• Sipapu, New Mexicoproposes replacing one of thelast detachable Poma lifts in the United States.
• Four people are killed in an aerial tramway crash in Italy.
• Skiland, Alaskarope evacuates its only chairlift.
• Kicking Horsecloses for the season without its gondola; any compensation for passholders affected by five weeks of gondola closure to be determined at a later date.
• Two new gondolasnear completion in West Virginia.
• South Carolina’s only gondola isalmost ready to roll.
• Bretton Woodsformally announces the Bethlehem Express replacement project.
• A Utah court of appealshears arguments from Park City the town and Park City the ski area re: canceled 2022 Eagle and Silverlode lift projects.
• Vail alsotussles with South Lake Tahoe over Heavenly parking and taxation.
• Titcomb Mountain, Mainefundraises to build a new T-Bar as soon as this summer.

It’s official: Snowmass will construct two lifts simultaneously this summer for the first time since 2006. Leitner-Poma will replace theElk Camp detachable quad with a six pack and Skytrac will install a T-Bar to replace theCirque platter. The projects are part of an$80 million capital improvement summer for Aspen Snowmass. Other projects include a new Ullrhof restaurant, snowmaking upgrades and forest health work. “We have a huge summer ahead for on-mountain developments here at Aspen Snowmass,” said Geoff Buchheister, CEO of Aspen Skiing Company. “These projects represent Aspen One’s commitment to ongoing investment in delivering the most exceptional guest experience possible.”

The Elk Camp chair dates back to 1995, tied for the third oldest lift at Snowmass. Elk Camp services popular intermediate terrain in the winter and hauls bikes to the top of the Snowmass Bike Park come summer. Winter throughput will increase from 2,020 skiers per hour on the current quad to 2,800 while bike haul capacity will nearly double. The lift’s alignment will shift slightly away from the Elk Camp Restaurant.

At the top of the mountain, the curved Cirque platter will be retired in favor of a straight Leitner/Skytrac T-Bar. Capacity here will increase from 450 guests per hour to 1,000. Similar to thenew surface lift at Champan Hill, Colorado, Cirque will combine specialized Leitner parts from Europe with American made towers, controls and operator houses from Skytrac.

“The areas of terrain served by these lifts are some of the most popular on our mountain,” said Susan Cross, Mountain Manager at Snowmass. “These updates allow for guests to more smoothly access Snowmass’ classic wide-open slopes and sweeping vistas at Elk Camp, and the incredible variety of high-alpine terrain we have off The Cirque. I am proud that we continue to invest in making this mountain the best that it can be, and having high-speed, higher capacity lifts is critical to the Snowmass experience,” she continued.

Every Tuesday, I feature my favorite Instagram photos from around the lift world.

Washington’s oldest detachable chairlift will beretired this spring to make way for a next-generation high speed quad. Crystal Mountain’sRainier Express, or “Rex” for short, dates back to 1988, when a group of local shareholders purchased two Poma chairlifts for the mountain. By the mid-1990s, Boyne Resorts acquired Crystal and replaced nearly every lift between 1997 and 2014. Rex endured, however, and has now carried skiers for 37 seasons.

Alterra Mountain Company bought Crystal in 2018 and Rainier Express 2.0 will be their first lift project at Washington’s largest ski area. “Referred to locally as ‘REX,’ this high-speed quad was the first detachable chairlift built in Washington State,” noted Crystal. “Since its construction in 1988, it has represented Crystal Mountain’s pioneering spirit in big-mountain, skier-focused operations and investments.”

Leitner-Poma will build the new high speed quad and expects to break ground in June. The new lift will carry skiers 1,600 vertical feet to the Summit House in under five minutes. For Rex’s final weekend May 2nd-4th, Crystal plans a rail jam, photo contest and 1988 themed party. Most of the old lift will be scrapped and chairs auctioned to the public to benefit the Northwest Avalanche Center. The new Rainier Express is expected to be completed in December 2025.

• HTI, the parent company of Agudio, Bartholet, Leitner, Poma, LPOA and Skytrac,reports stable revenue of €1.4 billion and record R&D investment of €41 million.
• Leitnerteases “the exclusive launch of a groundbreaking new standard for monocable uni-directional ropeways” at Interalpin.
• Leitner also nears completion of amaterial transport gondola that includes a 1,600 foot underground tunnel.
• The next phase of the Bartholet RopeTaxi on demand gondola network isdelayed to December.
• President Trumptempers announced tariffs on most countries to 10% for 90 days.
• Calls continue for the Government of Quebec to terminate its lease with Resorts of the Canadian Rockies for Mont-Sainte-Anne.
• Freakonomics tackles theeconomics of ski areas with help from Loveland and Mt. Ashland.
• Mt. Hood Meadows toretire the Blue double without replacement, raffle the chairs.
• Alpental plans anall weekend celebration for the retirement of iconicChair 2.
• Doppelmayrbreaks ground on its new Salt Lake City building.
• French authoritiespropose nearly €2 million in fines against MND and its investors for alleged disclosure and insider trading violations.
• You canbuy an Overbrook chair from Ski Butternut
• McCauley is alsoselling chairs.
• CBS dramaFire Country to feature aficticious ski lift disaster tonight.

Purgatory willembark on a significant expansion this summer, constructing the long-awaited Gelande lift and five new trails. The top drive Skytrac triple will introduce a new out-of-base option, allowing day visitors to bypass the main village. “This addition will greatly improve our guests’ experience by creating a new way to access the top of the mountain without requiring access through the Columbine or Village base areas while adding to the advanced and expert terrain offered on the frontside of the mountain,” said Purgatory General Manager Dave Rathbun.

The triple chair will be substantial for a fixed grip, spanning roughly 4,200 feet with 1,600 feet of vertical rise. The alignment includes some very steep sections near the bottom and flatter segments up top.

The Forest Service approved this project back in 2018 and it will add 26 acres to Purgatory’s special use permit boundary. The expansion is expected to create 12-15 construction jobs, mostly utilizing existing winter seasonal employees. Purgatory hopes the new year-round team will continue building new lifts and trails in future summers. “We are excited to be in position to grow and develop our year-round team of employees,” said Rathbun. “These positions will play a crucial role in the ski lift construction and ski trail development. It will also give us the opportunity to provide year-round, benefited positions to some of our key winter seasonal employees and build a stronger, more knowledgeable and experienced team.”

Due to construction, the Purgatory Bike Park will not operate in 2025. “We understand that the temporary closure of the Mountain Bike Park may be an adjustment, but we are confident that the long-term benefits of the new Gelande chairlift and ski terrain will be well worth it,” said Purgatory.

Every Tuesday, I feature my favorite Instagram photos from around the lift world.

Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) may construct its secondchairlift/gondola hybrid lift at Sandia Peak, its latest acquisition near Albuquerque. The Telemix system would directly replaceChair 1, a Stadeli double which dates back to 1963, and effectively replaceChair 3, a Riblet double constructed in 1980. MCPacquired and reopened Sandia Peak earlier this year and quickly reactivated two of its four chairlifts that had sat idle for several seasons. Chair 1 was not among them and has been inoperable since 2017.

The new lift would closely resemble theArizona Gondola which Leitner-Poma built for MCP at Arizona Snowbowl in 2020. Sandia’s Telemix would travel 7,400 feet in 7.5 minutes, half the time of the old lift. It could operate in both winter and summer for skiers as well as foot passengers coming from the independently-ownedSandia Peak Tramway. Although specific chair and gondola sizes weren’t specified, the lift would transport 2,400 guests per hour. The Forest Service is currently accepting comments on the proposalvia email and expects to reach a decision in August.

• Homewood toreopen next season but its D-Line gondoladelivered in 2023 won’t be installed this summer.
• Powdrabandons plans to sell Mt. Bachelor.
• Powdr’s sale of Eldora is said to be in thefinal stages.
• Le Massif, Quebecsigns on to the Ikon Pass.
• New details emerge from the antitrust case against the owner of Song Mountain and Labrador Mountain, New York; he plans to appeal.
• Whaleback, New Hampshire looks towarda new chairlift.
• Sun Valleyseeks to be removed from a lawsuit filed by a homeowner regarding the placement of the newFlying Squirrel quad.
• Stratton’sAmerican Express closes early and will reopen for summer later than normal for amajor systems modernization.
• The Forest Serviceapproves Steamboat to replaceSunshine Express with a six pack.
• The world’ssecond largest gondola network is proposed in India with 15 stations and 660 cabins.
• If Bluewood, Washington can’t complete its planned relocation of a used high speed quad from Austria next season, it willkeep its Borvig lift and credit passholders $100.
• The US government implements ablanket 20% tariff on goods from the European Union and 31% on products from Switzerland, both major source regions for lift components.
• Skeetawk, Alaskaworks to repair its only chairlift but snow may run out first.
• Arctic Valley, Alaska’sT-Bar will be inoperable the rest of the season due to anincident damaging the haul rope.
• Holiday Mountain, New York looks to reopen long lost terrain with athird chairlift.
• Alta torealign Supreme this summer, re-doing every foundation and re-using towers and terminals.
• Castle Mountain’s expansion lift to be calledStagecoach Express.
• The owner of Berkshire East and Catamount would operate Burke Mountain under aproposed sale to local investors. The group also plans torefurbish the J-Bar and relocate Willoughby if the sale goes through.

Every Tuesday, I feature my favorite Instagram photos from around the lift world.