- Doppelmayr/Garaventa submits the apparent low bid to rebuild the Cannon Mountain tram for $44.6 million, 36 percent above the state’s estimate. Leitner-Poma’s $49.5 million bid comes in 50 percent higher than estimated.
- Bromley to replace the Plaza double with a rope tow.
- Park City’s twice approved Eagle and Silverlode replacements face yet another lawsuit.
- Indy Pass adds Ski Land and Skeetawk, Alaska; Showdown, Montana; Kendall Mountain, Colorado; Frost Fire, North Dakota; King Pine, New Hampshire; Powder Ridge, Connecticut and Mont Kanasuta, Quebec plus international partners with more to come next week.
- Indy loses Midwest mountains Caberfae Peaks, Michigan and Crystal Ridge, Little Switzerland & Nordic Mountain, Wisconsin.
- Telluride’s planned gondola replacement may not receive federal transit funding due to political optics, Buy America requirements and flat ridership on the current system.
- An update on the Stagecoach Mountain Ranch private ski area approval process.
- Several riders fall from the beach chairlift at Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
- Loon Mountain unveils a 272 acre, lift free expansion and new trail map.
- Brundage ends summer early due to a lift issue.
- Alterra will move to downtown Denver.
- Two of Vail Resorts’ three Australia mountains close weeks early due to snowmelt.
Park City
News Roundup: Ontario
- A gyrocopter crashes into a utility aerial tram at an Italian dam, killing two onboard the aircraft.
- A French aerial tramway strikes a construction crane, injuring 23 onboard the tram.
- In just nine months, an urban gondola in Paris becomes the most-ridden lift in Europe with over two million passengers.
- The Governor of Utah criticizes MIDA, a state entity started to support the military but now involved with Deer Valley East, Sundance expansion and a proposed data center.
- Vail Resorts faces a shareholder lawsuit.
- Doppelmayr Canada and Gondola Ventures sign a letter of intent to explore aerial gondola transport in Wasaga Beach, Ontario.
- Mt. Jefferson, Maine hits the market.
- Black Mountain to add a mid-station to the existing Triple Chair for beginners.
- Indy Pass teases “huge news” and new partners coming next week.
- Mission Ridge, Washington and Blacktail Mountain, Montana will not be part of the Indy Pass for 2026-27.
- Snow Partners adds seven new mountains to Snow Triple Play and introduces a new frequency product called Snow Pass with western resorts Monarch and Snow King.
- Maverick Mountain begins fundraising to replace its lift that burned down earlier this month.
- Attractions operator Pursuit shares plans to replace both the Jasper SkyTram and Banff Gondola by 2030.
- Tremblant begins preliminary work on the Timber expansion first announced in March 2020.
- A small wildfire closes Park City Mountain for a day.
News Roundup: Ultra High Capacity
- Eagle Point, Utah won’t open this season due to extensive fire damage.
- Doppelmayr works to build the world’s highest capacity urban gondola system in Guatemala with two lines, 12 stations and 495 12 place cabins capable of moving 5,500 riders per hour/direction/line.
- An urban gondola in Africa closes after just a few weeks due to low ridership, high ticket prices, vandalism and resident fears.
- A new lawsuit alleges Alterra, Vail, Boyne, Powdr, NSAA and RRC Associates illegally colluded on destination resort pricing (full text here.)
- Oregon OSHA fines Mt. Hood Skibowl $43,000 over a fatal maintenance incident, alleging staff operated a work carrier beyond limitations after receiving no formal training on it (the area has appealed.)
- Doppelmayr to embark on a major expansion in Wolfurt.
- The sale of Eldora still hasn’t closed ten months after initially planned.
- A long-lost Indiana ski area with Riblet quad could reopen.
- Snowmass to move forward with a SkyCab replacement next fall.
- Cannon Mountain delays the due date for new tramway bids to September 2nd.
- Casper, Wyoming solicits bids for a new Hogadon chairlift, due August 28th.
- Doppelmayr submits the winning bid for a new quad at Glen Eden, Ontario.
- Camelback to sell hundreds of chairs from four retired lifts.
- Graffer finally nears completion of a unique gondola intended to open for last winter’s Olympics in Italy.
- An investigation finds parts improperly installed decades ago combined with a misload and unevenly loaded chair caused a deropement at Vail last winter.
- Blacktail Mountain’s founders describe creating the newest US ski area on Forest Service land.
- The National Park Service joins numerous other parties objecting to Grand Targhee’s proposed expansion.
- Lake Louise to complete a systems modernization and capacity upgrade on Top of the World.
- Skytrac completes Snowbird’s new Chickadee chair in just 76 days.
- Cape Smokey, Nova Scotia maps out three future lifts.
- The Summit at Snoqualmie drops Ikon Pass reservations, leaving just Deer Valley, Jackson Hole and Loon requiring them.
- From the classifieds: a Doppelmayr pulse gondola for sale.
- Leitner-Poma makes great strides on a 3,600 pph gondola in Canyons Village at Park City.
News Roundup: Powder
- Aspen Mountain retires Lift 1A with replacement plans uncertain.
- Bartholet completes its first tramway with Sigma Cabins and a new design utilizing tubular towers.
- Cape Smokey, Nova Scotia teases what looks like a major expansion with a new lift.
- An Eagle Point damage assessment shared with the Utah Passenger Ropeway Safety Committee finds one lift undamaged, another with light to moderate damage and three lifts heavily impacted by fire and heat. The resort might partially reopen this winter but faces a lengthy road to recovery.
- Telluride’s transit agency postpones selection of a new gondola manufacturer while officials clarify Buy America requirements with the Federal Transit Administration.
- A Poma Alpha quad briefly catches fire in Chile.
- Alterra could receive millions in public financing to relocate headquarters within Denver after considering a move to Salt Lake City.
- Park City’s Eagle and Silverlode replacement approvals are upheld, moving the projects closer.
- The Forest Service publishes the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Brian Head’s proposed expansion with several new alternatives.
- Whistler leaders receive a preliminary study into a valley gondola connecting Whistler Village, Creekside and Function Junction.
- Thanks to reader Roger for sharing shots of Powder Mountain’s four lifts under construction and reader Auston for flying me overhead yesterday.
News Roundup: Long-Awaited
- Cherry Peak, Utah is listed for sale with an asking price of $22.5 million.
- Glen Eden, Ontario to replace the Ridge quad with a new one in 2027.
- Sommet Saint-Sauveur, Quebec will replace Côte 71 with a six pack in ’27.
- Rock City, Georgia continues making the case for a sightseeing gondola.
- Bluewood, Washington receives lift parts delayed over a year due to an ongoing lawsuit.
- A decision on Park City’s proposed Eagle and Silverlode replacements could come in the next few weeks after four years of limbo.
- The Chief of the Forest Service considers giving more control of National Forests to states (speaking at Deer Valley Resort, one of the few large western resorts not on Forest Service land.)
- The President threatens new tariffs on Canadian goods due to wildfire smoke.
- Vail Resorts vows to improve the guest experience at its resorts.
News Roundup: Setbacks
- 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.
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.
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