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.

• 19deluxe cabins arrive stateside for South Carolina’s only gondola.
• Ragged Mountain goeson the market.
• Leitner-Poma posts anad hiring lift installers for a project at Crystal Mountain, Washington.
• A widowsues Breckenridge following her husband’s fatal fall from theZendo chair, alleging “an unreasonable amount of snow and ice accumulation.”
• Purgatory acknowlegesbelt tightening on the mountain as it renegotiates long term debt.
• The Forest Service shows two Mission Ridge expansion proposals ascanceled.
• The Forest Service releases aDraft Environmental Impact Statement for Grand Targhee’s proposed expansion including three pared down alternatives.
• Big Skyraises $150,000 for charity sellingExplorer chairs.
• An idea to connect two Seattle neighborhoods by gondolaresurfaces.
• Leitner teases a “New Era of Ropeways” coming at Interalpin.
• Relations sour between the Town of Mountain Village and Telluride Ski Resort owner Chuck Horning with the Town Manager giving alengthy speech about problems at the resort.
• Skeetawk, Alaska’s only chairlift shuts down for amulti-week repair.
• Stowe’sFourRunner quad has been out of service all week.
• Vailreopens Riva Bahn after a two week gearbox rebuild.
• Kicking Horse’s gondolaremains closed indefinitely; the resort will transport gear up to Stairway to Heaven free of charge but guests still have to walk there.
• Vail Resortspresents its strategic vision to investors.

• Avideo shows theKicking Horse incident was exacerbated by running the damaged hanger to a tower, causing the lift to de-rope. Thegondola will beclosed at least a week and likely longer; the resort will allow guests to hike or skin toStairway to Heaven.
• The snowboarder whodied after falling from Red Lodge Mountain’s Triple Chair on Monday is identified as37 year old Jeffrey Zinne of Billings in an incident described as a “malfunction.”
• A child was airlifted to Denver afterfalling 35 feet from thePurgatory Village Express the same day as the Kicking Horse and Red Lodge incidents.
• Leitner-Poma postsjobs for ski lift installers at Bretton Woods, Loveland, OZ Trails Bike Park, Powder Mountain, Snowmass, Snowbasin, Taos and Wasatch Peaks Ranch.
• New York Statewins its case against a ski resort owner for buying Toggenburg to close it and reduce competition.
• Snowbasin to sell chairs from the Becker liftfor charity.
• Loup Loup, Washington ends its season early due to arequired motor repair.
• Vail’sRiva Bahn Express has beenclosed all week due to a gearbox issue requiring a rebuild.
• Vail Resortsreports solid results with season-to-date skier visits down 2.5%, lift ticket revenue up 4.1%, ski school revenue up 3.0%, dining revenue 3.1% and retail/rental revenue down 2.9%. Net income for the quarter ended January 31st increased 11.9%.
• Tenney Mountain, New Hampshirestill plans to reopen theHornet some time this winter following a gearbox issue.
• Another lawsuit is filed against the Little Cottonwood gondola proposal.
• Attitashreopens theFlying Bear five weeks after achair fell from the line.Draft minutes from the New Hampshire Passenger Tramway Safety Board suggest multiple damaged carriers were found and Attitash was approved to reduce capacity from 82 to 64 carriers.Update Monday 3/17: Vail PR sent me this statement, emphasis theirs:“During our inspection process, we made the decision to reinspect all our chairs and grips, haul rope, sheaves, terminals, and more.  Following our inspection, we are taking the opportunity to replace parts on some chairsunrelated to the incident as a part of routine upgrades. These chairs will remain temporarily out of service until the parts arrive. This was a decision made by the resort, that the Passenger Tramway Safety Board unanimously approved at the March 3rd board meeting. We have been given permission to run the lift between the manufacturer’s minimum and maximum design specifications.”
• Ober Mountain, Tennessee opens the newSky Village Express.
• Whistler Blackcomb completes amid-season rope inspection and splice due to a broken haul rope strand on theEmerald 6 Express.
• WB alsopulls the plug on summer skiing due to glacial recession and its impact on lift access.
• A community co-op effort wasunable to submit a bid for Mt. Bachelor.
• Vista Ridge, Albertacloses both its chairlifts indefinitely to conduct a review following several evacuations.
• Alpental willclose two weeks early so crews can work to build the new Chair 2 over snow in a roadless area.
• Ditto for Explorer at Big Sky as it’s replaced with a gondola.
• After running ondiesel generators for a decade, theSea to Sky Gondola‘s upper terminal is connected to grid power for the first time.
• Whaleback, New Hampshire says itneeds to raise $250,000 to fund off season maintenance and chairlift repairs.
• Titcomb Mountain looks toretire and replaceT-Bar 2.
• Powder Mountain to build aprivate, homeowner only Leitner-Poma detachable quad this summer.
• Snowbird’sMineral Basin reopening is further delayed due to “unforseen additional issues“.
• The Forest Serviceapproves Alta to replaceSupreme with a new lift and noeight degree bend.
• Pending approval of its members, Bryce Resortplans to install a third Skytrac on the backside of the mountain this summer.

• Monarch Mountain purchases the nearbyMonarch Crest Scenic Tramway.
• Sundance’s new quad isnamed Wildwood.
• Vancouverdrops out of bidding for the 2030 Winter Olympics, increasing the likelihood the games will be held in Utah.
• Construction begins on the world’s longest gondola in the Caribbean.
• TheVail Daily reports onenvironmental deficiencies with Beaver Creek’s 2021 McCoy Park lift and terrain expansion.
• Alterra-owned Blue Mountainrenames the Century Express toValley Express with new controls, new tower heads/sheaves, new carriers, a new rope and several tower height adjustments.
• Vail continues its charity chair sale extravaganza withmore from Jack Frost andBig Boulder.
• The Summit at Snoqualmiesells chairs from Hidden Valley.
• Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.closes on its acquisition of Jay Peak.
• Waterville Valley’s MND bubble lift will be calledTecumseh Express.
• The Forest Serviceapproves Attitash’sSummit triple replacement project.
• Parts from Sunday River’s former Jordan Expressare spotted at Boyne sister resort Pleasant Mountain.
• Doppelmayr reports a16 percent increase in revenue with a particular surge in investment in North America.
• Purgatorysues the Forest Service over water rights for snowmaking.
• Cypress Mountain sues the Province of British Columbia over paid parking.
• Supply chain issues willdelay the opening of Alta’s Sunnyside six pack.

• A decision on the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola isn’t announced yet but some arealready calling for an audit and threatening a lawsuit.
• Telluridecelebrates 25 years of public transport by gondola.
• Catamount nowplans to finish its two relocated chairlift projects over the summer.
• An impressive six station, 150 cabin urban gondolaopens in Israel.
• Granby Ranchteases a new lift between its East and West mountains.
• The Forest Servicegreen lights Purgatory’s Ice Creek expansion, through constructionwon’t happen right away.
• Whitefish will give the public one last chance to rideChair 4/Great Northerntomorrow;Bigfoot T-Bar will beclosed for the rest of the season due to maintenance.
• Epic Passprices rise modestly, tiers and blackout dates remain the same.
• In apresentation to investors, Vail Resorts says it will continue to focus on advance commitment products, high return capital investments and network expansion.
• Vail says data-based adjustments to select lifts achieved an average capacity increase of 10 percent, equivalent to adding five high speed quads to its network without investing any capital. The program will expand to more lifts for 2022-23.
• Some Juneau leadershave second thoughts about bringing over a used gondola from Austria.
• Mt. Snow’sSunbrook quadmay live on at another Vail resort.
• A lawsuitseeks to stop the proposed Los Angeles Dodger Stadium-Union Station gondola.
• Following last week’sBartholet-HTI news, MND says itsagreement with Bartholet runs through December 2023 and that MND “aims to be a major and self-sufficient industrial ropeway mobility player.” The company plans to deliver around 32 non-detachable chairlifts and surface lifts this year in addition to Bartholet alliance projects.
• AnAssociated Press investigation uses an Iowa county’s purchase of Mt. Crescent Ski Area as an example of wasteful pandemic relief spending.
• Connonsburg, Michigan may become the latest private ski area totransition to public ownership.
• Apermit extension request reveals why the Palisades Base to Base gondola wasn’t completed last summer.

“The 2021 construction season was particularly challenging due to a number of unusual circumstances. The pandemic resulted in labor shortages for not only the lift construction crews and building teams, but also with the supply chain companies delivering key materials. Helicopter usage was a key component for construction, as they were required for activities including tree removal, setting of lift towers and pouring the foundations at the KT mid-station. Helicopter availability was greatly affected by one of the worst wildfire seasons in California history, and once helicopters were available, their operations were shut down as they could not safely fly in the smoky conditions. The fires also resulted in periods when the crews had to be sent home due to unhealthy air quality. For these reasons, construction could not be completed within the six-to-eight-month time frame anticipated in the EIS.”

• In an op-ed, Vail Mountain Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Beth Howard says the company isevaluating wages for next season.
• Mike Goar pensa similar letter to the Park City community.
• New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu says his office isworking to address complaints about Vail Resorts operations at state-owned Mt. Sunapee.
• Indy Passadds Sunlight, Colorado.
• A 7 year old is expected to be okay afterfalling 35 feet from achairlift at the Florida State Fair.
• New York State issuesan RFP for the North Creek Ski Bowl detachable quad project at Gore Mountain.
• Here’s a preview of theLookout Pass Eagle Peak expansion, set for a CTEC quad this summer:

• Hickorywon’t reopen this winter due to lift inspection timing.
• Jackson Hole lists theThunder chairfor sale.
• With a new gondola costing up to $22 million after a two to three year wait, Eaglecrest looks at purchasing aused 15 passenger pulse gondola from Austria.
• Achairlift-served bike park is proposed near Evergreen, Colorado.
• Sierra at Tahoe shares its latestrecovery update with a focus on the 12 different comm line patches needed on seven different lifts.
• Theincident report from the Beech Mountainwater line mishap is made public.

• The largest gondola network in the world looks to addfour more lines.
• Aspen Mountain islikely to gain approval for Pandora’s next month with lift installation targeted for 2023.
• The Burnaby Mountain Gondola remains atop funding priority in the Vancouver region.
• 49 Degrees North names its new detachable quad Northern Spirit.
• Opposition emerges to the Lutsen Mountains expansion proposal.
• Kelly Canyonflies towers for its new Skytrac.
• Ground is broken for aseven station urban gondola system in Santiago, Chile.
• Beaver Creek releases itsnew map with McCoy Park. Okemo’s new liftshit the trail map.Saddleback too.
• A proposed wildlife park with gondola ridereceives a $400,000 grant from the State of North Dakota.
• Maine’s Mt. Abramreactivates its long disused Mini T-Bar.
• A documentary about Canada’s largest lost ski area will debut at the Banff Film Festival.
• MND Ropewayscommences construction on its first North American detachable at Waterville Valley.
• 462 ski areas operated last season in the United States, 8 fewer than 2019/20.
• Purgatory’s Ice Creek expansion and triple chairare approved, subject to a 45 day objection period.
• Ski Cooper’swish list includes a frontside detachable quad and lifts on Chicago Ridge.
• Alberta’s Hidden Valleymay not open this season.
• Nitehawk takes delivery of Lake Louise’s formerSummit Platter forimmediate installation and conversion to a T-Bar.
• A Snow Kinggondola update.
• Fire-damaged Big Snow American Dream willremain closed into 2022.
• As some suggest a gondola, Denver International Airportseeks proposals for a non-rail link between its three concourses.

• Fairfax County willhost an open house tomorrow regarding the proposed Alpine-X indoor mountain resort.
• Attitashfully removes what remained of theTop Notch double
• The Icy Strait Point Mountain Top gondola is now scheduled todebut in May 2022.
• I’m thrilled to reportthe quad chairlift in Wears Valley, Tennesseeis open for business, nine years after construction!
• Summit Ski Area officiallymerges into Timberline Lodge, which becomes the largest vertical ski area in America at 4,540 feet.
• The former Colby College ski area in Mainefundraises to resume downhill operations for the first time since the ’70s with a T-Bar planned for a future phase.
• Also in Maine, Sunday River and Doppelmayrnear completion of the Merrill Hill project as survey markers appear under theJordan Bowl Express.
• In Australia, Thredbo closes a week early due tolack of guests.
• The Forest Servicesigns off on Copper’s Lumberjack Express project, though the resort does not yet have a timeline for construction yet.
• In a lawsuit, Alterra says it’sowed more than $200 million for lost business during the pandemic which should have been covered by insurance.
• Vail Resorts plans toload lifts to full capacity this winter at all 34 of its North American resorts. No passholder reservations required, employees must be vaccinated by November 15th and guests must show proof of vaccination to dine at indoor cafeterias.
• Vail also reports strongfull year financial results with lift revenue up 17.9 percent from a year ago and operating expenses down 5.4 percent.
• Sierra at Tahoe says bothNob Hill andShort Stuff weredamaged by the Caldor Fire.
• Great Bear will unveil thenaming rights partner for itsnew chairlift on October 16th.
• Searchmont gets anew trail map showing two new lifts. Also its Blue Mountain triple chairwill be inoperable until early February.
• Purgatory says its six pack will be closedat least two more weeks, gives summer season passholders next summer for free due to continued lift problems.
• Bartholet announces amajor five section gondola contract with Switzerland’s LAAX. The Ropetaxi system will feature cabins which move autonomously in stations and can be directed to a specific destination by passengers.

• Mission Ridgesues Chelan County over the permitting process for a proposed three lift expansion.
• The Forest Serviceapproves Winter Park’sPioneer Express replacement project.
• It will take awhile for the Utah Department of Transportation to wade through 13,000 Little Cottonwood public comments, the most the agency has ever received for a project.
• The town of Tupper Lake, New Yorkconsiders leasing Big Tupper for human powered recreation.
• Indy Pass founder Doug Fishexpects to quadruple redemptions from 96,000 last winter to 400,000 this season.
• New trail maps start to appear showing new lifts:Snowbasin andWelch Village this week.
• Thefirst towers go vertical for the Olympic Valley-Alpine Meadows Gondola at Palisades Tahoe.
• Sierra at Tahoe provides afire recovery update.
• The rest of Australia’s resorts are cleared to reopen, though some have alreadycalled it a season.
• The towns of Telluride and Mountain Village areevaluating three options for the aging gondola: gradual incremental upgrades, a major overhaul or total replacement with a decision targeted for next fall.
• Some Banff leadersstill support a gondola to Mt. Norquay despite Parks Canada opposition.
• A far left grouptargets Poma in France. Unhappy about the company supplying a ropeway to a nuclear waste storage project, the group claims it removed bolts from Poma lifts in the Alps.
• Trollhaugen sayssupply chain delays are impacting installation of a new Partek chairlift, though it still should be completed for this season.
• London’s Emirates Air Line gondola will be renamed in 2022 as Transport for Londonseeks a new naming rights partner.
• On the always great Storm Skiing Podcast, Taos CEO David Nordentalks timing and lift types for the many upgrades in the resort’s new master plan.
• ThePurgatory Express isclosed due to technical problems yet again.
• Whitefacedetails summer updates toCloudsplitter,Face Lift andFreeway in addition to the new Bear quad.

• Afallen tree forces the evacuation of a tramway in Italy.
• The Stresa-Mottarone cable car which crashed in May may bereplaced by a gondola.
• Doppelmayr hostsa webinar all about urban mobility.
• Sugarloaf willupdate the public on the West Mountain expansion Monday.
• Thelatest Indy Pass additions are Marmot Basin, Montage Mountain, Snow Valley, CA and Titus Mountain.
• Big Sky postssneak peak photos of premium chairs for Swift Current 6.
• Spirit Mountain lists theDouble Jaw double for sale with anasking price of $1.
• Voting is open for the Rise Up Challenge; one of six lift mechanics will win $3,500 from Leitner-Poma of America and Ski Area Management.
• A Quebec appeals court judge writes in adissenting opinion that a mountain biker left on a chairlift at Bromont should be held partially responsible because he did not carry a cell phone.
• TikTok drivesrecord ridership on London’s Emirate Air Line.
• Caberfae Peaksplans to build a Doppelmayr triple in 2022 replacingShelter.
• After lengthy repairs, thePurgatory Village Express isopen.
• Crested Butte willauction chairs fromPeachtree.
• Vail Resortsdetails plans to boost wages significantly across its resorts.
• Sunshine Villageprovides an update on it long range plan, including a second Goat’s Eye chairlift.
• The State of New Hampshiremay seek federal funding to upgrade or replace theCannon Mountain Tramway.
• Hear the story of how Rick Schmitz acquired three Wisconsin ski areas beginning at age 22.