Schweitzer Contracts Installation Of Two New Lifts For 2019/20

As anticipated, Schweitzer Mountain Resort has signed contracts for the installation of two new chairlifts during the summer of 2019 to replace the current Snow Ghost double chair. “After careful review of bids and plans from several manufacturers, we are moving forward with Leitner Poma for a high-speed detachable quad and with Skytrac for a fixed grip triple chair in the Outback Bowl,” stated Tom Chasse, CEO of Schweitzer Mountain Resort. “Overall, we expect the two chair arrangement to complement our existing lift system and provide better access to some of the most popular terrain at Schweitzer.”
The detachable quad chair will offer a capacity of 2400 people per hour and rise 1447 feet in just over 5 minutes. The triple chair capacity is 1800 people per hour and will rise 1360 feet in 8 minutes. “We’ve seen over the years how a similar two lift system in the South Bowl has been beneficial when we have weather challenges,” said Chasse. “By having the two lifts serving different aspects of the North Bowl, our hope is to combat similar challenges on the backside of the mountain. Splitting the lifts also provides a better, safer experience for differing ability levels.” The lower high-speed quad chairlift will start near Cedar Park and unload at the current Snow Ghost midway station while the upper fixed grip triple will provide summit access from a location near Will’s Runout and Vagabond.
During the lift construction process, the resort will also add an additional 4 new runs and increased gladed terrain. “We are looking to create new runs near the Snow Ghost and Have Fun areas that will provide some excellent north facing slopes,” added Chasse. At this point, Schweitzer has not determined names for the new runs or the new lifts. Schweitzer began initial clearing of these areas and secured power to the future lift sites this past summer.

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