The Steamboat Springs Redevelopment Authority (SSRA) and Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation are working together to redevelop the Gondola Transit Center at the base of the Steamboat Ski Resort, and they’re looking at how a potential geothermal system could help them do it.
According to a press release from the city, the new Gondola Transit Center will rely on new snowmelt systems to keep the gondola loading area and the pedestrian plaza snow free, ensuring safe and effective operation while improving the guest experience. Project partners are studying the feasibility of geothermal energy to power this snowmelt system.
Throughout the first few days of October, Bertram Drilling drilled a 440-foot-deep test borehole into the middle of the Stampede Trail at Steamboat’s base. They then grouted a closed loop pipe into the well, using it to test the thermal capacity and conductivity of the subsurface geology.
Preliminary findings on the feasibility are expected by the end of the year, helping inform decision making and drive progress for the overall project. The capacity and conductivity results will allow the team to determine the number of wells required to support the thermal energy needed for the snowmelt system.
The Gondola Transit Center project is set to transform the base of Steamboat Ski Resort by adding a new transit center and a pedestrian plaza. Additionally, it will include a new high-speed gondola ferrying passengers from the new skier drop-off area in the Meadows Parking lot to the base of the resort.
