Crews at New Mexico’s Angel Fire Resort have been hard at work this summer and fall, working on some of their biggest upgrades yet. The new improvements include snowmaking upgrades, improved terrain access, and two brand-new lifts. Opening day isn’t scheduled until December 12th, but there’s a lot to look forward to heading into the 2025/2026 ski season.
Work on both new lifts started on April 1st, 2025, with with crews and contractors including Summit Install, Robins Construction, Timberline Helicopters, and All Mountain Construction. Despite a wet summer, the team made a lot of progress and one of the brand new lifts will be ready for the upcoming season.
The Rakes Rider Lift will be ready for the 2025-26 skis season, paying tribute to 40-year Angel Fire employee Dan Rakes. The new lift runs 3,193 feet, including 932 feet of vertical rise. It runs at 455 feet per minute with a capacity of 1,400 riders per hour, with 13 towers and 85 chairs. It sits near the line of the old Lift 6, a chair removed in 1997. The Rakes Rider Lift will improve accessibility and create a more efficient flow on the mountain.
Angel Express, the new high-capacity lift, isn’t scheduled to open until summer of 20206, but it’s still well worth getting excited about. It will expand frontside skiing from mid-mountain down, providing even more room for beginners and intermediates to explore. The new Angel Express will run 5,342 feet with 887 feet of vertical rise, spinning at 1,000 feet per minute and carrying 1,800 riders per hour. It will feature 15 towers and 56 total chairs.
Both new chairlifts come with snowmaking improvements as well, including 3,300 feet of new snowmaking pipe, six stick guns, and two TL8 fan guns along Rakes Rider. Additional snowmaking upgrades are currently in the works for Angel Express and will be finalized soon.
