Mountain Capital Partners to Reopen Sandia Peak

Peter Landsman14 Comments


New Mexico’s Sandia Peak will become the 12th ski area in Mountain Capital Partners’ fast-growing resort collective. Closed since 2021 and located near Albuquerque, Sandia Peak features three double chairs operated by the Abruzzo Family for decades. Under a joint venture agreement announced today, the Abruzzos will continue to run the Sandia Peak Tramway and restaurant while MCP will operate the ski hill. “Skiing in the Southwest offers unique challenges that have been amplified over the last several years,” noted Sandia Peak General Manager Ben Abruzzo. “This partnership will help address those challenges and provide a future for skiing in Albuquerque,” Abruzzo continued. In addition to the tram, the Abruzzo family will continue to own and manage Ski Santa Fe in Northern New Mexico.

Sandia Peak is MCP’s fourth new mountain in two years. In April the company acquired Lee Canyon, Nevada from Powdr and quickly began work on a new chairlift. Earlier this year MCP acquired a majority stake and assumed operation of Valle Nevado in Chile. Prior to that, Mountain Capital Partners reached a joint venture to operate Oregon’s Willamette Pass Ski Area. MCP also operates two other New Mexico ski areas, resorts in Arizona, Colorado and Utah as well as a lift-served bike park near Austin, Texas. “The foundations of our company were built on the lessons we learned from skiers and snowboarders in New Mexico,” said James Coleman, managing partner of Mountain Capital Partners. “Sandia Peak presents an incredible opportunity for us to bring the best practices we’ve learned for the benefit of Albuquerque and visitors from around the region.”

The reopening timeline for Sandia Peak’s ski operations has not been determined. When it does welcome skiers back, Sandia will join the Power Pass family of season passes.

Sommet Morin Heights Announces New Quad

Peter Landsman6 Comments

Quebec resort group Les Sommets will build its fourth new lift in six years next summer at Sommet Morin Heights. The group has been investing heavily of late with four of its five mountains receiving new chairlifts since 2019. The Sommet Express opened at Sommet Saint-Sauveur in 2019, La Laurentienne debuted at Sommet Gabriel in 2022 and Apollo will launch this season at Sommet Olympia. Next up will be Sommet Morin Heights.

Morin Heights’ new lift will be called Élévation with the exact alignment to be announced. The planned vertical of 525 feet suggests it will replace Dynastar, a 1980s quad which operated previously at Ski Wentworth, Nova Scota. Élévation will feature 91 chairs moving at 450 feet per minute and will open for the 2024-25 ski season.

News Roundup: Mineral Basin

Peter Landsman22 Comments

News Roundup: Raven

Peter Landsman21 Comments

News Roundup: Baldy

Peter Landsman14 Comments

Vail Resorts Plans Lift Upgrades at Hunter Mountain and Blackcomb in 2024

Peter Landsman16 Comments

Vail Resorts today announced its initial 2024 capital plan, which includes three new lifts. The largest project will be at Hunter Mountain, where Vail intends to replace the Broadway quad with a six seat detachable. The top terminal will be relocated near the bottom of Lower 42nd Street to improve access to Eisenhower and Gun Hill. Existing Broadway Limited equipment will be moved to replace Lift E, a Hall double dating back to 1968. E’s alignment will move east to the middle of the learning area. Vail says these new lifts will provide “a meaningful increase in uphill capacity and improved access to terrain that is key to the progressive learning experience for our guests.”

At Whistler Blackcomb, Vail will build its fourth new detachable in three years. The new Jersey Cream Six will utilize parts originally intended for Eagle Express at Park City before local approval was revoked in 2022. Vail then sought to replace the Jersey Cream quad in 2023 alongside the Fitzsimmons 8 project, but labor shortages only allowed one project to be finished this fall. Doppelmayr Canada did complete 11 of 15 tower bases for Jersey Cream over the summer and the UNI-G six pack will now open for the 2024-25 ski season.

Finally Vail announced its intention to complete the new Sunrise Gondola at Park City’s Canyons Village in 2025. The 10 passenger gondola will run from near the new Pendry Hotel to Red Pine Lodge. The third out-of-base lift will be funded in part by the Canyons Village Management Association.

The company reported season pass sales increased approximately 7 percent in units and 11 percent in sales dollars in dollars compared to the equivalent period last year. Vail Resorts also reported a decrease in net income from $347.9 million for fiscal year 2022 to $268.1 million for fiscal 2023. The decrease was primarily attributed to “a large gain on disposal of fixed assets in fiscal 2022 and an increase in fiscal 2023 expense associated with a change in the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration liability related to our Park City resort lease.” Vail also said higher employee wages, a poor winter in Australia and lower demand for summer mountain travel negatively impacted results.

Snowbird to Replace Wilbere Lift

Peter Landsman14 Comments

Doppelmayr has been selected to install a new Wilbere Quad next summer at Snowbird, the second new lift announced by Powdr for 2024. The quad will load in a new location in the Creekside base area and terminate near the top of the current Wilbere double, which Doppelmayr built in 1971. The modern AlpenStar fixed grip will feature a loading conveyor and carry 1,800 skiers per hour.

“With a number of short- and long-term projects in the works, we are taking great strides to make our mountain more accessible, more efficient and more engaging for our passholders and our community,” noted Snowbird President and General Manager Dave Fields. Wilbere 2.0 is expected to open for the 2024-25 ski season.