On the heels of their first season under Alterra Mountain Company ownership; Steamboat, CO will see major improvements to their work-horse gondola this upcoming summer. Starting April 15th, 2019 Steamboat will begin constructing on the new gondola to increase uphill capacity along with offering a faster ride time.
Following over 30 years of use, the gondola at Steamboat is seeing the end of its long life. Although the resort has preformed many upgrades to the lift over the years, including major renovations recently in 2017, Alterra has approved the new $15 million project to entirely replace the gondola.
The new gondola will help cut ride time from 12 minutes to just 10, along with getting 1,000 more riders up the hill per hour. Steamboat regulars will appreciate the increased efficiency, as the gondola is the hub of the ski resorts base area and is prone to congestion on busy days.
Excited to announce a new Gondola for @skisteamboat coming winter 2019/20.https://t.co/DNN6or6var
— #SteamboatResort (@skisteamboat) December 1, 2018
While the new gondola project is notable for its tremendous effect on Steamboat’s skiing, the resort also has many other projects down the pipeline. 355 acres of backcountry terrain on Pioneer Ridge could be available to skiers and riders following recent Forest Service approval. The ski resort hopes to develop a chairlift in the popular out-of-bounds area, by utilizing an innovative ski way and bridge system to get guests back to the B.C. Ski Way Run.
Alterra Mountain Company overall is in the midst of a humongous $555 million investment into their ski resort portfolio over the next 5 years. Lucky for us skiers and riders, all of this new development is permitting some exciting projects. This coming summer is sure to be a busy time for construction of new lifts, hotels and restaurants across North America.