Ikon Pass signs three more mountains to the two day bonus tier: Grouse Mountain & SilverStar in BC and Ski Butternut in Massachusetts (full Ikon only, subject to blackout dates.)
A jury finds the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and a drop ride manufacturer liable for $205 million after a child’s death; the gondola-accessed park says “the size of the total jury verdict award puts the existence of Glenwood Caverns at serious risk.”
Amid removal rumors, I asked Hunter Mountain about D-Lift and the Highlands Poma. GM Trent Poole shared the following:
“We’re in the process of removing the D-Lift. Thanks to last year’s Epic Lift Upgrade – the new Broadway Express – our updated lift infrastructure provides faster, more efficient access than what D-Lift provided, and similar terrain can be accessed at Hunter North via the Northern Express. At this point, the lift is both redundant and outdated, and the time and resources needed to revive this lift are better focused where guests will see a positive impact to their experience on mountain, like our snowmaking upgrades.
The Highlands Poma is something our team has discussed as part of long-term planning. We’re always exploring ways to enhance the guest experience, and that lift remains part of the broader conversation. For now, our focus is on showcasing the significant upgrades we’ve already delivered—Broadway Express, Otis, and automated snowmaking additions—along with maximizing the terrain available on Hunter North, West, and East. It’s also worth noting that Hunter is the only ski resort in New York to feature three high-speed six-passenger lifts: Northern Express, Katskill Flyer, and Broadway Express. For now, we’re confident in the strength and efficiency of our current lift system.”
Lake Louise’s Richardson’s Ridge expansion to open early spring 2026, eventually will include a surface lift from Temple Lodge.
Doppelmayr reports a 13 percent increase in revenue for fiscal 2024-25, completing 93 ropeways in 25 countries. Approximately 24 percent of €1.2 billion in turnover came from the US and Canada.
On Friday I reported Bluewood’s used detachable quad installation would be delayed until next year due to a dispute with the lift’s broker, now revealed as Steelhead Systems Inc. (SSI) of British Columbia. Both parties released statements today and I obtained a copy of the lawsuit, filed by Bluewood’s owners on August 11th. The complaint alleges Steelhead Systems, together with sister shipping company Mar Divinia Ltd. of Alberta and their principal, Zrinko Amerl, engaged in “breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment” involving the sale of the used chairlift from Austria. Steelhead Systems counters “we strongly deny the allegations of dishonesty and bad faith made in WGSKI’s press release,” contending it continued shipping parts to Washington as disputes arose over invoices. Barring a settlement, the case will play out in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver.
The parties signed to relocate the lift on June 7th, 2024 and announced it to the public two weeks later. Bluewood would pay €1.38 million for the used Doppelmayr detachable quad with bubbles, US$600,000 for shipping, US$88,000 for “optimization engineering” and a price “determined before shipping” for “engineering, loading, bullwheel cradles, containers and other adjustments.” All equipment was to be delivered by July 15th, 2025 so Bluewood could complete installation and open the lift to the public for the 2025-26 season. It would become Bluewood’s first detachable lift, reducing base-to-summit ride time from 12 minutes to less than six.
Bluewood’s parent company, WGSKI, LLC, says it paid invoices totalling $2.2 million plus additional expenses billed including site visit, document scanning and construction consulting. The dispute centers on further invoices sent beginning in late May 2025. Over time the US dollar weakened in relation to the Euro, resulting in SSI invoicing Bluewood $110,400 for an exchange rate adjustment. Second, shipping costs increased by $425,700 on top of the $600,000 estimate – an increase of more than 70 percent. In its complaint, Bluewood’s attorney calls these amounts “inflated and unjustifiable.” On June 18th, Bluewood proposed taking over shipping itself if SSI agreed to refund the $600,000 already paid for shipping. Bluewood also alleged Steelhead had not performed optimization engineering it paid for. On July 3rd, Bluewood alleges Steelhead generated another invoice for a 16th tower at a cost of $30,208. These invoices weren’t paid as the dispute escalated.
Bluewood contends it has paid in full for the lift. As of last month, 23 out of 27 containers had been delivered, representing approximately 90 percent of the lift. “SSI has failed or refused to provide relevant details regarding the status of what has been shipped and when or how it will be delivered to WGSKI at Bluewood,” WGSKI alleges. A third potential complication, not part of the lawsuit, is new tariffs on goods imported to the United States from the European Union announced after the contract was signed. I’m told Bluewood is responsible for any tariffs as the importer of the lift, another hiccup on top of exchange rates and shipping costs.
Bluewood says it has endured numerous costs including lost revenue, lost opportunity, lost market share and interest expense as a result of delaying the project by a year. It’s seeking immediate delivery of remaining equipment plus damages. “Substitutes for the Equipment are not readily available on the open market and WGSKI stands to suffer irreparable harm if the Equipment is not delivered promptly,” the suit notes. Bluewood also seeks to hold Amerl personally liable for alleged contract breaches, calling Steelhead Systems “a sham corporation that is merely an alter ego for Mr. Amerl and which he uses to protect himself from personal liability for his wrongful and dishonest conduct.”
There’s an argument ski areas like Eaglecrest, Mission Ridge and Bluewood simply could not afford brand new bubble chairs and gondolas from Leitner-Poma or Doppelmayr and used lifts are their only option. “Steelhead Systems has always been committed to helping small resorts prosper and grow and our track record is unblemished,” notes Amerl.
Luckily Bluewood is not without a base-to-summit lift this season. The new Skyline Express was slated to replace a Borvig triple chair dating back to 1978. Luckily that lift remained intact alongside construction of the new lift’s foundations. Bluewood did remove the chairs last spring and is in the process of re-installing them. Construction continues on the new lift’s foundations with the goal of having the detachable quad operable for winter 2026-27.
Steelhead Systems has not yet filed its response to Bluewood’s claims in court. “Steelhead has acted in good faith throughout its dealings with WGSKI and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of business integrity and professionalism,” the company said. “We are confident that the legal process will confirm that Steelhead has fulfilled its obligations appropriately.”
Stratton Mountain plans to build its seventh detachable lift, a quad replacing the aging Tamarack triple. The new chair will follow the existing alignment with the top terminal shifting slightly uphill. Stratton applied for Vermont Act 250 approval on August 22nd. Drawings show Doppelmayr as the builder utilizing UNI-G equipment at a cost of $8.5 million. The new lift will utilize a bottom drive, top tension configuration with a manual parking rail adjacent to the bottom station. The alignment will utilize 10 towers along a 575 foot vertical rise.
Tamarack Express will be Stratton’s first new chairlift in eight years and improve access to beginner and low intermediate trails. I’m told the goal is to install the lift ahead of the 2026-27 season, subject to environmental approval.
Each morning, roughly 200 workers converge on Deer Valley’s east flank, putting finishing touches on the largest ski expansion in US history. It’s hard to believe Alterra Mountain Company and Extell Development Company unveiled their partnership to bring the Mayflower project under Deer Valley’s brand less than two years ago. By December, a three mile gondola, two six packs and seven quad chairs will be ready for skiers, completing the majority of the Expanded Excellence vision. After a limited preview last season, Deer Valley’s footprint will more than double this winter to 4,300 acres and 31 lifts. The expansion spans 2,850 feet of vertical relief, with the gondola alone rocketing 2,570 feet skyward in 14.5 minutes.
Deer Valley Senior Director of Mountain Operations Garrett Lang and Alterra Senior Manager of Construction Pete McKinnon graciously took time to show me around this week. I’ve never seen so many lifts at every stage of construction from concrete to rope pulling. Beyond lifts, some 1,250 fixed snow guns, a ridgetop snowmaking pond, several pumphouses and a maintenance facility are also nearing completion. It feels like Deer Valley’s building a city’s worth of infrastructure on the side of a mountain. Of course every fan gun, every lift tower and every terminal sport Deer Valley green.
The only way to complete such an ambitious project in three construction seasons was to divide and conquer. While Doppelmayr supplied all the lifts, they’re only assembling some of them. Big-D Construction crafted numerous foundations while already on site working on buildings. Highlander Ski Lift Services & Construction tackled roughly half the chairlift installations from start to finish. Doppelmayr brought in lift construction experts from all over, including Canada and Europe.
Most readers know Deer Valley launched the six place Keetley Express and two nearby quad chairs last season. While Keetley’s gorgeous, she represents a small portion of the overall project. Within that initial footprint, Layton Construction continues work this summer to complete a parking building for Keetley’s 102 bubble chairs. Right next to the top of Keetley sits the top of Galena Express, one of two detachable quads finished and commissioned last spring. The second is Pioche Express, connecting the bottom of Aurora to the northernmost summit in the 2,274 acre expansion.
The smallest lift under construction is Neptune Express, set to load below Pioche Village and top out next to Pioche Express. This is one of the two machines Highlander’s installing this summer on top of several last year. The Highlander team was completing the top drive terminal this week with the bottom to follow.
The flagship East Village Express gondola will run all the way to Park Peak. A behemoth of a mid-station sits on Big Dutch Peak, where the lift’s two sections connect at an angle. Each segment features its own direct drive and a Fatzer Performa-DT haul rope with cabins able to switch between lines. All three stations and most of the 40 towers were installed earlier this summer. Fatzer subsidiary Rigging Specialties worked to pull ropes this week with the lower line already on most towers. The upper rope, being installed now, will pass over several extremely tall towers and travel downhill at several points along the line.
142 Omega V cabins are set to begin arriving from Switzerland next week. Similar to Steamboat’s Wild BlueGondola, they’ll feature individual logoed seats. At Deer Valley, they’ll be heated. Big-D Construction is piecing together the gondola’s parking facility, located underneath the future Park Peak lodge. Lodge services won’t be ready for this winter but the first floor parking system should be. It will be fully automated and the plan is to park cabins nightly. The Park Peak complex is designed for a possible third gondola segment down to Silver Lake Village.
For now the D-Line Pinyon Express will connect historic Deer Valley to new terrain. It’ll load between Bald and Flagstaff mountains, lifting six guests at a time to Park Peak with optional bubble. Pinyon will closely mimic Keetley Express, though with longer terminals for in-station parking. Nine of eleven towers and the top station are complete with the bottom station going up now.
The last two pieces of the chairlift network are what the development team call 6A and 6B, originally planned as one lift with an intermediate station. Now dubbed Vulcan Express and Revelator Express, these steep UNI-G quads will service some of the best fall line skiing in Utah. Revelator will cross underneath the gondola and reach the high point of the expansion – 9,370 feet. Revelator’s bottom terminal is in with concrete almost complete and towers to follow in early September. “We’re almost out of the concrete business,” McKinnon noted.
Highlander is working on 6A/Vulcan, the lower lift that will provide egress from a large bowl that makes up the southern boundary for now. From the Vulcan Express unload, skiers will head right toward the East Village or left to continue up Park Peak via Revelator.
Last but not least are three SunKid conveyors to be situated in the East Village. These form the beginning of a ski school progression from carpet to beginner chairlift to Keetley Express or the gondola. Every lift in the expansion will service at least one green route, including a 4.85 mile snake named Green Monster.
Deer Valley notes 1,200 day skier parking spots will be ready this season in the East Village, up from 500 last winter. A permanent skier services building won’t be but guests can ride a tram to temporary facilities by the gondola (the ride will be shorter than last winter’s to Keetley.) For destination visitors, the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley is already open with a Four Seasons and Canopy by Hilton under construction.
The Hail Peak Maintenance Facility includes a 10,000 gallon per minute pumphouse and space for vehicle maintenance with three cat bays. A 10 million gallon storage pond is being excavated near Park Peak, fed from the Jordanelle Reservoir below. The snowmaking system will include central air lines, meaning no onboard compressors needed for 150 TechnoAlpin fan guns. The vast majority of the system’s 1,100 HKD stick guns will be fully automated.
This season won’t mark the end for Alterra and Extell’s construction teams. Deer Valley recently announced an additional UNI-G detachable quad to open for 2026-27 on Hail Peak, serving seven runs and providing direct lift access from the day skier parking lot. Even once that lift is completed, guests needing rentals or lessons can opt for a tram ride through a new tunnel to the village. There will be escalators.
Park Peak terrain seen during the 2024-25 season.
Several additional lifts remain in the master plan with no set timelines for construction. Possible future projects include a quad on the backside of Bald Mountain, a longer Crown Point lift starting below Keetley Point and a lapable six pack on Big Dutch Peak. Beyond lies South Peak, an expert’s paradise with two possible chairlift alignments. Resort leaders are taking a wait and see approach, watching how skiers flow the next few seasons. With nearly 100 new trails this winter, it’s going to be awhile before Deer Valley needs more terrain.
Thanks to Lift Blog reader and pilot Auston C. for flying me over the expansion and to the Deer Valley team for hosting me.
Seventy three years after building the West Coast’s first gondola, Sugar Bowl will invest in a brand new gondola for 2026. The eight passenger, Doppelmayr D-Line system will anchor a major revitalization encompassing multiple lodges and facilities. The new gondola will run from an overhauled parking garage along Donner Pass Road to North America’s only snowbound village at the base of the Disney Express.
CTEC manufactured the current Village Gondola in 1983, carrying four passengers at a time between the parking area and village. The low angle gondola traverses over several roads, past several railroad tracks and under high voltage power lines. Historically the system ran 24 hours a day during the winter season. Recently it has operated less and become subject to frequent maintenance closures. The new lift will be more reliable and one of two new D-Line gondolas in Tahoe next year, the other being at Homewood Mountain Resort.
The new Sugar Bowl gondola is expected to be completed in November 2026.
Doppelmayr Canada will dramatically expand its base in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, situated between Montreal and the Laurentian Mountains. The new facility will feature approximately 120,000 square feet of indoor production, service and warehouse space; 31,000 square feet of covered outdoor space; and a 34,000 square foot office and training facility. The news comes just a few weeks after Doppelmayr broke ground on a similar expansion in Salt Lake City. “The new facility will be a state-of-the art manufacturing facility where we will continue to design and produce the highest quality ropeway systems in North America,” noted Luc Guy, CEO of Doppelmayr Canada. “We are excited to expand our production capabilities and our workforce and continue Doppelmayr’s legacy of building ropeways in Saint-Jérôme.”
The existing Saint-Jérôme plant opened in 1978 and today specializes in building UNI-G detachable equipment for Canada and the United States. The new headquarters will rise alongside the existing building and allow Doppelmayr to better serve the growing North American market. “Our employees do an outstanding job completing all our ropeways on time and to the highest standards,” said Gerhard Gassner, Doppelmayr Group Managing Director. “However, due to growing market volume, the new building has become essential to continue meeting these expectations,” he continued. The United States and Canada comprised 29 percent of the Group’s revenue last year, eclipsing €300 million.
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) granted Doppelmayr Canada a repayable financial contribution of $3 million for the project. Construction is anticipated to start at the end of May with production set to begin at the new facility by the fourth quarter of 2026.
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