Aspen, Colorado — In a sign of the times, Aspen’s oldest chairlift is being retired to make way for a new luxury development.
This week, Aspen Snowmass announced that demolition work has begun on Lift 1A. First installed back in 1971, the Shadow Mountain chairlift serviced intermediate, advanced, and expert terrain on the lower portions of Ajax. However, its location higher up on the hill compared to its predecessor (Lift 1) stunted development around the base area. This gave the area a dated and undeveloped feel, but locals loved its character.
Aspen Snowmass commemorated its removal with various historical photos from the past, which were found thanks to the Aspen Historical Society.
This means Aspen’s west side won’t have a lift for next winter. While the terrain around the lift will remain open, getting back up the mountain will definitely be tougher. However, a replacement is planned.
What Will Replace It
The new Lift One Corridor development will feature lodging, residences, commercial spaces, dining, and parking. This will include two separate hotels, Aman and Chalet Alpina, which will be located in the new Corridor. The old pieces from the original Lift 1 will remain in place and become part of a public park that pays tribute to Aspen history. Two of the historic buildings there will be moved to new locations around the Lift 1 Corridor, with one of them becoming a museum.
A new lift will connect it to the ski resort. While not official, it would likely be either a gondola or a chondola. However, the opening of this lift depends on the construction of a parking garage below the new lift. Because of that, the lift replacement is expected to take a few years.
As part of building out this base area, employee housing units will need to be added. According to Aspen Journalism, this will include 21.68 full-time equivalents (FTEs) for the Aman hotel and 39.52 for the Chalet Alpina hotel. It appears that there will be some employee housing units on site, with the others built elsewhere.
Aspen One CEO Geoff Buchheister told the Aspen Daily News that it’s currently finalizing the construction timeline. According to a Fast Company article from earlier this year, the goal is to complete the new base area project in 2029.
Meanwhile, Aspen’s other base area is seeing the replacement of two chairlifts with a new high-speed quad. The Nell Bell chairlift is expected to debut during the 2026-27 season.
Image/Video Credits: Andy Curtis, Austin Colbert (Aspen Times), Aspen Historical Society, Design Workshop, Aspen Snowmass
