Industry News
After record-breaking snowfall in October, and more snow in the forecast, Steamboat Ski Resort, CO is excited to announce the grand opening of its new gondola. This Saturday, November 23, the mountain will be having an opening celebration beginning at 7:30 am in gondola square with complimentary mimosas and powdered donuts. The first 100 people on the gondola will also receive a free specially designed t-shirt.
During the past 30 years, the old gondola has logged over 80,000 hours of operating time so it was about time for a new one. In 2017 multiple parts were replaced on the existing gondola but at the beginning of last season, the plan to replace the whole gondola was announced. The new gondola will boast a 38 percent increase in capacity with 137 cabins on the line, decrease ride time from 12 minutes to 8 minutes (depending on weather conditions) and the increase in speed will transport 1,000 more people an hour up the mountain.
This $15 million project is just the start of many additions that Steamboat Resort hopes to accomplish in the coming years. Other additions include a new lift in the Pioneer Ridge area, which is currently only backcountry access, improvements to snowmaking operations, expansion of beginner terrain and possibly a new restaurant lower on the mountain. These plans are all tentative as of now, but the resort shows no sign of slowing down expansion to cater to the growing number of guests.
