Powderhorn Planning to Replace West End Lift with High-Speed Quad

The nearly 15 minute ride time of the West End double will drop by more than 50% for the 2026-27 ski season.

One of the longest lift rides in Colorado is expected to become drastically shorter for the 2026-27 season. That’s because earlier this week, far-western Colorado’s Powderhorn ski resort announced plans to replace its West End double chair with a used high-speed quad from Snowmass (pending U.S. Forest Service approval). 

The West End lift currently serves around half of Powderhorn’s terrain, including much of its standout aspen-filled glade terrain, and is one of the longest remaining double chairlifts on the continent. Its ride time of 13.5 minutes is set to be cut by more than 50%, as not only will the new lift run twice as fast, but will also be 700 ft shorter, as the top part of the lift is incredibly flat. 

This lift will be made of a mix of old and new, with many of the parts taken from the old Elk Camp lift from Snowmass. The lift will be built with Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), which is headquartered in nearby Grand Junction, and it will be fully refurbished before it’s installed.

Powderhorn is a midsized ski area on the western slope of Colorado, located about an hour from Grand Junction. With a 1,650 foot vertical drop and an independently measured 845 skiable acres, no one will mistake Powderhorn for Vail or Breckenridge, but it has enough terrain for a day or two of skiing or riding. 

For more information, check out Powderhorn’s press release here.

While crowds aren’t the biggest issue at Powderhorn, a capacity upgrade for the West End lift will make sure that stays the case in the coming years.

Our Take

Powderhorn often flies under the radar of Colorado’s bigger ski scene, as it’s hours west of Denver’s traffic and lacking in terms of the sheer size of isolated heavyweights like Telluride or Steamboat.

That being said, this new lift could put Powderhorn more on the radar for many people tired of the Front Range crowds. If approved by the U.S. Forest Service (which is not guaranteed yet), the new West End lift would cut ride times by more than 50 percent on that terrain pod, from the current agonizing 13.5 minute ride time to a much more palatable six or seven minute journey. The upgrade would also mean that all of Powderhorn’s terrain outside the Easy Rider beginner area would be served by high-speed lift service.

The lift won’t suddenly make Powderhorn Colorado’s top resort, but it will elevate the experience for skiers and riders looking for low crowds, advanced glades, and a vibe far removed from the Front Range chaos. For the fast-growing communities on the Western Slope, it will make for a much better experience for a skier or rider looking for low crowds, advanced glades, and something overall different than the craziness found in the Front Range.

Considering a ski trip to Powderhorn this year? Check out our comprehensive resort review here. You can also check out our Colorado ski resort rankings in video form below.