Winter Park

Winter Park Gondola Closed Following Incident

Peter Landsman55 Comments

A tower component failed on The Gondola at Winter Park Resort today, leading to a five hour rope evacuation. Photos show a rocker arm that connects two sections of a 16 sheave assembly cracked nearly in half. The affected assembly is located on tower 1 and holds the haul rope down on the heavy side of the lift, adjacent to the bottom terminal. A total of 174 guests were roped down by ski patrol, concluding at 6:00 pm. “At 12:15pm on December 21, 2024, the Gondola had a mechanical issue and immediately shut down as the system is designed to do so for guest safety,” said Winter Park in a statement. “At this time the Gondola is closed for repair and further inspection. All guests were safely evacuated thanks to our Patrol team.”

Leitner-Poma constructed The Gondola in 2018, providing a high capacity link between the Village at Winter Park and Sunspot. The lift is a workhorse, operating both day and night throughout the year. Each of the system’s 75 cabins can carry up to 10 passengers.

Stock photo of tower 1 prior to this incident.

“A replacement part and crane have arrived, and repairs are underway,” Winter Park said on 12/22. “Once the repair is complete, the Colorado Tramway Safety Board will complete a thorough inspection process. Once we have approval from the Tram Board we will be able to re-open the Gondola. We do not currently have a timeframe for when that will be but are working to complete the repair and inspection as soon as possible while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our guests.” Both Arrow and Gemini also provide access out of the Village.

News Roundup: Winter Park Unlocked

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Winter Park Eyes Beginner-Focused Lift Upgrades

Peter Landsman5 Comments

As I reported on Friday, Winter Park Resort is seeking Forest Service approval for a major revamp of the Discovery Park learning zone. The project, contemplated in the 2022 master plan, has four major lift components. First the Gemini Express would be replaced by a 10 passenger gondola, allowing beginner guests to upload and download as foot passengers. The 2,400 foot long gondola would start closer to the Village at Winter Park than Gemini and unload at a new children’s ski school building, where a variety of conveyor lifts are planned. The new gondola will be a workhorse capable of carrying 3,600 passengers per hour. One reason for such high capacity is this gondola could eventually become the third section of a town-to-village gondola long envisioned as a way to reduce traffic.

Once new skiers and riders are ready to progress to chairlifts, two new options will sit near the learning center. The current Endeavour triple will be replaced by a 2,400 pph detachable quad in a shorter alignment. The Discovery double will be upgraded from a double to a short fixed grip quad carrying 1,600 skiers per hour.

The final component of the plan is a new Cooper Creek six pack. This 2,700 foot long lift would load below the bottom of Olympia Express and rise 365 feet to the Cooper Creek Summit, carrying 2,800 guests per hour. Five new beginner trails would be constructed with new snowmaking throughout. As part of the project, the aging Looking Glass double would be removed. All told Winter Park would retire four chairlifts dating back to 1966, 1984 and 1993, replacing them with three new chairlifts and a gondola.

The Forest Service is preparing an Environmental Assessment and welcomes public comments. The agency expects to publish a decision in the first quarter of 2025 and construction could begin next summer.

News Roundup: Winter Park Learning Center

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News Roundup: Above & Beyond

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News Roundup: Winter Maintenance

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News Roundup: Raven

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News Roundup: Coming Back

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Alterra Details Plans for Six New Lifts in 2023

Peter Landsman51 Comments

The parent company of the Ikon Pass plans to construct half a dozen new lifts for the 2023/24 ski season in addition to numerous other capital investments across 16 owned resorts. All Alterra lift projects for the upcoming 2023 construction season were previously announced but some details have changed slightly. Privately-held Alterra plans to invest a total of $400 million in resort infrastructure, $50 million for employee housing and $40 million toward technology upgrades to better connect and streamline the guest experience in the year ahead.

At Solitude, the previously announced Eagle Express replacement will now be a Doppelmayr six pack rather than a high speed quad. Solitude and the entire Wasatch have seen an extremely busy winter with plentiful snowfall and a growing Ikon passholder base in Utah.

Steamboat’s Full Steam Ahead initiative continues this summer with completion of the second section of the Wild Blue Gondola and debut of the Mahogany Ridge Express. The gondola will become the longest in North America with a 12 minute ride from base to summit. The first section of the D-Line gondola from Steamboat Square to Greenhorn Ranch debuted this winter and Doppelmayr has already completed tower foundations for phase 2 to Sunshine Peak.

Leitner-Poma of America will build Steamboat’s second new lift this summer, previously known as Pioneer Ridge but now dubbed Mahogany Ridge Express. The new detachable quad will service 655 acres of expert terrain in Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon, making Steamboat the second largest mountain in Colorado.

Leitner-Poma will also build the new Pioneer Express at Winter Park, a six pack replacing a 1986 detachable quad. The new lift will feature a mid-loading station for easier access to return skiing.

At Snowshoe, Alterra affirmed the fixed grip triple Powder Monkey will be replaced with a fixed grip quad this summer from Skytrac.

At Mammoth Mountain the Canyon Express #16 will be replaced with a Doppelmayr D-Line detachable six place lift. Notably, the previously announced Broadway Express #1 replacement is no longer proceeding this summer. Mammoth and Alterra are currently working through approvals for redevelopment of the Main Lodge portal which may affect the alignment of a future Broadway Express.

“In our first five years, Alterra Mountain Company has established itself as a proven leader in the outdoor industry, and we intend to continue to innovate by investing in large-scale projects that will deliver differentiated guest experiences,” said Jared Smith, President & CEO of Alterra Mountain Company. “These projects, and our investments in the years ahead, demonstrate our unwavering commitment to evolving our destinations to better serve our guests and to improving the experience our employees can expect when living and working in our mountain communities.”

Winter Park Announces Pioneer Six Pack for 2023

Peter Landsman35 Comments

It’s official: this winter will be the last for Pioneer Express at Winter Park, tied for oldest high speed quad in the nation. The mountain’s fourth six place chairlift will debut on Vasquez Ridge next winter, increasing capacity from 1,900 skiers per hour to 2,800. A new mid load station at the intersection of Pioneer Express Trail and Big Valley will eliminate the need for many guests to ski all the way to the bottom terminal along a flat run out. The mid-station will sit near the current tower 7 with no angle change. With the retirement of Pioneer, Coney Glade at Snowmass and Sunshine Express at Telluride will remain tied for oldest detachable quad in America at 37 years.

The Forest Service already approved Pioneer’s replacement, the seventh lift project announced by Alterra Mountain Company for next year. Others are at Mammoth Mountain, Snowshoe, Solitude and Steamboat. A manufacturer for the Winter Park project was not announced, though the mountain operates a large fleet of Leitner-Poma detachable lifts.