get through. And even with fully loaded chairs pumping out skiers continuously, the skier density throughout the area was totally comfortable. We’ll see if that trend holds …
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I’m an expert, and this terrain still looks AMAZING. I’ve watched many Youtube videos of the trails, and there seem to be many hidden, low-angle tree powder stashes. I’m so glad BC decided to make this a downhill zone.
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those foot rest are uncomfortable for snowboarders
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They’re also uncomfortable for skiers
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On some of the towers there is a circle-shaped object holding a cord on the top of the tower head. Example: Tower 14. What is it?
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Video of the lift.
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The puck footrests are awful. Don’t understand the need to tinker with a very simple system that has worked well for decades.
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This was the only 2021 new detachable to use the older style of the sheave-holder things that they only use on fixed-grips now. Why is that?
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‘Sheave-holder things’? Are you referring to the sheave assemblies on the towers?
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Mabye he was refering to the rope catchers?
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Looks Like McCoy Park Express has the red weighted drop sheaves. Other lifts have the thickened side plate on the assembly instead of the weighted drop sheave. (Not a lift mechanic so may be using wrong terminology)
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Yes, there are three styles of the standard 401 sheave- aluminum hub, aluminum side plates; aluminum hub, steel side plates; and steel hub, steel side plates (the red sheaves). The S/As will articulate the pair but not as much as the S/Ss. Having #1 or #2 as a drop sheave is standard practise on the detachables.
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