Powderhorn, Colorado will welcome a brand new raise for its sixtieth season, increasing removable entry to one hundred pc of terrain in 2026. The brand new Wild West Categorical will substitute the venerable West Finish double, which has served the western half of the resort since 1972. The brand new raise will minimize trip time by greater than half from 13-plus minutes to about six. Pending Forest Service approval, Wild West will observe a shorter alignment terminating 700 toes under the present prime station.
Leitner-Poma of America, headquartered in close by Grand Junction, will understand the challenge using components from the previous Elk Camp raise at Snowmass. LPOA plans to overtake each terminals, rebuild sheave assemblies, substitute {the electrical} drive system and provide new grips. Leitner-Poma and Powderhorn accomplished an analogous refurbishment to create Powderhorn’s different removable, the Flat High Flyer, in 2015. That challenge included used gear from Marble Mountain in Newfoundland, Canada. Apparently Poma constructed each Elk Camp and the Marble raise in 1995 and the 2 machines will reunite at Powderhorn 30 years later. “Powderhorn has a particular place in my coronary heart, each personally and professionally,” mentioned Daren Cole, President and CEO of Leitner-Poma and former Powderhorn basic supervisor. “Our groups are excited to work on our hometown mountain. As soon as the raise goes via our rigorous refurbishment course of, it can really feel like a brand-new set up. Powderhorn is an important asset for this group, and we’re honored to be part of their future.”
Powderhorn is considered one of six regional mountains operated by Pacific Group Resorts and a brand new removable is an enormous deal for the corporate which final constructed a raise eleven years in the past. “It is a main step ahead for Powderhorn,” famous Powderhorn Common Supervisor Ryan Schramm. “Putting in a high-speed raise on the west facet of the resort will really feel like opening new terrain,” he continued. “The previous West Finish raise was lengthy sufficient that most individuals solely did a run or two earlier than returning to the Flat High Flyer. This improve marks the subsequent chapter in our dedication to put money into the resort’s future and improve the visitor expertise throughout the mountain.” Building is predicted to start in summer time 2026 with opening deliberate for the 2026-27 ski season.
