Alterra

Deer Valley Unveils Phasing for Eastward Expansion

Peter Landsman43 Comments

Deer Valley Resort today detailed plans to open a two stage gondola and eight chairlifts for the 2025-26 season in phase one of Expanded Excellence. Deer Valley also revealed the new village portal along U.S. Route 40 will be named Deer Valley East Village. Previously known as Mayflower, the expansion is a collaboration between Deer Valley owner Alterra and Extell Development Company of New York. In August, the two companies came together and announced all new terrain would become part of Deer Valley rather than a separate ski resort.

Deer Valley East Village will cater to both day skiers and destination guests. The project includes a skier services facility with ski school, children’s programs, rentals, retail, and dining options along with 1,200 new skier parking spaces. The village will also be home to the upcoming Grand Hyatt Deer Valley and two additional hotels totaling more than 800 rooms.

A burly 10 passenger gondola will anchor mountain expansion, traveling from the East Village to 9,350 foot Park Peak. This 15,000 foot long lift will feature an angle station on Big Dutch Peak, servicing a variety of trails which return back to the village. Two six place chairlifts are also planned to terminate near the gondola on Park Peak, one for beginners and the other geared toward intermediate and advanced skiers. The larger of the two, Park Peak Express, will feature a mid-loading station for repeat upper mountain skiing.

Also opening by the 2025-26 season are two lifts on Sultan’s Nose unloading near Deer Valley’s existing Sultan Express and Mayflower. One of these lifts is a six pack from the new village and the other a high speed quad starting mid-mountain. Finally, four quad chairlifts are planned on the lower reaches of the expansion servicing the East Village, Marcella and Velvære communities. Many of the lift alignments have already been cut and graded and lift construction is likely to begin this summer. Deer Valley has not yet announced a manufacturer for the nine lifts in phase one.

While the majority of terrain will open in 2025-26, full buildout will continue over several years. Future phases will see three additional connector lifts to legacy Deer Valley terrain, two quad chairs on Hail Peak, two quads on South Peak and a high speed quad on Big Dutch Peak. In total the expansion adds 16 lifts and more than 3,700 acres to Deer Valley. Upon completion, the resort will offer over 5,726 acres of skiable terrain accessed by 37 chairlifts serving 238 runs.

“At Deer Valley Resort, we are proud of our legacy as a top-tier ski destination, and we’re staying true to our founding principles set over four decades ago,” said Todd Bennett, President & COO of Deer Valley Resort. “This expansion improves our resort’s accessibility and enriches the guest experience with additional world-class amenities. We will honor our history and strengthen our ties to the community as we expand over the next several years.”

News Roundup: Gondola Down

Peter Landsman20 Comments

Deer Valley Plans Snow Park Gondola

Peter Landsman16 Comments

Tonight Deer Valley Resort and Park City Municipal announced a public-private partnership to redevelop the Snow Park Base Area with a new gondola providing a key transportation link. Under the proposal, Deer Valley would reduce skier parking at Snow Park Village by 15 to 20 percent and devote $15 million to regional transportation and housing. A ten passenger gondola system would connect 1,200 new parking spaces on the Jordanelle side of the mountain to Snow Park, which will transform into a pedestrian-focused base village with lodging and dining. “We’ll have lift and gondola infrastructure that will connect from the new portal all the way to Snow Park, which we think is a really unique opportunity for transportation in the area,” Deer Valley President Todd Bennett told the City Council.

The newly-unveiled gondola would carry skiers and foot passengers year round between Snow Park Village and Silver Lake Village, likely replacing the Silver Lake Express. From Silver Lake, gondola cabins would continue to Park Peak, the 9,400 foot summit of Deer Valley’s upcoming Expanded Excellence expansion. The gondola would terminate just steps from another planned gondola rising from a new base portal along U.S. Route 40. Together a total of four gondola segments would link five points around Deer Valley and reduce the need for skiers to drive through Park City to park. Deer Valley notes that “several new chairlifts and the 10-passenger gondola will seamlessly connect our expanded terrain with the existing resort, ensuring a more balanced traffic flow and reducing congestion.”

The four gondola sections would span 5.4 miles and form one of the largest gondola systems in North America. A ride along the entire line from U.S. 40 to Snow Park would last approximately 25 minutes. The lift would be built and funded by Deer Valley on top of the $15 million Deer Valley is committing to fund other transportation and housing initiatives.

Park City’s City Council plans to hold a public hearing on the proposal next week with a potential vote to move forward before the end of the year. Deer Valley expects to open the first new ski terrain for the 2025/26 season, though Snow Park redevelopment will take the majority of this decade. The entire project is expected to be completed in advance of the potential 2034 Salt Lake Olympics.

Blue Mountain, Ontario Eyes New Gondola

Peter Landsman13 Comments

Alterra Mountain Company’s lift construction push continues. Fresh off projects at Mammoth, Schweitzer, Snowshoe, Solitude, Steamboat and Winter Park, the company plans to build a new gondola at its outpost in Ontario, Canada. Blue Mountain currently operates the Silver Bullet Express as an open air gondola in the summer months but lacks a truly accessible year-round lift attraction. The new scenic gondola will load near the Village at Blue Mountain, where a new base lodge is also planned. The top terminal will sit near the Southern Comfort six pack with the gondola running diagonally up the mountain.

Blue Mountain notes the 20 year old Silver Bullet will need to be taken out of service for an entire summer soon for refurbishment and the new gondola will better serve summer and winter guests going forward. Construction is expected to begin next year, subject to local approvals. No manufacturer was announced but Blue Mountain currently operates a 100 percent Leitner-Poma lift fleet.

News Roundup: The Stache

Peter Landsman12 Comments

News Roundup: Mineral Basin

Peter Landsman22 Comments

Forest Service Weighs Bear Mountain-Snow Summit Interconnect

Peter Landsman43 Comments

Three new chairlifts may be coming to Alterra’s outpost in Southern California. Under a plan unveiled today, Big Bear Mountain Resort would link neighboring Bear Mountain and Snow Summit via a series of new lifts and trails to form a cohesive mountain. The project would be remarkable given the two mountains haven’t seen a single new lift in 25 years. The two came under common ownership in 2002 and Alterra added nearby Snow Valley to the resort earlier this year. In addition to the interconnect, Big Bear also plans to add a new beginner terrain pod at Bear Mountain, expand snowmaking, construct mountain bike trails, build a zip tour and install an alpine coaster.

The interconnect would require two detachable chairlifts spanning approximately 4,000 feet apiece. Lift C on Bear Mountain would rise about 850 vertical with significant new ski terrain. On the Snow Summit side, Lift D would service approximately 525 vertical feet and include three connector trails. The two lifts would meet at a central low point with a skier bridge completing the link. All told the project would require approximately 300 acres to be added to Big Bear’s special use permit area, about 60 of which would be developed trails with snowmaking. A third new chairlift is planned to service a new beginner pod near the Access Express on Bear Mountain.

The San Bernadino National Forest is preparing an Environmental Assessment and accepting public comments on the proposal over the next 30 days. The Forest Service’s schedule of proposed actions suggests the project could be approved by May of next year.

Deer Valley Unveils Dramatic Expansion Plan

Peter Landsman56 Comments

Deer Valley will embark on one of the largest terrain expansions in US ski history over the next decade in partnership with Extell Development Company. As part of the Expanded Excellence vision, Alterra Mountain Company will develop ski operations in the area previously known as Mayflower with nine new lifts opening in the 2025-26 season and seven more to follow. All told, Deer Valley will more than double in size to 5,726 acres with 37 lifts.

Deer Valley Resort President Todd Bennett introduces the Expanded Excellence vision today at Silver Lake Lodge.

The majority of the new terrain will launch in late 2025 with 110 new runs and a 2,900 foot vertical drop. Extell will continue to develop the base portal it has been building along US-40, which guests can reach seamlessly from Salt Lake City. Alterra will manage the mountain experience under a long term operating agreement and skiers will enjoy the same elevated service and amenities they have since 1981, albeit on a dramatically larger footprint. Deer Valley expects to hire 2,000 employees to support this expansion along with additional parking and workforce housing.

New York-based Extell embarked on the Mayflower project years ago with a purchase of 40 acres and acquired more than 20 parcels since. Company founder and President Gary Barnett noted negotiations with Alterra were intense at times and a deal was only finalized this week. With the two companies in agreement, skiers will enjoy an improved ski experience under the Deer Valley brand rather than having to choose between two adjacent, competing ski resorts.

Construction has already begun on the base portal and new terrain. The flagship of the expanded lift system will be a 10 passenger gondola spanning nearly 10,000 linear feet from the new base portal to Park Peak with a mid angle station. A dozen detachable chairlifts and three fixed grip lifts will also service the expansion at full buildout. A majority will be quads in Deer Valley tradition with manufacturer(s) to be determined.

“Deer Valley Resort is committed to building upon our legacy as one of the world’s most exceptional ski areas while staying true to our founding principles created over four-decades ago,” said Todd Bennett, President and COO of Deer Valley Resort. “This expansion will facilitate even better access to the resort for our guests, while offering a substantial increase in world-class amenities consistent with the resort’s original vision.” 

News Roundup: 7-3

Peter Landsman10 Comments

Alterra Buys Schweitzer

Peter Landsman22 Comments

Alterrra Mountain Company today announced an agreement to acquire Schweitzer Mountain Resort, the largest ski mountain in Idaho. Already an Ikon Pass partner, Schweitzer features a fleet of nine chairlifts on 2,900 acres of private land near Sandpoint. The mountain will become the 17th owned destination for Alterra across the United States and Canada. “With an incredible mountain in one of the most beautiful settings in the country and a world-class operating team, Schweitzer has everything we look for in a destination,” said Jared Smith, President and CEO of Alterra Mountain Company. “The mountain has been a valued partner on the Ikon Pass for several seasons, so we’ve been able to see the exceptional team, community, and opportunities for continued investment up close.”

Tom Chasse, who has been with Schweitzer since 2006, will stay on as President and CEO under Alterra. He will oversee Schweitzer’s continued growth, which includes development of a new base area called Schweitzer Creek Village. A new Leitner-Poma high speed quad is already under construction and will debut on that part of the mountain next winter.

MKM Trust, which has been the owner and developer of Schweitzer for the past 18 years, will retain non-ski operations and will continue to lead future real estate development. The transaction is expected to close later this year.