Alta Supreme Lift Experience
To replace the outgoing Cecret and Supreme lifts, which existed along different alignments, Alta came up with a unique solution.
Loveland Adds Safety Bars to All Remaining Chairlifts
For the 2020-21 season, Loveland has installed safety bars on several existing chairlifts. A representative from the resort confirmed that all operational lifts now have this feature.
Ratings Adjustment: Alta, Snowbird, and Breckenridge Lift Scores
We’ve corrected Alta, Snowbird, and Breckenridge’s lift scores to factor in previously unaccounted for hike-to terrain. In addition, we’ve updated Alta’s size score to exclude acres that are essentially backcountry.
Steamboat Implements Virtual Gondola Line to Mitigate On-Site Crowding
This past weekend, Steamboat introduced a virtual waiting room that allows ticket and pass holders to join the Steamboat Gondola line remotely. This virtual line will exist alongside the lift’s normal, physical line.
Arapahoe Basin’s New Pallavicini Lift Opens to Guests
This past Saturday, Arapahoe Basin opened its new Pallavicini chair to resort visitors. This new Leitner-Poma fixed-grip double chair, which replaced another fixed-grip double built in 1978, follows the same line as the old Pali lift and now boasts safety bars.
Homewood’s Ellis Chair Reopens for First Time Since January
After sitting idle for the final two months of last season due to mechanical issues, Homewood’s Ellis chair returned to service today. The triple lift received the first of two scheduled refurbishments in time for the upcoming season; the resort says the chair’s ride time has decreased by nearly four minutes.
Video: Northstar Highlands Gondola Experience
Northstar's Highlands Gondola services village condos and parking, offering direct mid-mountain access. But this pulse gondola uses fixed-grip cabins rather than the detachable grips found on a typical gondola, resulting in an experience that may surprise some first-time riders.
Whiteface Now Calling New Beginner Lift “Falcon,” Removing Previous “Express” Language
Last week, updates to Whiteface’s website revealed that its new Bear Den beginner area lift will now be called the Falcon Lift. This comes weeks after the site temporarily showed the new lift with the misleading “Owl Express” name.
New Whiteface Beginner Lift to Be Called “Owl Express”
Last week, updates to Whiteface’s website revealed that its new Bear Den beginner area lift will be called the Owl Express. The new quad will have a loading carpet that allows for faster run speeds, but its “Express” branding is misleading.
7 Notable Lift Installations from the Past Half Decade
Over the past five years, dozens of new lifts have been installed at major mountain resorts around North America. While nearly all of these upgrades have provided mountain experience improvements over their predecessors, a few examples have especially stood out in their positive impacts.