Industry News
Following many years of discussions and rumors, the Forest Service and Vail Resorts recently told EagleVail officials that they will not be pursuing a chairlift connecting EagleVail and Beaver Creek, reports Vail Daily. Vail Resorts owns and operates Beaver Creek Resort.
“We are not interested in discussions regarding a lift from EagleVail to Beaver Creek at this point,” wrote Chris Jarnot, Vail Resorts executive vice president, Mountain Division, on May 6.
EagleVail officials wanted to explore the potential of a chairlift, pointing to community surveys in 2012, 2014 and 2017 that showed a lift was the most desired amenity by local residents. They also pointed to the potential increases in property values as a boon for homeowners and a catalyst for renewal. A chairlift, in various forms, has been discussed in EagleVail since the ’60s.
Before Beaver Creek was built, a plan was considered to connect EagleVail with the old Meadow Mountain ski area. A 1988 study detailed a proposal to connect EagleVail and Beaver Creek. Vail Resorts explored the idea of the lift a few years ago following inquiries from the EagleVail Metro District, but once the company learned of the elk protections established when Beaver Creek was developed, it agreed with the Forest Service and the Division of Wildlife not to pursue development in the area.
