- Another real estate access lift called Powdercrest is on the horizon at Big Sky.
- The Whitetail Express at Whitetail, PA goes down until further notice after just one day of operation this season.
- Wildcat’s Snowcat lift, which missed all of last season, won’t reopen for a bit longer.
- A viral video from Austria shows gondola cabins surging up and down, blamed on speed and changed drive parameters.
- A grip slip incident claims a life in Montenegro.
- A skier is hospitalized after falling from a lift at Sunshine Village.
- Powderhorn performs a rope evacuation of the Flat Top Flyer.
- Following Washington floods, Crystal Mountain reopens at full capacity and Stevens Pass will open Monday with a four hour detour from Seattle.
- Workers at Le Massif, Quebec reject a contract proposal and authorize a strike beginning January 2nd.
- Eaglecrest’s used gondola project will cost at least five times initial estimates.
- A worker is seriously injured in Italy when wind lifts a safety net into the path of a chair.
- The sale of Eldora is taking longer than expected.
Big Sky
News Roundup: Plan Maps
- Cuchara, Colorado plans to open a chairlift this season for the first time in 25 years.
- The New York Times check in on Killington’s efforts to modernize and compete with western resorts.
- Club Med to build on the Soleil side of Tremblant alongside “significant upgrades to the mountain.”
- Greater Paris joins the urban gondola club tomorrow.
- After millions of dollars and years of delays trying to install a gondola, Eaglecrest faces a $650,000 tariff bill and $450,000 cabin refurbishment bill amid questions whether the project should continue at all.
- Big White, BC amends its master plan to focus on the Backcountry expansion, Gem Lake 2 and infill lifts, shelving plans for East Peak and Gem Lake West.
- Telluride’s ski patrol votes down a contract proposal; could strike in the coming weeks. Telski owner Chuck Horning contends meeting the union’s demands would yield higher lift prices.
- Alberta designates Fortress, Castle and Nakiska its first designated all season resort areas targeted for development.
- Wachusett apologizes for another delay completing the new Polar Express.
- Ecosign’s Paul Mathews reflects on designing dozens of mountains and differences between the US and Canada.
- Big Sky is auctioning seats on Explorer Gondola’s first cabins for charity.
- Powder Mountain’s new trail map shows where the private Primetime detachable quad runs.
- Cache County approves Powder’s master plan for the northern half of the resort including two new lifts on James Peak and three near Cobabe Canyon.
News Roundup: Gondola Tax
- Ragged Mountain, New Hampshire is sold to local investors, will no longer be operated by Pacific Group Resorts.
- Voters in Mountain Village, Colorado enact a 5 percent tax on Telluride lift tickets starting next week to fund gondola construction, operations and maintenance.
- The Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation launches a multi-million dollar fundraising effort to finish replacing the Wyler Aerial Tramway in El Paso.
- Sugarbush intends to operate the Slide Brook Express this winter after it missed last season.
- Honolulu’s City Council passes a resolution opposing construction of a sightseeing gondola on the island.
- A study finds Utah’s ski industry generated $2.5 billion in spending last season, directly supporting 31,800 jobs.
- Angel Fire’s new map shows off an all-new lift alignment.
- Big Sky’s fresh map depicts the new, curved Explorer Gondola.
- Mount St. Louis-Moonstone shows where its fifth detachable runs.
- Compagnie des Montagnes de Ski du Quebec (CMSQ) to operate Massif du Sud, its fourth Quebec ski area. Planning is underway for a base-to-summit detachable.
- Camp 10, Wisconsin remains unsure about the future of the Red T-Bar, damaged by an October fire and uninsured.
- The first Doppelmayr TRI-Line gondola is commissioned and ready for winter.
- Saskadena Six retires Chair Two, may build a new lift in the future.
News Roundup: Last Tram
- Bretton Woods’ new map shows where the new BEQII goes.
- The new Bryce Resort map shows a backside expansion.
- Lutsen gets a new trail map by VistaMap.
- Deer Valley mountain operations leadership joins Doppelmayr on the Ski Utah podcast to preview the East Village expansion.
- Mont Gleason, Quebec plans to replace the Laurent-Lemaire quad soon.
- Anakeesta to replace its fixed-grip chondola with a detachable.
- The State of Texas to hold a press conference next week announcing the next steps in the Wyler Aerial Tram replacement project.
- It’s the final weekend for the Cannon Tramway with the last trip at 4:45 pm Sunday.
- Red Lodge Mountain details several modifications made to its Triple Chair over the summer due to a fatal deropement last spring.
- Ikon adds nine mountains in Japan, South Korea and China.
- Holiday Mountain offers up classic Poma double chairs.
- Whaleback, New Hampshire expects to lose $300,000 this winter without its chairlift; seeks to raise $210,000 by December 1st to open.
- Powder Mountain installs artwork on several lifts including a neon piece on the Paradise Express, flagpole on Timberline and colorful canopy on a conveyor.
- MND wins a tender to build an energy-neutral aerial tramway on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
News Roundup: Superstar
- The death toll rises to three in last week’s Mt. Elbrus deropement with the CEO and head technician detained by the Russian government.
- Dramatic video emerges from last month’s failure of another Russian single chair not far away.
- 49° North to replace its beginner chairlift with a Doppelmayr quad next year.
- In an interview, Garaventa’s CEO discusses US tariffs on Switzerland, competition with HTI and more.
- Indy Pass adds Donner Ski Ranch, California; Magic Mountain, Idaho; Montage Mountain, Pennsylvania (returning after a brief hiatus) and Leavenworth Ski Hill, Washington plus mountains in Austria and Turkey.
- Ecosign releases a book highlighting 50 years of mountain planning.
- Crystal Mountain’s summit webcam captures a slight mishap during installation of Rainier Express’ top terminal (all is well, it’s now assembled.)
- Welch Village to sell Hall double chairs next week.
- Spirit Mountain asks the public to vote on 13 possible names for its new chairlift.
- Chelan County releases its draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Mission Ridge expansion.
- Construction is well underway on Arkansas’ only chairlift.
- Stagecoach Mountain Ranch moves toward approval outside Steamboat.
- Hesperus, Colorado to remain closed this season.
- Sommet Saint-Sauveur adds a loading conveyor to the Sommet Express.
- The chairlift at Whaleback, New Hampshire may miss this season.
- Enjoy a few construction photos from Killington (both the Superstar replacement and Skyeship cabin upgrade.)
News Roundup: Upheld
- Ikon Pass adds five mountains in the Aosta Valley of Italy.
- One of those mountains – Cervino – announces a monster Leitner 3S with three stations and 4,700 feet of vertical.
- Indy Pass signs a flurry of new mountains, mostly small and remote outposts:
- Hilltop and Mt. Eyak, Alaska
- Little Ski Hill, Idaho
- Hyland Hills, Minnesota
- Cuchara, Colorado (lift not yet operable)
- Mt. LaCrosse and Sunburst, Wisconsin
- Buffalo Ski Club and Dry Hill, New York
- McIntyre, New Hampshire
- Hockley Valley, Ontario
- Mont Sutton, Owl’s Head, Mont Edouard, Mont Habitant, Vallée Bleue, Val d’Irene and Ski Vorlage, Quebec
- Marble Mountain and Smokey Mountain, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Others in Europe, Asia and South America
- Buck Hill, Minnesota; Swiss Valley, Michigan and Montage Mountain, Pennsylvania leave Indy Pass.
- Judges uphold the 2022 revocation of a permit for Park City Mountain’s Eagle and Silverlode lift replacements; Vail Resorts vows to submit new applications for both.
- In another blow for Vail, a jury awards $20 million to a teenager who fell after misloading the Paradise Express at Crested Butte.
- Matthew Prince floats the idea of a gondola from Old Town Park City to Solitude and Alta.
- Big Sky’s Lone Peak Tram top station enclosure to open this season with the name Kircliff.
- A flood damages lifts at Crystal Ridge, Wisconsin.
- A new Leitner-Poma gondola opens in South Carolina.
- Jackson Hole lobbies the Forest Service for a mountain resort specific management designation applying to JHMR, Snow King and White Pine plus 620 acres not currently in JHMR’s permit area but identified in an accepted master plan (full letter here).
- Doppelmayr raises a 7,800 lb. bullwheel into position at Alpental by hand.
- Spirit Mountain to name its new chairlift via a public vote.
News Roundup: Moonlight West
- Moonlight West to launch in Big Sky with four lifts planned.
- Alterra all but cancels Main Lodge redevelopment at Mammoth, including gondola replacement and several base lifts.
- Here’s the latest official Deer Valley construction update and a look at how Deer Valley East was designed on a blank canvas.
- Doppelmayr goes vertical on its new Salt Lake factory.
- The President expands 50 percent steel and aluminum tariffs to more products.
- ORDA defends financial losses, citing increased revenue and visitor numberts.
- Indy Pass promises dozens of new resorts coming next week, introduces a $189 Learn to Turn pass with lessons and rentals.
- Long lost Utah ski area Snowland to reopen this season with rope tows, may add a T-Bar in 2027.
- Bigrock, Maine has Mueller double chairs for sale.
- Sandia Peak to sell rare Stadeli center pole chairs.
- Killington to auction gondola cabins from Skyeship starting Monday.
- Park City billionaire Matthew Prince suggests activist investors could break up Vail Resorts.
- Purgatory works on what it can in the parking lot while awaiting permission to build the Gelande lift.
- A Colorado unseated passenger lawsuit heads to trial.
- Ober Mountain rebrands its aerial tram as the The Gatlinburg Tram.
- I stopped by the Mighty Argo last week to check out progress on their new D-Line gondola.
News Roundup: Explorer
- The Palm Springs Tramway reopens tomorrow after a week closure due to a faulty motor contactor.
- The public operator of Belleayre, Gore and Whiteface, lost a record $50 million last year.
- Wasatch Peaks adds an eighth lift to its fleet this summer.
- Montage Mountain, PA appears to leave the Indy Pass but new additions are coming soon.
- Mt. Norquay displays demo cabins from both manufacturers with gondola installation planned for 2026.
- Vail Resorts increases the discount Epic Pass holders can give friends to 50 percent.
- In an interview, Vail’s CEO says the company will refocus on North American investment.
- Austrian Fabian Dankl rides a bike on a haul rope between two lift towers (with permission).
- Unseated passengers aren’t just a winter problem.
- Snoqualmie raises $194,000 for charity from the sale of 97 Riblet doubles.
- Gore Mountain to sell chairs from Topridge in a race-to-the-parking lot format August 23rd.
- Riverbanks Zoo to open South Carolina’s only gondola this month.
- A lightning-caused wildfire burns much of Tamarack’s proposed expansion area but spares resort infrastructure so far.
- Purgatory runs into permitting delays with the Gelande lift project.
- Butternut releases a new trail map showing the Jane’s Quad.
- Sponsored job: Cable Propelled Transit Engineer at SCJ Alliance.
- I snapped a few photos of the Sunrise Gondola and parking garage projects at Park City last week.
News Roundup: Rescues
- Whiteface joins the Mountain Collective Pass.
- The Forest Service approves up to three lifts for the Trails at Mena bike park in Arkansas, down from a proposed five.
- Nearly a thousand people show up to watch Doppelmayr install East Village Gondola towers at Deer Valley.
- Big Sky’s ski patrol debriefs the avalanche that hit the top of Swift Current 6 last winter.
- Snow Ridge, New York is selling chairs from the old Snowy Meadows double.
- A zoo chairlift in Massachusetts is evacuated by ladder truck and boom lifts.
- A dangling man is rescued from the chairlift at Lagoon, Utah.
- A tower from Killington’s Superstar Express heads to Sugarbush – not sure why but I have asked.
- Foreign investors sue Powder Mountain seeking $76 million.
- Enjoy this small glimpse into mountain planning and design.
- Hogadon, Wyoming floats price increases and a 10 percent facility surcharge to help pay for a new chairlift.
News Roundup: SLI Retirements
- Big Moose, Maine hints at reviving summit lift access.
- Austria’s KitzSki and SkiWelt could connect to form the world’s largest ski area.
- Lake Louise cuts trails for the long-awaited Richardson’s Ridge expansion.
- Hatley Pointe decommissions the SLI-built Laurel double.
- Telluride seeks approval to replace its last two SLI doubles.
- Big Sky to be the North American launch customer for the Doppelmayr S-Line surface lift, replacing the Bear Back Poma.
- Big Sky will also enclose the Lone Peak Tram‘s top terminal this summer.
- Doppelmayr releases its latest customer magazine featuring projects at Big Sky and Deer Valley.
- Snowmass to keep the Elk Camp quad spinning for bikes through August 4th while work begins on its replacement.
- Eldora seeks approval for unspecified projects from its master plan.
- A court blocks the proposed Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium gondola for now.
- Wachusett looks to sell the Polar Express to another ski area.
- I stopped by Deer Valley for a quick look at the progress to build two gondola sections and four detachable chairlifts this summer.
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