ropeways.net | Projects | Future | 2020-03-25

Whitefish Mountain Resort: The New Chair 4

The New Chair 4 — High-Speed Express Lift from Base Lodge

When Chair 4 was installed in 1978, the Base Lodge did not exist, a small ski hut was built at the bottom of the chairlift, and there were no runs or facilities built below that point. Today the vast majority of guests use the Base Lodge as their primary portal to the mountain.

Although Chair 1/Big Mountain Express carries the burden for the most of the access to the upper mountain, nearly 70% of the resort’s parking is located adjacent to the Base Lodge, therefore putting pressure on Chair 6 and Chair 10 to transport guests to the Lift Plaza to reach Chairs 1 & 2.

The future Chair 4 Express is scheduled to run on a daily basis starting at 9 a.m. With the upper terminal located at the top of the Inspiration run, guests will have access to most of the upper mountain terrain, including Ptarmigan Bowl, runs to the east off of the Inspiration Ridge as well as access to Chair 5/East Rim.

Additionally, the old Burger Hut will be removed and that entire area and below the Barn Road/Barndance run will have trees cleared and be regraded to provide improved skiing and access into the new lower terminal. Sections of lower Corkscrew, lower Langley’s, lower Expressway, and lower Bad Rock will also be regraded to provide better skiing into the lower terminal. When people stand at the current carpet lift and look up the mountain when this project is done it will look very different from how it looks today.

Imagine taking advantage of early morning groomed skiing on Hogan’s or Hogan’s East, or powder days in the Langley area or the Faults!

There is no firm installation date however, preliminary planning has begun. A more formal announcement will be made once a timeline is established.

Benefits of the future Chair 4:
  • Additional lift service out of the resort’s base area
  • Early morning access to upper-mountain front side terrain prior to the opening of Chair 1
  • Alleviate crowding on Chair 6 allowing it to serve more beginners and lessons
  • Offer guests an alternative to Chair 1 for access to upper mountain terrain
Lift Facts & Stats:
  • Model: High-Speed Quad Chairlift
  • Bottom terminal: Adjacent to the Magic Carpet (west side)
  • Top terminal: Top of Inspiration Ridge (approx. 70 yards below where the old Chair 5 ended)
  • Length: Approx. 5,700 feet
  • Vertical rise: Approx. 2,200 feet
  • Uphill capacity: 2,200 people per hour
  • Anticipated opening time: 9 a.m. daily



Back
Add Photos
Print


Google Adsense