Lee Canyon – Lift Blog

Lee Canyon to Expand Westward

April 1, 2026April 1, 2026Peter Landsman3 Comments

A fifth chairlift will debut at Nevada’s Lee Canyon next winter servicing five new trails in an area known as West Bowl. The 2,200 foot Skytrac quad will rise 650 vertical feet and transport up to 1,800 skiers per hour. It is shown on the below master plan as Chair 8. Lee Canyon completed a similar expansion to the East three years ago with three new runs. West Bowl trails will range from low intermediate to advanced with snowmaking throughout. West Bowl is expected to open for the 2026/27 winter season.

The expansion caps a period of remarkable growth at Las Vegas’ only ski area with new chairlifts in 2012, 2014 and 2023 plus a new lodge in 2019.

Lee Canyon owner Mountain Capital Partners will also partner with Skytrac this summer on an expansion at Purgatory, Colorado. Skytrac plans a busy year overall with projects in Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Utah, Wisconsin, British Columbia and Quebec.

News Roundup: Skyway

March 27, 2026Peter Landsman6 Comments

Berkshire East and Catamount to join Burke Mountain and Smugglers’ Notch under unified ownership.
Quebec’s CMSQ takes over management of a fifth mountain, Belle Neige, and sets sights on a sixth.
A private ski area with five chairlifts is approved in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains.
Doppelmayr’s CEO highlights the importance of the United States market.
In the wake of a fatal crash, Swiss media report Garaventa offered a voluntary retrofit for DT-108 grips on the Titlis Xpress several years ago.
One person is killed and six injured when an aerial tram cable snaps in India.
A law firm files an antitrust lawsuit against Alterra and Vail, claiming both “unlawfully inflated prices and suppressed competition through anticompetitive bundling practices tied to their multi‑mountain season passes.”
Park City’s Cabriolet replacement to be called the Canyons Village Skyway.
Park City officials get another chance to approve Eagle and Silverlode replacements.
MND provides an update on its 10 lift project in Uzbekistan, including the first Orizon detachable.
A Denver TV station looks back at the 1976 Vail gondola disaster with a multi-part series.
Here’s a cool primer on how a splice comes together.
Jackson Hole to debut a golden gondola in honor of Olympian Breezy Johnson.
A tree falls on the Silver Mountain gondola.
Alaska public radio explores how a gondola project supposed to cost under $10 million more than tripled in price.
Big Sky will shorten Powder Seeker 6 this summer, slightly lowering the top terminal due to moving glacial rock.
The Zincton proposal in BC faces local opposition.
Nub’s Nob to replace the Orange triple with a Skytrac quad this summer.
Skytrac will also build Lee Canyon’s expansion lift.
Sponsored job: Electrical Lift Installer – Okanagan Project – Doppelmayr Canada

News Roundup: Spring Winds

March 20, 2026Peter Landsman2 Comments

The Hermitage Club’s new detachable quad to cost $6.25 million and include a chair parking facility.
Oregon ski areas celebrate passage of an outdoor recreation liability reform bill.
Castle Mountain rope evacuates the new Stagecoach Express.
An investigation into the fatal Swiss gondola crash this week focuses on weather and operational factors, not a design issue. The lift was being unloaded at the time and the cabin involved likely hit a tower.
A tree falls on the BreckConnect Gondola at Breckenridge.
Red Lodge Mountain’s owner and an insurance company argue over coverage related to a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of a man who died on a lift last season in high winds.
Wind blows the roof off the Silver Fir Express at Snoqualmie, shuttering it until further notice.
Alberta opens public consultation for the proposed Silvertip Gondola in Canmore.
Aspen skiers struggle to ride the new T-Bar atop Snowmass.
Holiday Mountain, New York to install new Partek chairs on Roman Candle this fall.
A child is unharmed after falling from a lift and being caught at Pats Peak, New Hampshire (video)
Oz Trails Bike Park to open June 12th.
Sun Valley confirms construction of two new detachables this summer.
Lee Canyon to construct the final lift from its master plan this summer, manufacturer TBA.
Hogadon, Wyoming likely to construct a new chairlift next summer.
Craigleith, Ontario addresses downtime on the Funnel chair.
Last day riders of Killington’s Snowdon triple tomorrow will be entered to win a chair.
Little Switzerland, Wisconsin give skiers the opportunity to own a Riblet chair.
In an interview with the Vail newspaper, Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz makes the case mega passes have kept crowds stable or even reduced crowding.
Vail also releases an insightful investor presentation outlining shifting priorities.

News Roundup: First Day of Fall

September 22, 2023September 24, 2023Peter Landsman3 Comments

A court finds zoning allowing Wasatch Peaks Ranch to continue as a private ski resort can be put to a public referendum. Three chairlifts already operate there with a fourth under construction.
The Tennessee State Fair will build a chairlift next year.
Gore Mountain’s new trail map shows the location of the new Bear Cub Quad.
Lee Canyon recovers well from a hurricane-fueled flood this summer.
A snowboarder who fell from Whistler Mountain’s Emerald Express sues Whistler Blackcomb.
Echo Mountain sells to an investor with a bunch of non-ski businesses.
Lifts are being removed at Marshall Mountain after 20 years idle.

Following Storm, Lee Canyon Closes for the Season

August 24, 2023Peter Landsman3 Comments

Remnants of Hurricane Hilary dumped nearly 10 inches of rain on Nevada’s Mt. Charleston last weekend, causing major infrastructure damage to Lee Canyon. “In light of the limited initial assessment, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the end of our summer mountain operations,” the ski area announced this afternoon. “We understand the anticipation and excitement surrounding this season, and we will be reaching out to our mountain biking day pass and season pass holders with information as soon as possible due to this unforeseen closure. Trails, chairlifts, and essential facilities that encompass our summer offerings have borne the brunt of this unexpected occurrence,” the statement continued.

You can see the underground pipes of some kind have been exposed as well pic.twitter.com/P9R45NFEk8
— Mt Charleston Mountain Man (@mountainman_mc) August 24, 2023

Photos posted to social media showed lift terminals buried up to haul rope level and tower footers undercut. As soon as road access is restored, crews will begin working to repair the ski area for the winter season. Adding to the work load, Skytrac is currently part way finished with the mountain’s new Ponderosa Quad, which is still expected to open this winter.

This is a ski lift at @LeeCanyonLV That clearance used to be six feet underneath it. Other reports are that where it’s not covered in rock, it’s covered in mud. It may take a month or two before we see it again… 💔 pic.twitter.com/HnzuJpBtJU
— Mt Charleston Mountain Man (@mountainman_mc) August 23, 2023

News Roundup: Ponderosa

August 4, 2023August 4, 2023Peter Landsman4 Comments

Garaventa commences building the first TRI-Line tricable gondola in Switzerland.
The Kemmerer family sells Jackson Hole to a local investor group.
Lee Canyon’s expansion lift to be called Ponderosa.
Lutsen backs away from proposed expansion to consult with local tribes.
More chair sales: White Pass, Washington and Lutsen, Minnesota.
A new trail map shows the rebirth of lost terrain at Holiday Mountain, New York.
Park City shows renderings of the proposed Sunrise Gondola.
I took a break from skiing at Mammoth last week to snap some pictures of the Canyon Express project.

Expansion Under Construction at Lee Canyon

July 20, 2023July 20, 2023Peter Landsman4 Comments

Just three months after Mountain Capital Partners purchased Lee Canyon, Skytrac is already working to build a new lift to the east of existing terrain. The fixed grip quad, shown as Chair 5 on the above map, will service three new beginner trails with a capacity of 1,800 skiers per hour. The chairlift will span approximately 1,400 feet with a 310 foot vertical rise. The Forest Service approved the project last year when the resort was still owned by Powdr.

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A post shared by Skytrac Lifts (@skytraclifts)

The project has not been formally announced but Skytrac posted photos on Instagram yesterday of its ninth and final line survey of the year at an unnamed mountain that looks a whole lot like Lee Canyon. Aerial imagery from the Sentinel satellite network taken this morning confirms the scope of work at Lee Canyon, the only ski resort in the Las Vegas region.

In addition to Chair 5, Lee Canyon also has Forest Service approval to build two new conveyors and a westward expansion with another fixed grip quad in the coming years.

News Roundup: Sold Out

April 14, 2023Peter Landsman17 Comments

Mexico City and Leitner inaugurate a new urban gondola line with 283 cabins and 7 stations.
Leitner-Poma looks to hire a Sales Manager specifically for urban ropeways in North America.
Leitner, Poma and Bartholet parent company HTI reports a record €1.3 billion in revenue for fiscal 2022.
A skier dies after falling through a gondola cabin window in France.
With its gondola back in operation, Mont-Sainte-Anne eyes a $100 million renewal with bids already received for two lift replacement projects.
Doppelmayr revitalizes a 110 year old cable car over Niagara Falls.
The Indy Pass suspends sales due to capacity limitations at partner resorts.
Eagle Point teases multiple lift upgrades including a new connector chair.
Powdr sells Lee Canyon to Mountain Capital Partners.
Taos confirms Leitner-Poma will build new chairlifts on both sides the mountain this summer.

News Roundup: New Names

November 13, 2020Peter Landsman14 Comments

A new ownership group takes over Brundage Mountain Resort.
Commuters in the Vancouver region overwhelmingly support a Burnaby Mountain Gondola.
The Sea to Sky Gondola team and partners splice together multiple haul rope sections to run cabins off the line, completing cleanup.
The Ropeway Center at Colorado School of Mines presents a new video series.
Doppelmayr will build the Yodeler detachable quad at Holiday Valley.
The Forest Service says yes to two future chairlifts at Lee Canyon.
Ditto for Sunlight’s East Ridge project.
With its high speed quad nearing completion, Saddleback is poised to reopen in mid-December.
Windham Mountain renames the Wheelchair lift Baker in honor of a former ski patroller.
Arizona Snowbowl publishes a new trail map painted by Kevin Mastin.
Big Sky’s new map shows Madison is now called Jayhawk.
The Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg-Clearwater region will spend six figures to study gondola transit.
Without an operator, the only lift in Oklahoma faces an uncertain future.

News Roundup: Interviews

November 8, 2019Peter Landsman13 Comments

The 117 year old Poconos hotel which just announced plans to build a chairlift burned down last Friday.
Yellowstone Club adds Silver Tip, its 18th major lift, giving YC the 13th highest lift count in the nation!
More awesome podcasts: Jeremy Davis of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, Rob Katz on snowmaking across Vail Resorts, Geoff Hathaway on rebuilding Magic Mountain and the staff of Eldora on what it takes to open weeks ahead of normal.
Two new quads and a lift shortening are all now reflected on the Stevens Pass trail map.
Vandals slash upholstered seats on an Austrian gondola, cause $28,000 in damage.
Okemo receives a 24 month extension to its permit for building a beginner fixed grip quad at Jackson Gore.
Loveland gains approval to replace Lift 6 with either a fixed grip triple or detachable quad in 2021.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu tours the gorgeous new summit lodge and gondola at Bretton Woods.
Alterra CEO Rusty Gregory joins Bloomberg TV and Yahoo Finance to chat about opportunities he sees in the ski business.
The head of MND Group says financial struggles are history as the company ramps up to deliver $200 million worth of orders for lifts, Gazex and snowmaking.
The Forest Service plans to approve two new fixed grip quad lifts at Lee Canyon.
Big Sky looks for 30 more chairs for Six Shooter.
A Wyoming ranch with snow cat skiing considers adding lift service.
Chris Diamond’s new book, Ski Inc. 2020, was released last week and is a must read for those who follow North American skiing.
Simon Fraser University includes a 3S gondola as a core component of its new campus master plan.

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