Here is an excerpt from Coloradoskihistory that explains it:
“During the ’67-68 ski season, a short double chair from the failed nearby Glenwood Mountain Park Ski Area found a home at Sunlight for the cost of $21,000. This chair served a bunny slope for the ski school and also was the bottom link to future expansion on the ridge across the valley. When landowner issues became a problem within this expansion area, the lift was removed.”
– Segundo – Describes the current upgrade plan as-is. I have never been to Sunlight but I always thought it would make more sense to remove Segundo, extend Primo down to base and make that a HSQ. All terrain Segundo serves would be accessible via the extended HSQ Primo. I understand that a HSQ might be too much capital for Sunlight but wouldn’t reducing the number of lifts help offset costs? Are there other terrain considerations that would make an extended Primo more difficult?
– Primo – Outlines a fixed grip in the same alignment but with expanded snowmaking down Rebel, Joslin, Peacemaker, and Cornice.
– East Ridge – Alignment and plan still shown but also describes an East Ridge Alternative that starts near the bottom of the proposed lift and go up 632 vertical feet near the top of Sundown. Would it be possible to get to Primo from the top of the alterative? This would make lapping the East Ridge terrain a pain as opposed to the original alignment. The alterative also describes access to the lift for an expanded parking lot. I am not a fan of the alterative.
– Grizzly Lift – New proposed fixed grip quad up 500 vertical feet that would serve new terrain and terminates at the top of Rebel. The terrain is off the east side of the ridge and appears to expand low intermediate/intermediate offerings. Seems like a decent addition to help bridge the gap from beginner runs to intermediate.
-Backcountry – Outlines vague backcountry tours or possible cat skiing operations near Williams Peak.
I have never skied Sunlight but have found it too be interesting being located near Glenwood Springs and with some decent looking terrain. The limited/old lift infrastructure has held me back from visiting and understand snow fall can be an issue too. The plan looks like it would address this issues that but I still think a HSQ Primo lift would really help a lot more.
It’s a very beautiful mountain and fun to ski, but the base area is very limited in size and expansion capabilities, so they have to be careful with future lift replacement/expansion there. I do think they need a HSQ out of the base area going up that can eliminate Segundo, or relocate Segundo to are different alignment
Sunlight is a very good mountain to ski. Everything flows well and outside of the East Ridge blacks which you have to have a good snow year, is on par with the best. Their main limiting factor is their management and their vision.
Management wants to keep Sunlight in the past simply put. They want to act like it’s the 80’s and it shows. Nothing has changed in nearly 40 years including the lifts. I totally get the idea of the laid back atmosphere they want. But you need to invest at least occasionally to keep your product viable and safe. There is a very good reason I no longer ski there despite its excellent terrain and short drive.
Lift replacements are long over due. My guess why they finally changed their tune is the CPTSB finally told them off or they finally figured the lifts are too far gone to properly maintain at cost. (If you haven’t gotten the hint yet their maintenance and protocols are sadly sub par and at minimum at most. This comes from my connections back when I worked with the Caverns.) The mountain is debt free so why not max profit? They got super lucky with Segundo. A-Basin had a nice lift with a bunch of suitors but decided to help out a fellow independent.
Speaking of Segundo the lift does need a one for one replacement. There is a pod of trails off of it that would be easier lapping then going all the way to the summit and back down. Primo would be great to extend back to the base but the master plan calls for current alignment. HSQ with a mid-unload would allow for Tercero to retire. But alas the master plan says too much money to build and maintain which comes back to old school thinking. If our little family owned amusement park can afford a detach gondola, then certainly the current owners can make that investment. After all, if the resort is making profit with no debt, then where’s all the extra money? Are the margins really that thin? And then why are they that thin?
That comes into the new lifts that aren’t replacements. The master plan shows they realize they need to catch up and the old school way is failing. Instead of making these investments over time, now they will have to dump lots of money over little time to try to stay afloat. This is a master plan that should of started in the 90’s and now moved on to terrain expansion or better lift infrastructure. Hopefully it’s not too late.
If it sounds and looks like I’m bagging on them, I am 100%. It pains me to see such a great mountain being held back. You can absolutely keep some of that old school charm but the future is here and it will leave you behind. This is a mountain Vail Resorts was about to buy (another story) but just can’t let go of the past.
Lift Blog 
How come they removed west lift or the hall double
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Here is an excerpt from Coloradoskihistory that explains it:
“During the ’67-68 ski season, a short double chair from the failed nearby Glenwood Mountain Park Ski Area found a home at Sunlight for the cost of $21,000. This chair served a bunny slope for the ski school and also was the bottom link to future expansion on the ridge across the valley. When landowner issues became a problem within this expansion area, the lift was removed.”
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Why was the west double never replaced and where on the mountain was it?
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Here is the earliest map I can find of Sunlight https://skimap.org/data/506/7/1209352353.jpg
This is the 1967 map
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Sunlight has posted a new master plan. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1123210.pdf
– Segundo – Describes the current upgrade plan as-is. I have never been to Sunlight but I always thought it would make more sense to remove Segundo, extend Primo down to base and make that a HSQ. All terrain Segundo serves would be accessible via the extended HSQ Primo. I understand that a HSQ might be too much capital for Sunlight but wouldn’t reducing the number of lifts help offset costs? Are there other terrain considerations that would make an extended Primo more difficult?
– Primo – Outlines a fixed grip in the same alignment but with expanded snowmaking down Rebel, Joslin, Peacemaker, and Cornice.
– East Ridge – Alignment and plan still shown but also describes an East Ridge Alternative that starts near the bottom of the proposed lift and go up 632 vertical feet near the top of Sundown. Would it be possible to get to Primo from the top of the alterative? This would make lapping the East Ridge terrain a pain as opposed to the original alignment. The alterative also describes access to the lift for an expanded parking lot. I am not a fan of the alterative.
– Grizzly Lift – New proposed fixed grip quad up 500 vertical feet that would serve new terrain and terminates at the top of Rebel. The terrain is off the east side of the ridge and appears to expand low intermediate/intermediate offerings. Seems like a decent addition to help bridge the gap from beginner runs to intermediate.
-Backcountry – Outlines vague backcountry tours or possible cat skiing operations near Williams Peak.
I have never skied Sunlight but have found it too be interesting being located near Glenwood Springs and with some decent looking terrain. The limited/old lift infrastructure has held me back from visiting and understand snow fall can be an issue too. The plan looks like it would address this issues that but I still think a HSQ Primo lift would really help a lot more.
LikeLike
It’s a very beautiful mountain and fun to ski, but the base area is very limited in size and expansion capabilities, so they have to be careful with future lift replacement/expansion there. I do think they need a HSQ out of the base area going up that can eliminate Segundo, or relocate Segundo to are different alignment
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Primo use to run base to summit with a mid station for beginner unload until late 80’s. A HS lift would be a great addition.
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Sunlight is a very good mountain to ski. Everything flows well and outside of the East Ridge blacks which you have to have a good snow year, is on par with the best. Their main limiting factor is their management and their vision.
Management wants to keep Sunlight in the past simply put. They want to act like it’s the 80’s and it shows. Nothing has changed in nearly 40 years including the lifts. I totally get the idea of the laid back atmosphere they want. But you need to invest at least occasionally to keep your product viable and safe. There is a very good reason I no longer ski there despite its excellent terrain and short drive.
Lift replacements are long over due. My guess why they finally changed their tune is the CPTSB finally told them off or they finally figured the lifts are too far gone to properly maintain at cost. (If you haven’t gotten the hint yet their maintenance and protocols are sadly sub par and at minimum at most. This comes from my connections back when I worked with the Caverns.) The mountain is debt free so why not max profit? They got super lucky with Segundo. A-Basin had a nice lift with a bunch of suitors but decided to help out a fellow independent.
Speaking of Segundo the lift does need a one for one replacement. There is a pod of trails off of it that would be easier lapping then going all the way to the summit and back down. Primo would be great to extend back to the base but the master plan calls for current alignment. HSQ with a mid-unload would allow for Tercero to retire. But alas the master plan says too much money to build and maintain which comes back to old school thinking. If our little family owned amusement park can afford a detach gondola, then certainly the current owners can make that investment. After all, if the resort is making profit with no debt, then where’s all the extra money? Are the margins really that thin? And then why are they that thin?
That comes into the new lifts that aren’t replacements. The master plan shows they realize they need to catch up and the old school way is failing. Instead of making these investments over time, now they will have to dump lots of money over little time to try to stay afloat. This is a master plan that should of started in the 90’s and now moved on to terrain expansion or better lift infrastructure. Hopefully it’s not too late.
If it sounds and looks like I’m bagging on them, I am 100%. It pains me to see such a great mountain being held back. You can absolutely keep some of that old school charm but the future is here and it will leave you behind. This is a mountain Vail Resorts was about to buy (another story) but just can’t let go of the past.
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RIP Primo and Segundo
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I’m really not looking forward to a slow quad on a line that long. Should have been a triple to run it a bit faster
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https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rUZHpW3zg-XEwiboBOHLrZgbpwR47Y7E
Here’s a link from their website that links to historical documents/pictures and the original engineering documents for the old Primo lift.
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