Doppelmayr

Sun Valley Plans Next New Lift on Seattle Ridge

Peter Landsman11 Comments

Fresh off replacing both major lifts on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain, Sun Valley today announced its next lift project will enhance the guest experience on Seattle Ridge. Following the debut of new four and six place lifts just last week, Doppelmayr will return to Baldy in 2024 to replace the Seattle Ridge detachable quad with a detachable six pack, increasing capacity by 20 percent. Interestingly the lift will not be a D-Line like the just-opened Challenger but rather a UNI-G à la Flying Squirrel and Broadway. The project is currently under Forest Service review alongside a future Christmas replacement as Sun Valley works to retire its entire fleet of seven Yan detachables built in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Seattle Ridge is home to some of Sun Valley’s most beloved intermediate, family-friendly terrain and more recently with the Sunrise expansion, some of its best off-piste terrain,” said Pete Sonntag, Vice President and General Manager of Sun Valley Resort. “Over the last five years, we’ve been able to increase the skiable terrain serviced by Seattle Ridge chair by over 200 acres, and we believe the chairlift upgrade is coming at the perfect time as we continue our investment in the mountain experience at Sun Valley,” he noted. Construction is expected to begin in April with the new Seattle Ridge six place opening to skiers late next year.

News Roundup: Cost Overruns

Peter Landsman8 Comments

News Roundup: Utah Olympics

Peter Landsman7 Comments

News Roundup: The Stache

Peter Landsman12 Comments

Homewood Plans D-Line Gondola

Peter Landsman18 Comments

Lake Tahoe’s Homewood Mountain Resort has abandoned plans for a private club in favor of remaining open to the public alongside selling club memberships. Homewood hopes this hybrid model will pave the way for installation of a new gondola, which was postponed this summer due to public outcry over privatization. The new gondola is the second recent lift project for JMA Ventures, which just yesterday celebrated the completion of the new Stache Express at its resort in Red Lodge, Montana.

Under a new draft agreement sent to the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority (TRPA), Homewood will remain open to the public in both winter and summer via season passes and daily lift tickets. This should allow the TRPA to approve gondola construction under an existing 2011 master plan. In a statement, TRPA said it is “reviewing the information and is in consultation with Homewood Mountain Resort to understand how the earlier proposal to change the character of the resort’s operation is being revised. This information will help the agency determine if the resort will be required to amend the larger resort master plan. A determination on that will be made before action is taken on the gondola project or any other project application at the resort.”

The gondola, which was already ordered and partially delivered to Homewood, will be built by Doppelmayr and run from the North Lodge to mid-mountain, replacing the Madden triple. The gondola will feature eight place Omega V cabins and become the third D-Line lift in California. The gondola will rise approximately 1,000 vertical feet, making Homewood’s entire 1,840 foot vertical drop accessible via detachable lifts for the first time. Homewood plans to build a new mid-mountain facility at the top of the gondola, which will be open to the public alongside club members. Pending approval, the new lift could open as soon as the 2024-25 ski season.

News Roundup: Modernizing

Peter Landsman6 Comments

Sommet Morin Heights Announces New Quad

Peter Landsman6 Comments

Quebec resort group Les Sommets will build its fourth new lift in six years next summer at Sommet Morin Heights. The group has been investing heavily of late with four of its five mountains receiving new chairlifts since 2019. The Sommet Express opened at Sommet Saint-Sauveur in 2019, La Laurentienne debuted at Sommet Gabriel in 2022 and Apollo will launch this season at Sommet Olympia. Next up will be Sommet Morin Heights.

Morin Heights’ new lift will be called Élévation with the exact alignment to be announced. The planned vertical of 525 feet suggests it will replace Dynastar, a 1980s quad which operated previously at Ski Wentworth, Nova Scota. Élévation will feature 91 chairs moving at 450 feet per minute and will open for the 2024-25 ski season.

News Roundup: Raven

Peter Landsman21 Comments

News Roundup: Baldy

Peter Landsman14 Comments

Snowbird to Replace Wilbere Lift

Peter Landsman14 Comments

Doppelmayr has been selected to install a new Wilbere Quad next summer at Snowbird, the second new lift announced by Powdr for 2024. The quad will load in a new location in the Creekside base area and terminate near the top of the current Wilbere double, which Doppelmayr built in 1971. The modern AlpenStar fixed grip will feature a loading conveyor and carry 1,800 skiers per hour.

“With a number of short- and long-term projects in the works, we are taking great strides to make our mountain more accessible, more efficient and more engaging for our passholders and our community,” noted Snowbird President and General Manager Dave Fields. Wilbere 2.0 is expected to open for the 2024-25 ski season.