Industry News
Park City Mountain, Utah, has yet another lift dispute, and it’s not related to the ongoing Silverlode and Eagle lift issues. UI Charitable Advisors (UI), a Utah-based nonprofit, has filed a civil lawsuit against VR CPC Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts (Vail), alleging that Vail is unlawfully operating ski lifts and related resort infrastructure on land owned by UI in the Colony at White Pine Canyon within the Park City Mountain. At the end of 2024, UI purchased land known as Parcel B, which includes the area under the Timberline and Iron Mountain Express ski lifts—major pieces of Park City Resort’s lift network. These lifts are critical in connecting the Mountain Village to the Canyons side of the mountain and were installed in 2008 and 2010, respectively—long before Vail bought Park City and 14+ years before UI bought the land.
According to the lawsuit, the historic easements granted in 2003 permitted skiing-related uses, while a subsequent recorded plat in 2010 narrowed the scope of those rights. UI’s complaint asserts that the 2010 plat limited easements to “skiing and snowboarding” and related trail use only, and did not authorize construction or operation of ski lifts or their infrastructure on Parcel B. The complaint asks the court for several forms of relief, including a title judgment, an injunction prohibiting further unauthorized use, and damages and restitution for unjust enrichment, which UI believes to be worth several million dollars. Should they win, this would eliminate the most direct route for skiers and riders to travel from the Canyons Base area to the Quicksilver Gondola, which connects to the Mountain Village side. Losing this connection would force guests to take five lifts instead of the three.
UI filed the complaint against Park City Mountain on February 6, stating that the resort doesn’t have approval to operate both lifts and the Cascade run. Park City Mountain owner Vail Resorts doesn’t own all of the land on the mountain. It leases some of it and operates some under various existing easements. This land was initially granted as an easement to the American Ski Company back in 2003. In 2013, Vail Resorts took control of the Canyons, connecting it to Park City Mountain in 2015. The current dispute centers on the 2003 easement. UI claims that property maps filed in 2010 include an easement for skiing and not ski lifts. Further, the complaint claims that the easement was never properly transferred to Vail Resorts.
The parcel in question sits adjacent to White Pine Canyon Road, with the Timberline lift crossing over it. White Pine Canyon Road provides access to The Colony at White Pine Canyon with a private security gate for the community down the mountain from these lifts. This high-end community boasts average sales prices between $10-60 million, making it a very exclusive ski-in/out neighborhood. The Colony has 274 homesites across 4,600 acres. Celebrities who have owned homes in The Colony include Will Smith, Justin Bieber, and Michael Jordan. Even Taylor Swift rented there for one winter getaway.
Vail Resorts is challenging the lawsuit. Park City Mountain Resort Vice President and COO Deidra Walsh is confident that the claim will be dismissed or settled amicably, considering the lifts and ski run have been operating for roughly 15 years before the parcel was purchased with existing easements in place. Vail Resorts maintains that existing agreements grant the resort the right to operate the lifts and associated ski terrain.
This lawsuit comes at a fragile time for Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts, as they are still working to rebuild trust after the infamous 2024 ski patrol strike. This lawsuit may also hamper efforts to get approval for other infrastructure upgrades, such as the Silverlode and Eagle lifts. We are hopeful for a speedy resolution to this lawsuit that allows skiers and riders to continue enjoying the Cascade ski trail and these critical lifts.
- Related: Epic Pass Holders File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Vail Resorts Over Park City, UT, Strike
Shut down the lifts that serve The Colony for a season. Those owners are insufferable