Vadito, New Mexico — One of the most interesting lifts in the country had to be the detachable Poma over at Sipapu. Lift 3 is a detachable platter lift where most of the carriers remain at the bottom terminal. When the rider arrives, the liftie hands over the carrier. The liftie pulls the switch, and then your journey up begins. It’s a lift we’ve covered many times here, as this is a pretty unusual type of lift for North America. However, this can be a difficult lift to ride if you’re a snowboarder or a novice skier.
Unfortunately, it sounds like 47-year-old Lift 3 has carried its last rider. Yesterday, Sipapu announced that they’re replacing Lift 3 with a new fixed-grip double chairlift. The new lift will be constructed this summer and is expected to open during the 2025-26 season. Like its predecessor, the chairlift will directly service two beginner trails, along with two of Sipapu’s terrain parks. For snowboarders and novice skiers, this may come as a relief. For those who love a unique lift, along with those who love to watch wipeouts from inexperienced riders, this news may be a bummer.
“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.” said John Paul
Bradley, the General Manager of Sipapu. “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.”
Other projects are planned for the Lift 3 terrain pod in the years ahead. Sipapu plans to add a ski services deck, more bathrooms, and bury the existing snowmaking infrastructure. These projects, along with the new chairlift, were approved by the US Forest Service earlier this month.
If you’re still looking to ride one of these lifts in the U.S., the Hickory Ski Center in New York still has a few of them.
Image/Video Credits: Sipapu
