A new ski season is quickly approaching, and lots of new enhancements are coming to many of your favorite ski resorts, plus changes to ski passes and more. Below is a run across the country with some highlights in each region of what’s new at ski resorts around North America. First things first, find out what’s new with the major ski passes.
Passes Add Resorts, Perks, And More
The four major ski passes, Ikon Pass, Epic, Indy, and The Mountain Collective, make skiing and riding all over the world more accessible while saving you money. Each of the passes has made some moves in preparation for the upcoming ski season. Here’s a snapshot:
Ikon Pass expanded its European reach by adding St. Moritz in Switzerland and Sierra-at-Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe. This season also brings 28 new lifts to Ikon Pass destinations, and new and expanded terrain at multiple resorts, including Deer Valley, Mt. Norquay, and Boyne. Passholders will also get two additional Family and Friends discounts, including a single-day lift ticket for 25%.
Epic Pass streamlined its Buddy ticket process for the 2024-25 season. Guests can now skip the ticket window and purchase a Ski with a Friend Ticket(s) on Epic’s website. The RFID scanner will activate their Buddy Pass through the Epic Pass App when they arrive to the lifts. Vail Resorts also added Switzerland’s Crans-Montana Mountain Resort, which boasts nearly 90 miles of skiable terrain. Numerous Epic Pass resorts are undergoing resort upgrades as part of Epic Lift Upgrade.
Indy Pass added more than 30 new Alpine and Nordic resorts for the 24/25 season, including resorts in Europe, Japan, and Eastern Canada. A few of the resorts include Innsbruck, Austria (which includes 12 resorts accessible by one lift ticket), Loveland Ski Area in Colorado, Bear Valley in California, and Massif du Sud in Quebec. It now boasts access to more than 230 independent ski areas around the world. Indy Pass is releasing a new digital and interactive pass to help expedite visits to the mountain and unlock the ability to go directly to the lifts.
The Mountain Collective has added two new resorts to its lineup for the 2024/25 season. Megève in France and Sunday River in Maine were added to the pass in October bringing their total to 27 resort partners worldwide.
See what’s new at ski areas across North America for the upcoming ski season below.
The West
Jackson Hole is adding its sixth new chairlift in 10 years. The Sublette Chair will be upgraded to a high-speed express lift that runs from the base to the summit of Rendezvous Peak. The ride time will be cut in half, down to four minutes from eight, and provide access to some of the mountain’s most iconic advanced terrain. It’ll hold the title of the resort’s highest-altitude lift.
Utah’s Snowbird Resort is saying goodbye to one of its original lifts this season. Built in 1971, the Wilbere Lift is a double chair named after the founder’s wife, Wilba (affectionately called Wilbere). It’s updated into a fixed grip quad chair doubling its capacity from 1,200 to 2,400 skiers per hour. The ride time will remain about the same at four and a half minutes, but the loading zone will be moved to allow for accessibility to the Creekside base area and parking. Nearby, Brighton Resort is excited to introduce night skiing off the Millicent Chairlift and has added electric snowcats, an electric truck, and an electric snowmobile to its operating system as part of its sustainability efforts.
Beginning in 23/24, Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, started expanding its terrain. Once finished, it’ll add 3,700 acres to the ski-only resort, doubling its skiable terrain, adding 16 new lifts, and adding a new 10-passenger gondola. The project will unfold over the next three seasons, with new lifts and trails set to open as early as the winter of 25/26. This year, as part of the Expanded Excellence initiative, Deer Valley will open three new chairlifts and more than 300 skiable acres. The Keetley Express is set to open in December as the resort’s first six-person bubble chairlift. This lift will connect Deer Valley East Village with the rest of the resort. The Hoodoo Express and the Aurora, set to open later this season, will serve new beginner-level terrain in the East Village area.
Northern Utah’s Powder Mountain will open new terrain and a new lift at the start of the season. The new lift will be in the Wolf Canyon area and provide access to Lightning Ridge and 900 new acres of terrain, with an additional 147 acres of hike-to skiing. Powder also intends to build a Lighting Ridge Lift and upgrade the existing Timberline one. Neighboring resort, Snowbasin, plans to wrap construction on the new high-speed Becker chairlift before next winter. This lift will transition from a fixed-grip triple to a detachable quad, increasing capacity by 1,800 riders per hour. Bear Hollow, Slow Road, and Snowshoe trails will all be widened as an additional improvement to the Family Zone. And in Southwestern Utah, Brian Head, kicked off its 60th season by debuting three new trails, two of which are for beginners and one for intermediates.
In California, Palisades Tahoe is celebrating 75 years of business. They will be hosting a series of events throughout the season in celebration. It also invested half a million to renovate the Alpine Lodge rental and demo shop. Improvements include lighter, brighter decor, new furniture, new equipment racks, and more. The shop also invested $300K in a new Wintersteiger Jupiter automated tuning machine to provide top-quality services to guests.
Mammoth Mountain continues to make progress on its expansion plans, with the new Broadway Express to open for the 24/25 season. This is a huge update to Mammoth’s first chairlift, taking it from a high-speed quad to a high-speed six-person chair. The new Broadway Express will increase uphill capacity by 25% and reduce ride time by 3 minutes and 40 seconds. The new construction will also include in-terminal housing for the chairs, keeping them covered overnight and ideally improving opening times. A new lodge will also finish construction during the 24/25 season. Woolly’s Day Lodge will be 6,000 square feet complete with restrooms, ticket offices, dining, retail, and an outdoor patio. The Woolly Mountain Coaster will also be reopened this season.
Ski Santa Fe in New Mexico is expecting a new high-speed quad this season. The Santa Fe Express Quad will replace the Super Chief Quad. Footers have been poured and construction is well underway for the lift to open. Also in New Mexico, Taos Ski Valley will see some major improvements this season. After investing nearly $1 million in improvements, guests will experience advanced snowmaking, grooming, lift maintenance, and a new ski and snowboard rental fleet. Two base area restaurants, Tenderfoot Katie’s and the Martin, were also redesigned for increased capacity and a new modern feel.
Pacific Northwest
Ski Bluewood in Washington is adding its first high-speed lift as part of its master development plan. Replacing a fixed grip triple, the Skyline Express will become a high-speed detachable quad. Bluewood’s master development plan also includes the relocation of the base yurt and upgraded snowmaking operations later this season.
Oregon’s Mt. Ashland has multiple improvement projects in the works for the upcoming season. New terrain is being added near the Lithia Chair. This terrain will be geared toward beginners and intermediates and be used for the youth program, which has been steadily growing for the past few years. LED lights for increased night skiing is also in the works. Further north, on the slopes of Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge debuted a new year-round outdoor pool and hot tub last spring. It replaced the longstanding 65-year-old pool that had been in the same location, giving the historic hotel a nice upgrade for guests.
McCall, Idaho’s Brundage Mountain Resort will reveal a new Mountain Adventure Center this season. The 8,000-square-foot guest service base lodge will open at the start of the 2024-25 winter season. The MTN Adventure Center is designed to streamline the guest experience, making the arrival process more efficient and hassle-free. Fellow Idaho resort, Sun Valley, will introduce a six-person Doppelmayr chairlift. The old Seattle Ridge Quad will be converted and service beginner to expert terrain.
The Rockies
Lift upgrades are coming to Aspen Snowmass. The Coney Glade Chair, as part of the resort’s master plan, will be upgraded to the Coney Express, a high-speed quad starting at the Snowmass Mall and ending at the Coney Glade. This lift update is intended to help with congestion at the base mall area. A mid-station stop will also be installed so guests don’t have to go back to the crowded base. Construction started in the summer of 2024 and will start spinning in 2025.
Keystone debuted its new high-speed six-person lift last season with new access to terrain in the Bergman Bowl. This year, it’s the base area that’s getting an upgrade. The new Kindred Resort will open in spring 2025. It will feature slopeside residences, a Rock Resorts branded hotel, and new rental opportunities. Nearby, Copper Mountain is also making additions, debuting its first new lift in five years. The Timberline Express Quad, serving the far western side of the resort, will upgrade to a six-person high-speed lift. This will take rider capacity in the area from 2,4000 to 3,000 riders per hour. And at Winter Park, its seeing advancements in its snowmaking capabilities. The team will up their water pumping capacity from 2,500 gallons a minute to over 6,000 gallons a minute. These upgrades will increase its snowmaking coverage and keep this family-friendly favorite open longer.
Over in Montana, Big Sky Resort is in the midst of a ten-year capital improvement plan. This year’s updates include replacing the old Six Shooter lift with the new Madison 8. This will be the third 8-person lift constructed at Big Sky as part of this plan. The new chair will feature heated seats, a waterproof bubble, and an automatic safety bar. Set to open in December, the lift will be the longest 8-person lift in the world. The new Lone Peak Tram, which opened last season, will also get a new geometric, protective class canopy enclosure for safeguarding the chairs at night. Lift tickets will also now include access to the Lone Peak Tram. Previously tickets were separated due to capacity and crowding; however, improvements made to the tram cars last year have increased capacity and accessibility allowing Big Sky to open tram rides up to all.
Midwest & Mid Atlantic
The Highlands, formerly known as Boyne Highlands, is wrapping up the installation of a new lift and improvements across mountain operations. The Interconnect Triple will open in December and improve accessibility to the North Peak region. This new lift is faster, will expand capacity to the area, and have a new RFID gate. Over the summer, the resort added 14 new HKD Impulse snow guns, many of which were placed on Valley View.
Mount Bohemia in Michigan is opening a new section of its mountain. Far East will open just past the Middle Earth area and contains 4 glade runs. These runs can be a little tricky and technical, so they’re perfect for those looking for the kind of terrain you may typically find in the sidecountry or backcountry. Note that these runs end at the bottom of the road where skiers will have to take the Bohemia Backcountry bus back to the front side of the mountain. Additionally, the Nordic Spa is expanding with the addition of a Cold Rain Mist Room, a Turkish Steam Room, and an Exfoliation Room.
Many of Ohio’s ski areas will receive upgrades for the 2024-25 season. Alpine Valley and Brandywine will both get new LED lights placed along select trails for increased night skiing. Boston Mills got new water lines put in for better snowmaking capabilities and Lift 2 will get an updated unload deck. Mad River Mountain’s sundowner chair will get a new hail rope and the resort will have increased snowmaking technology and more strategic snowgun placements for increased coverage.
In North Carolina, Sugar Mountain is partnering with Skidata to widen Northridge and Gunter’s Way, and it’ll also add additional snowmaking machines. They also purchased new groomers and new LED lights for night skiing. One of the biggest changes for skiers and riders of Sugar Mountains comes in the form of an RFID chip-based digital ticketing system. Each guest will receive a personalized card, which can be reloaded on future trips to the mountain, that will act as their lift ticket.
The East
Some of the biggest news in New England comes from Killington Resort (and sister mountain Pico), which was sold to 16 investors known as the Killington Independence Group. POWDR, the mountain’s previous owner, will retain an ownership stake. An estimated $30 million will be invested in mountain upgrades over the next two years. Some of these upgrades include multiple lift updates planned for the Spring of 2025. The Superstar Express Quad will become a Doppelmayr high speed six pack and new cabins will be installed on the Skyeship Gondola. Additionally, 500 new snowguns will be installed ahead of the start of the season.
Loon Mountain Resort has been hard at work on its snowmaking expansion. Over 100 new semi-automated snowmaking hydrants have been added to Loon and North Peak trails. Last April, Loon also announced the construction of a new pulse-movement gondola. This lift will be the first of its kind in New England with the goal being to connect RiverWalk Resort with the base of Loon’s newly expanded South Peak and Timbertown Quad chair. This lift is projected to open during the 2025-26 season, with construction starting this season.
Sugarbush lovers are anxiously awaiting the opening of the new Heaven’s Gate Chairlift. Ground broke over the summer after the Vermont ski area invested nearly $12 million into mountain upgrades for this season. The new quad chair is expected to open in December and should dramatically decrease the pesky wind holds that were typical on that side of the mountain. Sugarbush also has a new base bar, Tucker Coffee and Cocktails.
Sugarloaf is also expanding. It added 9 new beginner and intermediate trails last season. Now guests will have the opportunity to conquer the 10th, Twitcher. As part of the West Mountain Expansion, the newly installed Bucksaw Express grants guests access to the new terrain. On the ride up, skiers can see the new and improved snowmaking guns that were installed to increase the mountain’s coverage. A new bridge was also constructed to connect Sawtooth Road and Beavertail Trail. All terrain parks have now been consolidated to the Whiffletree area, and come with updated features. A new L.L. Bean store has also been added to the village with a new restaurant also on the way later in the winter.
In New York, Hunter Mountain is expected to receive a new lift. The current four-person, fixed-grip Broadway Lift will be updated to a high-speed six-seater. The new Broadway Express is set to increase the resort’s uphill capacity by over 50% — a major upgrade for Catskills skiers.
We’ll round out the New England updates with Maine’s Sunday River, which has been hard at work updating its snowmaking system. Over the summer, 160 high-efficiency automated HKD snowguns were added to trails across the mountain. These guns were designed to maximize cold weather opportunities while minimizing environmental impact. In addition, new restroom facilities were added to the base of Jordan Bowl, enhancing guest experience and comfort.
Canada
North America’s biggest ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb, has a new lift upgrade headlining its updates. The centrally located Jersey Cream Express went from a high-speed quad to a high-speed six-person chair. This will improve the resort’s high alpine terrain capacity by about 30%. Sun Peaks will also receive a new lift this year. The West Bowl Express will replace the beloved T-Bar that was taken out in 2021. Since then, this area has only been accessible via hiking. This will be a welcome addition for easier access to the West Bowl.
Last but not least we head to Alberta, where Sunshine Village has replaced its Angel Express lift with the new Super Angel Luxury Express. This high-speed six-pack bubble chair will provide increased comfort with heated seats and a speedy ride up to some of the resort’s best glades. Nearby, Lake Louise has added a new high-speed six-person lift with heated seats that will also open this season. The Pipestone Express is one of the fastest around, transporting 2,000 riders per hour.
Header image: @Maguire / Breckenridge / Vail Resorts
December 18, 2024
