Mt. Bachelor: 2023 Resort updates

It has been an incredible summer so far. For the most part, the weather has been good, little bit of smoke here and there and the occasional thunderstorm, but otherwise we have had sunshine and temps in the low 70’s. Our Bike Park has been open since mid-June, Zipline Tours have been flying around, and Food and Beverage has been serving off two tasty new menus. 

Although our reputation as a summer destination is growing, we are still a ski/snowboard resort at heart. Even when the snow stops falling, we are thinking about winter and how to improve the resort. In this blog we will share some of the projects we are working on/have completed over the course of the summer and the impact they will have on next winter! 

This summer, NW Lift got some much-needed attention. We were finally able to get all the parts necessary to replace the electric motor, something that hindered our operations at times last winter. We are happy to report that the electric motor has been installed and tested and NW Lift has been deemed ready to spin for winter 23/24. 

Along with the electric motor, we also decided it was time to replace the haul rope. Haul rope replacement is no simple undertaking, especially on a lift of this length. It was an all-hands-on-deck project from the Lift Maintenance crew, and they were able to get the old rope off and new one on seamlessly. Check out these awesome pictures of the haul rope splicing. 

Little Pine was also in need of a new haul rope which got successfully replaced at the end of July. We closed the lift down for a week and knocked out the installation. Little Pine is back up and running serving the fun and flowy beginner trail network of our Bike Park and will be ready to spin daily in the winter. 

Certainly, the biggest of all the projects we have taken on this summer has been replacing the beloved Skyliner Express lift. Having to completely shut down the lift two winters ago and shipping out the bull wheel for repair, it was time to give Sky an overhaul. This summer we have had Doppelmayr on site working in conjunction with our own Lift Maintenance and build crew to completely tear down the old Skyliner and begin the process of replacing it with a new 6-pack, state-of-the-art lift. In each update, we have been happy to report that the build is going well, everything is on schedule, and the goal of having Sky ready to go for this winter is still very much a reality and the expectation. 

To read all about the Skyliner Build, visit our blog. 

Continuing with the list of lift improvements, Outback’s electric motor was completely rebuilt. The motor was due for service and not only was this maintenance in accordance with the manufacturer’s timeline but was a preventative measure to ensure smooth operation this winter. 

Wrapping up the lift news, Sunrise lift got a new gear box this summer! The old one was tired and needed to retire so we yanked it out and put a new one in. Sunrise has also been tested to ensure safety and function and is ready for the upcoming winter.  

Other than just lifts, there have been various updates across the resort throughout this summer. We have spent significant time updating and replacing signs around the mountain to ensure accurate information and improve ski and snowboard traffic. We have updated the snowmobile fleet for mountain operations, purchased three new vehicles including a brand new shuttle van, did some updates to the Yurts at West Village and Sunrise, replaced and updated some food and beverage equipment, the Mountain Gateway Building is in the process of getting a new roof which should be done in the next week or so, and lastly, as part of our commitment to Play Forever, we have updated the heating system in Pine Marten to be more efficient.  

It has been a very productive summer up here at Mt. Bachelor. September is here and although there is still a full month of biking left, we are all looking forward to pow days and park laps off Sky. Thank you to all the people involved on these improvements this summer, Mt. Bachelor is ready to kick off winter season number 66!