- Utah skier visits fell 26 percent last season, Vermont was up 4.7 percent.
- Aspen Snowmass visitation falls for the third year in a row.
- Vail Resorts reports season pass unit sales down 10 percent for next season, lowers financial guidance again.
- Vail wins a 15 year contract extension in Grand Teton National Park representing over a billion dollars gross.
- Six Park City residents appeal approval of replacement Eagle and Silverlode detachables.
- A new ski resort in Ukraine selects Doppelmayr for €47 million worth of lifts.
- A Japanese gondola operator introduces a special cabin with Dolby Atmos surround sound for an upcharge.
- A new urban gondola in Uruapan, Mexico already carries 18,000 riders per day, far exceeding expectations.
- Mt. Ashland, Oregon pushes to lift replacements to 2027 and 2028.
- Snow King’s new gondola cabins planned for summer concerts are delayed in customs but should go live soon.
- A new sightseeing gondola nears completion in BC’s Okanagan region.
- Beartooth Basin temporarily closes due to lift issues.
- Mountain Capital Partners acquires three Arizona golf resorts.
- Pico to replace the Outpost double with a new chairlift in 2027, manufacturer and model TBA.
- Planning commissioners in Georgia reject a gondola proposal on the Tennessee border but it could still be built on unincorporated land.
- A gondola proposed in Canmore, Alberta also faces fierce opposition.
- The Town of Telluride questions Telski’s plan to replace two doubles with fixed grips instead of detachables.
- Floods partially submerge chairlifts in Manitoba.
- The Governor officially opens Arkansas’ first new chairlift in 53 years.
- Pursuit’s planned $70 to $80 million in 2026 growth capital includes replacing the Jasper SkyTram with a 2S gondola, subject to Parks Canada approval.
Park City
News Roundup: Doolans
- A damaged tower at Tamarack is expected to take three to five weeks to replace following last week’s “unusual cable entanglement event.”
- Brattleboro Ski Hill in Vermont fundraises for a new Skytrac control system.
- Mont Sutton to auction unique Mueller chairs.
- Roosevelt Island asks the public what to do with original tram cabins.
- Stoneham and Leitner-Poma to complete a CA$1 million renovation of L’Aurore Boréale.
- Mountain Village, Colorado releases a 300 page report detailing local officials’ failed attempt to purchase Telluride Ski Resort.
- Vail Resorts vows not to sell as Matthew Prince continues making his case to acquire Park City.
- Casper, Wyoming expects to order a new chairlift for Hogadon Ski Area this fall.
- Colorado skier visits plunge 24 percent.
- New Hampshire visits rise 5 percent.
- In New Zealand, The Remarkables proposes the nation’s longest gondola.
- A gondola collides with a crane in Austria.
- Enjoy this progress report on the Gelande expansion at Purgatory.
News Roundup: Targhee & Park City Approved
- Park City’s planning commission approves new Eagle and Silverlode detachables at Park City Mountain.
- The Forest Service releases a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Waterville Valley’s proposed village-to-Green Peak gondola.
- The Forest Service approves a slew of projects at Grand Targhee including Crazy Horse, Palmer and North Boundary infill lifts, replacements for Dreamcatcher and Shoshone, plus expansion lifts in South Bowl and Mono Trees (all subject to an objection period.)
- Timberline Lodge pivots away from a Government Camp gondola to replacing the Summit chair with two longer chairlifts.
- Powder Mountain to retire the Sunrise Poma in 2027, removing lift access to Cobabe Canyon for non-homeowners.
- PowMow also shifts the planned Doodle beginner lift away from Sundown, new location and timeline to be announced.
- The Town of Winter Park considers where to land a gondola.
- Doppelmayr undertakes major systems modernizations on aging detachables at Telluride, Bromont, Gunstock and Mt. Bachelor.
- Leitner releases its 2025 Reference Book.
- Powderhorn to auction Heron-Poma chairs from old West End.
- The Goldbelt tram remains closed indefinitely and refunds passholders following last month’s crash. Goldbelt is also hiring for a Tram Maintenance Manager and Tram Maintenance Supervisor.
- Even if one municipality says no, a gondola could still work in Rock City, Georgia.
- Quebec reports a strong 6.3 million skier visits and record lift ticket revenue.
- A storm knocks Tamarack’s Tamarack Express offline (photos below)
News Roundup: Montana Moves
- New York’s state-owned ski areas report record visitation – a nine percent increase from last season.
- Meadowlark, Wyoming sells to a Florida hedge fund.
- Hermon Mountain, Maine sells to new local owners.
- Hawaii’s legislature passes a complete ban on aerial lifts under any private entity anywhere in the state.
- An interesting but imperfect analysis of European vs. North American lift construction economics. (video version)
- Powder Mountain removes Doodle from this summer’s lift program.
- A GoFundMe is launched for the mechanic who survived a deadly work chair detachment at Mt. Hood Skibowl.
- Little Switzerland auctions Riblet doubles from historic Lift 1/2.
- An Oregon county solicits proposals for a new operator of closed Spout Springs.
- Outgoing detachable quads from the Yellowstone Club may head to Red Lodge and Lost Trail.
- The haul rope is already on Angel Fire’s upcoming Angel Express.
- Anakeesta to open the Crystal Express a week from today – the first gondola in the world with all glass cabins.
- The cost of Steamboat’s proposed transit center and base detachable gondola balloons to $75 million.
- An update on Boone’s Ridge in Kentucky, set to include an MND gondola in phase two.
- Bogus Basin plans to replace and realign Showcase within the next couple years.
- The Park City Planning Commission and public express positivity on Eagle and Silverlode replacements with a final vote possible on May 27th.
- Juneau elected officials to vote Monday whether to end the city’s used gondola nightmare.
- Nordic Valley says goodbye to Crocket.
- Lively, Ontario to replace its Samson T-Bar with a Doppelmayr platter from a nearby lost ski area.
- The Utah Department of Transportation acquires a parcel for the possible Little Cottonwood Gondola base station.
News Roundup: Two Thirds
- NSAA reports a 14.7 percent decline in skier visits from last season to this season.
- Tenney Mountain eyes big development including a detachable lift.
- The mechanic who died in a fall at Mt. Hood Skibowl last week is identified as 29 year old Gregory Hunter of Government Camp.
- The Goldbelt Tram to remain closed for at least several weeks following last week’s mishap.
- Juneau plans to sell two gondolas it once hoped to install at Eaglecrest Ski Area.
- Both Sugar Bowl and Park City offer retired gondola cabins for $10,000.
- A court strikes down one set of tariffs but President Trump threatens new tariffs on European Union imports.
- Mont Kanasuta, Quebec looks to replace its chairlift with the government footing two thirds of the bill.
- While the lawsuit continues between Bluewood and Steelhead Systems over a used chairlift, a judge orders shipment of remaining equipment from Austria to Washington as soon as possible, though a completion timeline remains uncertain. I stopped by to snap a few photos last week.
News Roundup: Pure
- Poma reveals a new gondola cabin called Pure mimicking “egg” cabins from the company’s past.
- In Turkey, eight people are sentenced to prison for negligence related to a deadly 2024 gondola crash.
- Parents in Pennsylvania face felony charges for allowing a five year old who fell off a lift to ride alone.
- Worldwide skier visits reached 399 million in 2024-25, a new record.
- Aspen comments on the status of both Nell Bell and 1A replacement projects.
- Colorado’s new sightseeing and biking gondola to open for public rides on May 9th.
- Doppelmayr reaches €500 million in sales in Vietnam with 32 installations and zero skiing.
- Casper, Wyoming to fund a new chairlift for Hogadon Basin with a mix of public and private money.
- Whaleback, New Hampshire seeks $350,000 in donations to replace a haul rope and perform offseason maintenance.
- A proposal to revive Brodie Mountain, Massachusetts includes four lifts.
- Vail Resorts visitation and revenue trended worse in March and April than earlier in the season; pass sales for next season are also trending down.
- Vail’s new Chief Revenue Officer signals a shift toward improving service and experience at existing resorts.
- A landowner opposes Vail’s efforts to get a lawsuit over Park City lift easments thrown out.
- Steelhead Systems opposes Bluewood, Washington’s efforts to force delivery of lift parts via an injunction.
News Roundup: Revival
- Americans flock to Canada to ski, particularly Banff.
- Jay Peak also proves popular; in a podcast episode, Jay President Steve Wright says “we will be adding more high speed detachable lifts” and is about to make a down payment on one.
- An update on the accelerating revival of Black Mountain, New Hampshire.
- Possible approval of a new sightseeing gondola in Georgia is delayed while traffic and sewer studies are prepared.
- The new bike park lift in Arkansas will be named OZ Express.
- Vail Resorts seeks dismissal of a lawsuit disputing Park City Mountain’s right to operate Iron Mountain Express and Timberline.
- Telluride’s proposed replacements for lifts 7 and 8 inch closer to approval.
- Sugarloaf is around halfway through approval for a Timberline replacement.
- Meetings continue regarding Loon Mountain’s proposed pulse gondola with no timeline for construction.
- Colorado Governor Jared Polis to help cut the ribbon of the Mighty Argo Cable Car April 24th.
- Le Massif reportedly remains interested in a merger with Mont-Sainte-Anne.
- Reed Hastings discusses the favorable economics of private ski areas like Powder Haven.
- Poma teases “a new icon for travel” to be revealed Tuesday.
- Leitner, Poma, Skytrac and Bartholet’s parent company reports record revenue – 60 percent from ropeways and nearly $500 million from North America.
- Homewood to auction chairs from the Madden triple with an unspecified portion going to charity.
- Utah Governor Spencer Cox visits Garaventa in Switzerland in advance of Doppelmayr opening a new facility in Salt Lake.
- Juneau set to formally cancel the Eaglecrest gondola agreement on May 18th and may try to resell the lift for $1.5-2.75 million.
- Following several recent postponements, 2026 lift construction will be down approximately 40 percent from the post-Covid high in 2022.
- As a legal dispute remains pending in a BC court, Ski Bluewood seeks an injunction to force shipment of four remaining containters to complete the Skyline Express project with a used lift from Austria. A hearing is scheduled for Monday and shipment would need to commence by May 1st in order for the lift to open next winter.
News Roundup: Skyway
- 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 Debuts
- Whaleback’s chairlift is back in action after being closed all season.
- Angel Fire performs a mid-season splice on the Southwest Flyer, now back open.
- A child is okay after falling from a chairlift at Blue Knob, Pennsylvania.
- Another child falls from a chair and is airlifted from Sierra-at-Tahoe.
- Telluride sues several current and former elected officials seeking millions of damages incurred during the December patrol strike.
- The latest Eaglecrest gondola complication: cabins shipped on their side rather than upright.
- The Mighty Argo Cable Car in Colorado will soft open next month.
- OZ Trails Bike Park to open with Arkansas’ first detachable chairlift in June.
- BC’s Okanagan Gondola set to open in April 2027.
- Vail Resorts reports an 11.9 percent decline in North American skier visits and lowers financial guidance.
- Park City Billionaire Matthew Prince still wants to buy Park City Mountain from Vail.
- Alterra CEO Jared Smith steps down.
- Vermont considers regulating both lift operator breaks and staffing levels.
- Leitner to build the world’s first jig-back tramway with a direct drive in Italy.
- Both the Green Mountain Express and North Ridge Express go down at Sugarbush’s Mt. Ellen, leaving hiking as the only access to the summit.
- Black Mountain, New Hampshire won’t become a co-op after all, will continue to be managed by Entabeni Systems.
- Mt. Sima, Yukon to reactivate its T-Bar after many years.
- A massive nearby rockslide closes Whistler’s Peak Chair indefinitely.
- Magic Mountain, Idaho won’t open this season.
News Roundup: Horsetrac
- Alta Sierra, California reopens for the first time in several years but has to rope evacuate a lift on day one.
- Indy Pass raises its base pass price, lowers the full pass price and adds Thrill Hills, ND; Pebble Creek, ID and Murray Ridge, BC plus several international and cross country outposts.
- Lost Valley, Maine would like to expand onto the opposite side of its access road with several lifts.
- Aspen Highlands looks to build a year-round gondola, replace Thunderbowl with a detachable and add an Apple Strudel lift.
- Doppelmayr USA partners with Ski Utah.
- Powder Mountain proposes replacing one carrier on Lightning Ridge with a carousel horse. Automated gates will prevent skiers from riding the horse.
- Two empty gondola cabins collide in Austria.
- Another avalanche takes out a lift tower in France.
- Mont-Sainte-Anne runs its gondola on diesel at reduced speed with less than 40 cabins out of 90 operational.
- McConkey’s at Park City has been down this week.
- Sugarbush pulls both Green Mountain Express and Super Bravo Express for a few days to complete repairs.
- Opposition emerges to the proposed gondola in Rock City, Georgia.
- An unseated passenger makes it all the way to the top of Bear Mountain’s longest detachable quad.
- Royal Gorge, Colorado debuts new glass floor gondolas tomorrow.
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