Copper Mountain in Colorado has sent a proposal to the U.S. Forest Service to replace their Lumberjack Fixed-Grip Triple Lift adjacent to the West Village with a High-Speed Quad. The new lift would be 4900 feet long, have a vertical rise of about 765 feet, and would be able to service 2400 skiers and riders per hour. The plan is to move the top terminal of the lift up the hill about six hundred feet, widen trails, and add some additional beginner terrain with a new Middle Roundabout Bypass Trail. The plan also aims to add new snowmaking coverage in accordance with Copper’s water agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. This portion of the mountain also features a backcountry access point.
Copper Mountain has been undergoing major infrastructure upgrades over the past couple of seasons. In 2018, they added the American Eagle(a mix between a gondola and a six-person chairlift) and the American Flyer( a high-speed six-pack bubble chair). In 2019, they added a fixed-grip triple(Three Bears) to service Tucker Mountain, home of some of the most challenging terrain at Copper. During this past season, Copper introduced the Element 29 Hotel in their base village, adding to their on-mountain lodging offerings. They also added new employee housing in 2020 called Sky Chutes Landing. In 2022-23, they will introduce a new Mid-Mountain Lodge.
Do you approve or disapprove of this project? If you have a comment, you can submit it to the U.S. Forest Service here.
