Industry News
Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR), Utah, finally gained approval for two major lift upgrades for Silverlode and Eagle, which have been in talks since 2021. The Park City Planning Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday, May 27, in support of the lift projects. The Silverlode six-pack will be upgraded into an eight-pack express. The Eagle triple and Eaglet lifts will be removed, making room for the new Eagle Express six-pack with a mid-station for lapping beginner and intermediate terrain. Both lifts will be built by Doppelmayr. Gaining this approval represents the end of a four-year-long dispute. There is no projected opening date for either lift at this time.
The approval process for these lifts has been long and challenging. The resort first proposed the lift upgrades in 2021, which the Planning Commission approved for the 2022-23 season. But that wasn’t the end of it. Local citizens’ group appealed the decision, stating the resort didn’t share enough information regarding the impact of these upgrades on the Comfortable Carry Capacity, which is the number of guests the resort can efficiently manage on a busy day. The appeal process dragged on for years, with residents complaining about the resort’s long lift lines and parking issues. To address these concerns, PCMR successfully implemented a new parking system with paid and reservation options on the Mountain Village side. The delays caused PCMR owner, Vail Resorts, to ship the lifts to Whistler Blackcomb, where they were installed and opened for the 2023-24 ski season.
The fixed-grip triple Eagle lift will be replaced by a high-speed six-pack, the new Eagle Express lift. This will increase uphill capacity from 1,800 to 2,800 guests per hour, a staggering 55% increase. This will result in a 16% increase in uphill capacity out of the Mountain Village, which is expected to ease morning congestion. Another part of the project is removing the Eaglet lift, which hasn’t operated since 2021. The incoming Eagle Express lift will stretch 5,796 feet and have a 1,600-foot vertical rise. Guests can expect an approximately six-minute ride time. The new lift will have a mid-station, allowing guests to offload for beginner and intermediate terrain, near the Three Kings uphill terminal. The summit station will be located near the top of King Con Express, creating direct access to Silverlode Express or the Quicksilver gondola, which connects the Mountain Village and Canyons sides of the resort.
The Park City Commission also approved upgrading the Silverlode Express six-pack to an eight-pack lift. This will increase uphill capacity from 3,000 to 3,600 guests per hour, representing a 20% increase. The new lift alignment will be unchanged from the outgoing one. Silverlode Express is a major chokepoint for the resort, as it is the only lift directly out of the Miner’s Camp area, which is where the Quicksilver Gondola dumps out from the Canyons side. From there, all guests either have to ride up the Silverlode lift or ski down to King Con Express.
At the Park City Planning Commission meeting, many locals spoke in support of the mountain upgrades, including two-time Olympic Gold medalist Ted Ligety and Bob Wheaton, the first Deer Valley Resort President. Park City locals and PCMR leaders want the infrastructure upgrades to modernize the resort ahead of the 2034 Olympics. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince posted on X (Twitter) supporting the lift upgrades. This approval marks a major milestone for PCMR. After years of struggle, PCMR will be able to move ahead with upgrading the lift infrastructure on the Mountain Village side. This should result in improved navigation around the mountain and decreased wait times for skiers and riders.
