- A new park map shows where Legoland New York’s gondola will go.
- A skiing preview of Deer Valley Expanded Excellence.
- The Colorado Sun embeds with departments who work all night to make Winter Park run.
- Afton Alps removes Chair 18 to make way for a tube park.
- Vail Resorts reports season-to-date skier visits are down 9.7 percent and lowers earnings guidance.
- From the classifieds: a 1987 Poma Quad for sale.
- Doppelmayr assumes patents needed for Autonomous Ropeway Operation (AURO) installations in the USA.
- Kimberley, BC files a new master plan.
- MND to make an announcement on April 16th.
- Upon learning of a young guest named Reid with a phobia of chairlifts, Stevens Pass staff spring into action, giving him a full day tour of mountain operations and making him an honorary lift operator.
- Red Lodge Mountain closes the Cole Creek quad due to a component failure within the lift terminal structure.
- A high speed quad is rope evacuated at Burke Mountain.
- Flat Top Flyer at Powderhorn remains closed awaiting delivery of parts.
- Sugarloaf closes King Pine for whatever this “mechanical problem” is.
- Guests were stuck on Blackcomb’s new gondola for hours yesterday.
- The OITAF World Congress for Ropeways is coming to Vancouver June 17-21.
- Leitner has reportedly paid more than $16 million in settlements to families of victims of the 2021 Stresa-Mottarone tram disaster.
- A D-Line gondola in Austria will run entirely on solar energy produced on site this summer.
- Grouse Mountain provides a gondola construction update.
- A raccoon rides Sugarbush’s Village quad.
- Costs double for the proposed gondola-served transit center at Steamboat.
- Also at Steamboat, Leitner-Poma appears to have won the contract to replace Sunshine Express.
- Leitner-Poma also appears to have upcoming projects at Big Bear Mountain Resort, Snowbasin and Wasatch Peaks Ranch.
- Chapman Hill will replace its main rope tow with a Leitner-Poma platter.
- Wachusett nears a decision to replace Polar Express with a six pack.
- The Town of Alta passes a resolution opposing the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola.
- Red River shares renderings of its upcoming Copper Chair, will sell retiring Riblet chairs.
Big Bear
Forest Service Weighs Bear Mountain-Snow Summit Interconnect
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.
Alterra Buys Snow Valley, California
Alterra Mountain Company today announced the purchase of its 15th ski area, Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Southern California. Snow Valley operations will fold into nearby Big Bear Mountain Resort, which includes Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. Snow Valley currently operates nine chairlifts including a detachable six pack and eight Yan fixed grips.
“The acquisition of Snow Valley Mountain Resort is a continuation of our ongoing mission to build a premier portfolio of great mountains in robust markets,” said Jared Smith, President and CEO of Alterra Mountain Company. “As we do with all our destinations, we are excited to invest essential capital to enhance the on-site employee and guest experience to further strengthen our offerings to skiers and riders in Southern California.”
The purchase has already closed and Ikon Pass holders can access Snow Valley beginning Monday, February 20th. Snow Valley’s current Indy Pass participation will likely end after this season.