A lawsuit that could affect two chairlifts and ski terrain at Park City Mountain has been put on hold while the resort and other parties prepare for mediation less than a month before the ski area’s scheduled opening.
KPCW reports Park City Mountain, UI Charitable and The Colony homeowners association are scheduled to participate in mediation Oct. 22. Park City Mountain is targeting Nov. 20 for the start of its 2026-27 season, weather and conditions permitting.
The dispute centers on a 63-acre property in The Colony at White Pine Canyon near the Canyons Village side of Park City Mountain. The parcel includes the base of Iron Mountain Express, the southern terminal of the Timberline lift and portions of the Cascade ski run.
The lawsuit alleges that Park City Mountain does not have the easement rights necessary to operate the two lifts and related ski terrain on the property. Park City Mountain disputes that claim and maintains that longstanding agreements allow the resort to continue operating there.
When the lawsuit was filed earlier this year, Park City Mountain Vice President and COO Deirdra Walsh said:
“We are confident in our longstanding and long-term easement rights underlying our ski operations throughout The Colony.”
The dispute centers largely on the interpretation of easements dating back more than two decades. The landowner argues that those agreements allow skiing across portions of the property but do not authorize the operation of ski lifts.
Vail Resorts, which operates Park City Mountain, asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this year, arguing that its easement rights allow the resort to maintain ski trails and operate lifts on the property. No final court ruling has determined which interpretation is correct.
The Colony homeowners association was allowed to join the case as a defendant this summer. Residents use the surrounding terrain for ski-in, ski-out access, giving the association a direct interest in how the property can be used.
The dispute could have broader implications for skier circulation on the Canyons Village side of Park City Mountain.
Iron Mountain Express serves intermediate and advanced terrain on Iron Mountain, while Timberline helps move skiers and snowboarders across the mountain and toward the Quicksilver Gondola connection between Canyons Village and Mountain Village.
The case was reassigned to Judge Patricia Kuendig, who paused the litigation while the parties prepare for mediation.
The parties are expected to report back to the court after the Oct. 22 session. Mediation does not guarantee a settlement, and the underlying dispute remains unresolved.
Park City’s scheduled Nov. 20 opening is part of a busy group of western ski resort opening dates planned for the same weekend.
