Multiple Lift Projects Facing Delays Due to Supply Chain Issues
Alta’s Albion Basin is home to the Utah’s resort beginner terrain. A six-pack replacement for the outgoing Sunnyside lift, pictured on the right, is facing supply-chain-related delays.
Early last week, Alta announced that due to global supply chain issues, its new Sunnyside six-pack lift would be delayed in opening, with a hopeful opening date before the holiday season. Late last week, Whistler Blackcomb announced that due to supply chain and labor issues, its Creekside Gondola and Big Red six-pack projects would face similar fates. Arapahoe Basin also followed up Friday to say that its Lenawee six-pack would be delayed by a few weeks as well, but likely open by Thanksgiving.
With their lift projects still under construction, Alta and Whistler Blackcomb have both been forced to alter their opening strategies to reflect terrain that will be skiable. Alta will be focusing primarily on intermediate and advanced terrain in Collins Gulch, while Whistler will be focusing on getting terrain at Blackcomb, where all the lifts will be spinnable, open as quickly as possible. The under-construction Creekside Gondola is the only means of egress from Whistler’s Creekside Village, and until the lift is done, the resort will provide shuttle services to and from other base areas for those staying on site.
Alta, Arapahoe Basin, and Whistler Blackcomb are far from the only mountains facing delayed openings for the upcoming season. Liftblog has confirmed that acceptance tests for lifts at Vail and Steamboat are behind schedule, with mid-to-late December testing dates expected for the new lifts at both resorts. Palisades Tahoe has confirmed a December 17th opening date for its Base-to-Base gondola, but may face delays with its new Red Dog Express lift.
Numerous other destination resorts, including Breckenridge, Deer Valley, Grand Targhee, Heavenly, Jackson Hole, Loveland, Northstar, Stowe, Sunday River, and Telluride, among others, also have lift projects scheduled for completion at the beginning of this season. As of the time of writing, only Breckenridge and Loveland have confirmed that their projects are set to fully open on time.
Our Take
If you’re still looking to book an early-season ski trip to one of the ski resorts listed above—even one as late as the December holiday season—make sure you’re aware that key terrain may not be open during your visit. Several of the lifts under construction, including the ones at Alta, Arapahoe Basin, Heavenly, Jackson Hole, Northstar, Sunday River, and Whistler Blackcomb, provide the main (or only) access from base areas, or to major terrain pods. If you book a trip to one of these mountains and one of their lifts remains out of commission, be aware that the resort will be functioning at a significant experience handicap compared to normal operations.
One key decision—not removing its Albion double lift—may have saved Alta from a catastrophic early-season experience. This forty-year-old fixed-grip chair was intended for removal as part of the Sunnyside lift replacement project, but Alta decided to keep it in place for an extra year, presumably in case of any issues with the new Sunnyside six-pack. Now that issues are materializing, it appears Alta’s decision is paying off, providing an option for at least some lift service to Alta’s only beginner terrain. However, it’s unclear how usable this lift will be while the Sunnyside lift is under assembly, as the area remains an active construction zone.
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