Lift Blog

One of outgoing White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams’ final actions last week was accepting a new master plan for Copper Mountain, one of eleven ski areas he oversaw for 15 years. The plan, prepared by SE Group, includes three direct lift replacements, four lift replacements in extended alignments, four new infill lifts within existing terrain and two expansion lifts. Notably, all projects reside within Copper’s existing 7,343 acre permit boundary. Copper’s operation today spans 3,641 acres and that would grow to 4,154 acres, an expansion of 14 percent. “The upgrade plan works to improve circulation around the mountain with updated lift infrastructure, as well as provide guests with access to new and unique terrain within Copper’s existing Special Use Permit area,” notes SE Group.

Two lift projects in the plan have already been approved but not yet implemented. The first is a six person replacement for Lumberjack on the far west side of the resort. The existing Lumberjack triple dates back to 1981 and takes more than nine minutes to ride. The replacement detachable would run 4,818 feet and access excellent beginner terrain. This project was originally approved as a quad but was later re-approved as a six place.

The second approved project is an Alpine replacement, green lighted since 2006. Even though Alpine recently received a new return terminal, the rest of the lift is nearing 50 years old and lacks sufficient capacity for planned development around the Alpine base. Detachable Alpine’s top terminal would be extended uphill, providing riders access to more terrain.

The most exciting component of the plan is a lift up Jacque Peak, located west of Tucker Mountain, which gained lift service in 2020. A 5,900 foot long detachable quad called Jacque East would service intermediate and advanced terrain in the Tucker Gulch drainage, becoming the highest lift in North America. It would top out at 13,150 feet, soundly beating Breckenridge’s Imperial Express record of 12,840 feet (Loveland’s master plan includes a lift to just over 12,900 feet which could be constructed before Copper gets to Jacque Peak.) “The [Jacque East] lift is strategically positioned to reduce potential impacts to known wetland areas with its alignment and minimize habitat impacts with its location above tree line, while still providing exceptional access to high alpine terrain,” notes SE Group.

A second expansion lift would be installed between Tucker Mountain and Jacque Peak called Thunderbird. This fixed triple would service advanced terrain similar to Three Bears. The short lift would also provide essential egress from Tucker Gulch back toward Copper’s base areas. “The Tucker Gulch expansion is designed to emphasize the high alpine experience,” the plan notes. “The vast majority of the terrain is above treeline, lee to the predominant westerly winds, and well-suited to provide a breathtaking but accessible guest experience.”

Related to the Jacque Peak expansion, both Blackjack and Mountain Chief in Copper Bowl are slated for replacement. These doubles date back to 1973 and 1977 and would see increased traffic as guests come and go from Jacque Peak. Blackjack would likely be replaced with a detachable quad and Mountain Chief a fixed triple in existing alignments.

Another major lift addition is called Union Meadows. This nearly 8,000 foot detachable quad would load west of the new Timberline Express and unload at the top of Union Meadows, providing access to the future Jacque East lift. Union Meadows Express would rise 1,366 vertical feet and carry up to 2,400 riders per hour.

Elsewhere on the front side, numerous lifts are earmarked for replacement. Chief among them is Super Bee, Copper’s first six pack dating back to 1998. The new Super Bee would become Copper’s first eight place chairlift and include a mid-station near the top of Rosie’s Run. The intermediate station would be useful for Copper’s extensive early season race training program. At nearly 9,000 feet long with an hourly capacity of 3,400 skiers, Super Bee 8 would be a monster lift. Alternatively, it could be constructed as two separate lifts like Copper had for decades prior to Super Bee’s construction.

Excelerator is slated to go from a quad to a six pack with the bottom terminal extended downhill to reduce crowding and cross traffic near the Aerie. Capacity would jump from 2,450 to 3,200 skiers per hour.

Rendezvous is also slated for extension with the bottom terminal shifting significantly east and downhill. “Upgrading the Rendezvous lift to a detachable quad and extending its current alignment will improve access to the Copper Bowl area while still providing an incredible beginner experience in the high-alpine,” notes the plan. A high speed Rendezvous would also reduce pressure on American Flyer and Timberline Express, which service similar terrain.

Just below the new Rendezvous lift, another detachable quad is proposed in the Sail Away Glades area. This lift would fill the void between American Eagle and American Flyer, servicing several new trails. This pod would add to Copper’s intermediate terrain, take pressure off base area lifts and improve cross-mountain circulation. Sail Away Express would run 968 vertical feet and transport 2,400 guests an hour.

Finally Copper intends to improve access to freestyle terrain, embracing its mantra as The Athlete’s Mountain. An 825 foot long platter lift is planned to run alongside the existing Superpipe, providing quicker laps. Similarly, a 2,500 foot long fixed grip chairlift is envisioned to service a terrain park near Woodward Express.

The plan also includes significant snowmaking improvements, new parking, restaurants and maintenance facilities. Overall comfortable carrying capacity would increase from 12,940 guests per day to 17,860 – not a goal or cap but rather a planning benchmark. This would allow Copper to maintain its current surplus of terrain for the number of skiers it hosts and continue to provide a high quality experience.

As always, master plans are conceptual in nature and do not constitute approval or timelines for specific projects. However, given Powdr’s recent sale of Killington and pending sales of Eldora, Mt. Bachelor and SilverStar, they may have the cash to follow this ambitious plan at their flagship mountain in the coming years.