• 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.

Over the weekend the State of West Virginiabroke ground on an $8 million gondola project at Hawks Nest State Park. Doppelmayr will build the fixed grip system, which will carry visitors down 465 vertical feet to the New River and be fully ADA accessible. The top drive, bottom tension design will feature three six passenger cabins in a pulse configuration. A fourth carrier will accommodate kayaks and other outdoor recreation equipment. The new gondola replaces a1970 Hall jig-back which closed in 2021 due to safety concerns. “A whole lot of people who love Hawks Nest State Park have been waiting for the tram project,” said West Virginia Governor Jim Justice at the groundbreaking. “Hundreds of thousands of folks have created memories here on the tram over the last 50 years, and I’m excited for the next hundred thousand visitors to the park to be able to do just the same.”

This is the second gondola construction project underway in the Mountain State. A$12.4 million gondola is set to open at Pipestem State Park this fall. The Hawks Nest gondola is expected to follow in late spring 2025, completing the replacement of two iconic ropeways. Governor Justice said he expects to be among the first to ride each new gondola with his Bulldog named Babydog.

• Quebec skier visits rise to 6.3 million, second highest in the last 10 years.
• Colorado posts itsbest season on record with approximately 14 million skier visits.
• Skier visits werehigher than the two previous seasons in Vermont.
• Former Jay Peak head Bill Stenger sits down foran interview to share his side of the story before reporting to prison.
• Granite Gorgesells at auction to local investors who plan to reopen.
• Montana Snowbowl’s new triple chair will beextremely steep (6th steepest chairlift in the country by my count.)
• Aspen Mountain beginsPandora’s construction.
• Le Massifjoins the Mountain Collective Pass.
• Lost Trailsigns on to the Powder Alliance.
• The landlord for Big Snow American Dream remains indeep financial trouble.
• Park City planning commissionersdelay deciding on the Silverlode and Eagle lift replacement projects until at least June 15th, leaving a very narrow window for construction if approved.
• The Cascade Skyline Gondola proposal enjoyswide community support compared to a competing ski resort concept.
• Developers of the Big Moose Mountain projectpresent their case to the Maine Land Use Planning Commission.
• Big White willreplace 16 cabins onLara’s Gondola this summer.
• Dodge Ridge and Mountain High owner Karl Kapuscinski wouldlike to add new high speed lifts at both resorts in the next few years.
• The State of West Virginia planstwo eight passenger gondolas to replace older systems atHawks Nest andPipestem state parks.