Winter Park Resort in Colorado is off to a great start to its season. On Monday, they announced that the Vasquez Ridge Territory will be opening up today. Perhaps the bigger story to come out of their social media announcement though regards the future of the Pioneer Express.
Winter Park announced that the Pioneer Expres will be replaced with a new high-speed six-pack chairlift during the 2023 offseason. The new lift will have an uphill capacity of 2800 people per hour, which will help Winter Park reduce lift lines. The new chairlift will also feature an uphill mid-station at the intersection of the Pioneer Express and Big Valley trails, letting skiers and riders have the option of not skiing down to the base terminal.
🚨 Terrain Update!🚨
Vasquez Ridge Territory will open tomorrow, but thats not the only big news:
🎉 The Pioneer Express Lift will be replaced in the summer of 2023!🎉
The new lift will go from a 4 to 6 person, and feature a NEW mid station pickup on Big Valley Trail! pic.twitter.com/lxvLI89NL2— Winter Park Resort (@WinterPark) December 5, 2022
Winter Park had a busy offseason. They added numerous expert runs over at the Cirque Territory, expanded their parking lots, and improved their grooming operations. They are also currently constructing an employee housing facility, which will open in late 2023.
This lift replacement is one piece of Winter Park’s Master Development Plan. The Colorado ski resort is one of Alterra Mountain Companies’ most valuable properties based on its convenience to Denver, so I think this is one of the many improvements we’ll see in the coming years.
Image Credits: Winter Park Resort
