• Killington’sSuperstar lift replacement willcancel the 2025 Killington World Cup; chairs from Superstar will move toGolden Express at Pico.
• An unseated passenger issuccessfully caught in a deceleration net at Killington.
• Powderhorn plans adetachable replacement forWest End.
• Gunstock loses itssummit chairlift for much of the holiday weekdue to gearbox failure.
• Silver Mountain, Idahorope evacuatesChair 4 due to a power outage and evacuation engine failure (now back open).
• A falling tree in high wind causes athree tower deropement on theBelleaye Express at Belleayre, New York (scheduled to reopen some time tomorrow).
• The same storm leads to aderopement and rope evacuation at Pats Peak, New Hampshire (back open).
• And theroof blows off Stratton’sgondola top terminal (also back open).
• Following three recent incidents in the state, New Hampshire clarifies how itstramway oversight works.
• Brattleboro Ski Hill in Vermont closes due to anelectric motor issue.
• Arkansasadopts the ANSI standard in advance of its first chairlift installation.
• Pioneer at Park Citystill hasn’t run this season but may soon.
• Cannon’s tramway is still on track for$19 million in upgrades.
• Sugarloafconfirms plans to install Big Sky’s formerSix Shooter to replaceTimberline, a two year project.
• Stevens Passrope evacuates the newKehr’s quad at night.
• Echo Mountain, Coloradoalso has a night rope evac.
• Timberlinecloses the Molly’s detachable quad due to damage to a tower from a snow cat.
• Tenney Mountain, New Hampshireloses its main lift due to a mechanical issue.
• Hersheypark, Pennsylvaniaretires its chairlift ride.

The sale of Killington and Pico to local investors has closed and today the groupannounced their initial tranche of capital investments. Over the next 12 to 16 months, Killington plans to spend roughly $30 million to build a Superstar Express six pack, add 1,000 HKD low energy new snow guns and replace all 116SkyeshipGondola cabins. Skyeship’s cabin storage facility will also be replaced in the near future. Thecurrent Superstar lift is the oldest detachable chairlift in New England, dating back to 1987 (tied with two other lifts at Killington/Pico and theGrand Summit Express at Mount Snow.)

The news comes just over a month since Powdr announced thesale of Killington and listing of three other resorts. “Over the next 10 years, our goal is to reinvest all the profits the mountain creates,” said Michael Ferri, one of two lead investors in Killington Independence Group, LLC, comprised of 16 total investors. “[Profits] will stay here in Vermont, they will stay here at Pico and they will stay here at Killington,” said Ferri.

Surprisingly after 37 straight lifts from other manufacturers, Killington selected Doppelmayr to construct the new Superstar Six. Unlike Killington’sSnowdon Six, the new lift will not feature bubbles. “There are a number of factors, but this lift is a relatively short ride which makes having bubbles on the lift less impactful, especially considering the added complexity of needing a storage barn for overnight storage of bubble chairs,” said Killington. Superstar has one of the longest winter operating schedules in the country, spinning for World Cup ski racing in November all the way until the end of the season in May or June. “The Superstar lift replacement will affect spring skiing this season and potentially the 2025 Stifel Killington Cup, noted Killington President and CEO Mike Solimano. “We do plan to make more snow in North Ridge to extend the season in the Canyon this year and are working with the lift manufacturer to finalize the construction plan for the lift before making the call on the Killington Cup,” he continued.

Leitner-Poma will supply new cabins for Skyeship, the same Diamond model theK-1 Gondola received in 2018. “Many of our current operational challenges with [Skyeship] can be attributed to the older cabins,” noted Killington. “The challenges are exasperated by not being able to store the cabins in a heated building causing door opening and closing mechanisms to become frozen overnight.” All of these improvements are slated for the next two years with more expected to follow over the next decade.

New England’s largest ski resort hasbeen sold to a local group of investors for an undisclosed price. The sale, which had been rumored for weeks, is the second recent disposition by Powdr following the sale of Lee Canyon, Nevada to Mountain Capital Partners in 2023. Lead investors in the new ownership group, Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, both have long term ties to the Killington area and ski racing. Gross is Managing Director of Boston-based Adage Capital Management and Ferri owns Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchises throughout the East Coast. Powdr will retain a minority stake and one seat on Killington/Pico’s board of directors. Current management will remain in place and the resorts will continue to participate in the Ikon Pass. “The Killington leadership team is excited about this opportunity to build on the strong foundation laid by Powdr,” said Mike Solimano, President and General Manager of Killington Resort. “We believe that local ownership will allow us to be even more responsive to the needs and desires of our community and guests.”

The sale is expected to close this fall. In an email to employees, Powdr said it also plans to list Eldora, Colorado; Mt. Bachelor, Oregon and SilverStar, British Columbia for sale in the coming weeks. The Park City-based company expects to retain Boreal, California; Copper Mountain, Colorado; Snowbird, Utah; Soda Springs, California and Woodward Park City, Utah as its only five alpine ski areas. The company has been expanding its portfolio of Woodward action sports parks of late and bidding on concession contracts with the National Park Service in order to diversify its portfolio.

During the Powdr era, Killington made significant upgrades to its infrastructure including a new K-1 lodge,Snowdon bubble six pack,North Ridge quad and new cabins on theK-1 gondola. The Beast faces significant ongoing capital needs, however, including a replacement for theSuperstar Express and a higher capacity lift on Ramshead Mountain. “We are grateful to Powdr for their stewardship over the years, as Killington saw substantial improvements to infrastructure, snowmaking capabilities, and year-round growth,” said Gross and Ferri. “For our families, Killington is more than just a business or asset to own; it is our home. We are thrilled to guide the mountain into a substantial investment phase.  Mike and his leadership team have done a great job, and we look forward to giving them the resources to up our game and continue to evolve Killington as a leader among world-class resorts with strong local roots.”

• Winter Park’s Gondola becomes thethird direct drive lift to open in as many weeks in the United States.  As of October, there were zero!
• Pico isadded to Ikon, bringing the pass to 40 mountains with a combined 474 lifts in the the US and Canada.
• The Hermitage Club won’t reopen until Januaryat the earliest.
• The last of British Columbia’s seven new lifts debuts at Sun Peaks.
• I did a double take on this lift: a D-Line gondola withCarvatech cabins.
• The new American Flyer isvery close to becoming the world’s longest bubble chair.
• Stratton’s new high speed quad is now set to openearly in the new year.
• Skeetawkremains on track to become Alaska’s eleventh lift-served ski area next winter with a SkyTrans triple chair.
• An 8 year-old boy sustains only minor injuries falling 33 feet off a lift at Nordic Valley.
• The Colombian capital of Bogotá launches a $73 million urban gondola called TransMiCable.
• Frost Fire says itcannot open yet due to “contractual obligations with our chairlift,” a brand newSkytrac quad.
• Big Sky brings high speed access to the southern flank of Lone Peak withShedhorn 4.

• The above $52 million masterpiece and highest-ever 3S opens for business in the shadow of the Matterhorn.
• The Leitner-Poma Group’s sixth tricable gondola is set to carry commuters between three stations in Toulouse, Francefrom 2020 and will cost $94.5 million to build.
• Alterracloses on its purchase of Crystal Mountain.
• A lift operator and his employer, Killingon/Pico, are sued followinga loading mishap.
• An eighth urban gondola line opens in La Paz and carries72,740 riders on its first day.
• CWAteases Omega V, the next evolution of the world’s best selling gondola cabin.  While we wait to see what it looks like, check out hundreds ofCWA designs from the past 75 years.
• The Palm Springs Tram gets a new 13,500′ x 45 mm upper haul rope from Fatzer.  Thanks Kirk D. for the photos.

• Horseshoe Resort’s retired 1989 Doppelmayr detachable quadhits the used market.
• Whistler Blackcomb’s2018-19 trail map shows what $52 million worth of new lifts looks like.
• Read up on Sun Peaks’ new Orient quad here.
• Lone Mountain Land Company eyestwo more lifts on the Spanish Peaks side of Big Sky Resort andnine in Moonlight Basin.
• Revelstoke’s newspaper looks into rumors of a gondola project on Mt. Begbie.
• The City of Los Angeleswill study two Hollywood gondola ideas.
• Another Disney Skyliner station isnearly finished with tons of windows.
• Windham names its new liftWestside Six.  I stopped by last week to check out the progress.

• The Adirondack Park Agencyapproves construction of a new chairlift at the Lake Placid Olympic ski jumping facility.
• Ascutney seeks permission to build a1,760′ T-Bar with11 towers.
• As Oz Real Estate weighs investingmore than $50 million, the Hermitage Club receiver reports the resort’s lifts need$86,000 in maintenance that neither the bank nor members have agreed to fund.
• Mountain Capital Partners hosts a packed public meeting regarding itsNordic Valley expansion.  “I’ve never had a project not be successful and I’m not going to start with this one,” James Coleman tells the crowd.
• Days before the deadline for public comments, Sunshine Village CEO Ralph Scurfield pens an op-ed criticizing Parks Canada’s proposed site guidelines that would eliminatethree future lifts from consideration.
• Leitner-Poma looks to immediately hireinstallation team members for the big Winter Parkgondola project.
• Thanks to Rob and Max for these awesome shots of theWhistler Blackcomb megaproject.

• Some Alta land is withdrawn from a proposed land swap, maintaining the possibility of future expansion in Grizzly Gulch.
• Killingtongoes blue with its bubbles.
• Vail Resorts officiallytakes over Stevens Pass.
• Massachusetts awards the current operators of Blue Hills a newthree year contract.
• Fatzer begins production of the firstCompacta rope for the US lift market.  At 54 mm, any guesses where it’s headed?

• The Jackson/Teton County Parks & Recreation Boardunanimously says no to a Snow King Gondola alignment as the Forest Serviceextends public comment until September 13th.
• The Capital Gondola projectmoves along in Albany.
• Anyone canrent the six lifts at Pico Mountain for $6,500 on Tuesdays or Wednesdays this winter.
• The Jay Peak receiver plans to sell the resort by next summer while an offering of Burke Mountain is indefinitely on hold.
• Copper Mountain appears to abandondark green lifts for more sophisticated copper-colored terminals.