Image Credit: Powderhorn Mountain Resort

Mesa, Colorado — Powderhorn fans have been waiting many years for this news. After years of long trips to the top, the West End chairlift at Powderhorn is slated for replacement.

Yesterday, Powderhorn Mountain Resort announced its plans for a huge chairlift replacement. Subject to approval by the US Forest Service, the West End chairlift would be replaced with a detachable high-speed quad chairlift.

The current West End chairlift is a fixed-grip double that was installed in 1972. It’s a crawl up to the top, with a ride time of around thirteen minutes. This new chairlift would cut that ride time in half. The new name of the chairlift would be Wild West Express, which I think is also a big upgrade. Wild West’s lift line would be slightly shorter, but the plan is for it to generally follow the same alignment as before. The new top terminal location would provide for better skier flow.

The chairlift isn’t exactly new, as it was initially the Elk Camp chairlift at Snowmass. This summer, that chairlift is getting replaced by a detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift.

What’s Inside A 30-Year-Old Chairlift?

The chairlift would have a brutal commute to get to Powderhorn, as it’s set to be refurbished nearby in Grand Junction. Leitner-Poma has a facility in Grand Junction, providing easy access to the ski resort and the ability for timely and less urgent fixes once the chairlift is operational. Powderhorn aims to open the Wild West Express during the 2026-27 season.

Powderhorn is also working on various improvements for the upcoming season, including a new café, the relocation of the rental shop to the southwest side of the base lodge, and the addition of a new snow groomer.

The scoping map indicates that the future top terminal would be located below its current position.

About Powderhorn

Located near the city of Grand Junction, Powderhorn features 54 trails, 5 lifts, over 1,600 skiable acres, and a vertical drop of 1,650 feet. What makes it different from other Colorado ski resorts is its tiny home village, which allows guests to sleep slopeside. During the summertime, Powderhorn is home to hiking trails and lift-served mountain biking.

Image/Video Credits: Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Garrett Koehler

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Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ian Wood became passionate about the ski industry while learning to ski at Mt. Sunapee. In high school, he became a ski patroller at Proctor Ski Area. He travelled out...