Sipapu To Replace Historic Lift 3 With Two Person Chairlift

Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort announced today that it will build a new two- person chairlift to replace an iconic detachable surface lift that’s been transporting skiers at Sipapu for nearly half a century. The new Lift 3 will give skiers and riders of all abilities, especially beginners and the over 2,000 students taught annually in Northern New Mexico ski school programs, faster and easier access to terrain that Sipapu’s general manager, John Paul Bradley, describes as nothing short of “magical.”

The current 47-year-old platter lift is an advanced lift and has been particularly challenging for beginner skiers and snowboarders to navigate partly due to its rarity in the United States (ski and mountain sports channel Unofficial Networks called “the vintage lift the last of its kind in North America.”) In its place the resort will build a two-person chairlift that will provide access to beginner terrain that’s frequently untouched and always unforgettable, said Bradley.

"If you’ve skied Lift 3 before, you know: that entire area is magical. It’s on the upper part of the mountain, with wider runs and opportunities to lap beginner trails that are very different from those on the rest of the resort.” he said. “The new lift provides an easier way for our guests to now experience terrain they haven’t really explored because they simply couldn’t ride the surface lift.”

Lift 3 provides access to two terrain parks and two additional beginner trails. Bradley added that while everyone will benefit from the new Lift 3, the guests who will enjoy the more comfortable lift ride the most are those learning to ski and snowboard, including the more than 2,000 school kids Sipapu welcomes each winter, a teaching tradition Sipapu has championed for decades.
Bradley said the instructors from Sipapu ski and ride school are looking forward to taking kids from the schools, like those from Mora, Penasco, and other northern New Mexico school districts, to the upper mountain to experience this beginner terrain.

The lift project was developed in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service under the resort’s Master Development Plan and received broad support from the local community.

“Our community appreciates the distinctly family-friendly, family-fun atmosphere we’ve created for generations of visitors since 1952, and I’m proud of the overwhelming support we received from our neighbors and guests for this project,” Bradley added. “This was a win-win for everyone: our guests, our local Forest Service and our resort. We’re grateful.”

The new Lift 3 will be Sipapu’s fifth new lift since 2001, and its second in under a decade. Construction is slated for completion before the upcoming ski season.

The new chairlift is part of a broader effort to enhance the entire Lift 3 area. In future seasons, Sipapu will introduce a new skier services deck, additional restroom facilities, and snowmaking improvements that include burying existing aboveground infrastructure - without requiring any additional water. The US Forest Service approved these improvements under the same lift replacement decision memo.

“These projects will allow guests to enjoy the upper mountain without needing to return to the base for food or restrooms,” said Bradley. “That’s going to be a game-changer for families with young children.”