Union Pass is a necessary chairlift for mountain operations. In order to return to the base from the Hobacks, Colter Ridge, Sublette Ridge, etc., skiers must take Union Pass at the bottom of their run.
Moose Creek is not necessary in the same way and is essentially entirely a real estate access lift, but I believe mountain operations are still responsible for its maintenance and operation.
Something interesting is that until 1988, skiers could continue to the base directly without riding Union Pass at all.
Union pass was installed the following year as a surface lift and the trail to the base was removed. It seems like an odd move to me that it was removed at all. They could’ve opted to just keep the trail there (and lose a few plots for real estate) but wouldn’t have needed to install and operate Union Pass.
It would not have been just a few plots of real estate. It would have been millions of dollars of real estate worth a lot more than the cost of installing the lift itself.
Lift Blog 
When I went on this lift I counted 35 chairs, not 37.
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Are union pass and moose creek part of the mountain operations or are they private property access lifts?
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Union Pass is a necessary chairlift for mountain operations. In order to return to the base from the Hobacks, Colter Ridge, Sublette Ridge, etc., skiers must take Union Pass at the bottom of their run.
Moose Creek is not necessary in the same way and is essentially entirely a real estate access lift, but I believe mountain operations are still responsible for its maintenance and operation.
LikeLike
Something interesting is that until 1988, skiers could continue to the base directly without riding Union Pass at all.
Union pass was installed the following year as a surface lift and the trail to the base was removed. It seems like an odd move to me that it was removed at all. They could’ve opted to just keep the trail there (and lose a few plots for real estate) but wouldn’t have needed to install and operate Union Pass.
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It would not have been just a few plots of real estate. It would have been millions of dollars of real estate worth a lot more than the cost of installing the lift itself.
LikeLike