Featured image: Red Bull Content Pool/Brian Nevins, skier Elias Ambühl
America’s first destination resort, Sun Valley Resort, caught our attention this morning announcing that it will be replacing the ski area’s oldest operating chairlift, Cold Springs, with a high-speed detachable quad for skiers to enjoy at the start of the 2019-20 season. Along with the chair replacement, Sun Valley Resort will tack on an extra 380 acres of skiable terrain to the iconic area’s existing 2,054 acres, including extending Lower Broadway by 3,400 feet and installing 18 highly-efficient Rubis EVO snowmaking guns around the mountain. The new lift, when complete, will seamlessly connect skiers to The Roundhouse for a bite to eat, The Roundhouse Gondola and Christmas (#3) chairlift.
“Our goal is to provide the highest level and quality of guest experience, both on and off the mountain,” said Tim Silva, vice president and general manager of Sun Valley Resort in a press release. “By expanding our skiable terrain by 380 acres and replacing our oldest chairlift with a high-speed lift, it confirms our dedication and commitment to skiers and riders who choose Sun Valley as their destination.”
Initial fieldwork for the project began in the summer of 2017 with an environmental assessment. This summer has been busy with the reconstruction and rerouting of the Cold Springs mountain bike trails, as well as grading and site preparation, finalization of chair terminal locations, timber work on the Lower Broadway trail and a survey profile of the lift. Actual construction on the new lift won’t begin until October 2019, but guided tours of the Cold Springs Canyon will be offered this winter for more experienced skiers looking to get a sneak peek of the new terrain.
