Two chairlifts that serve Snowmass Ski Resort’s most popular intermediate terrain are reaching the end of their service life, part of a series of other improvements the Aspen Skiing Company plans to implement over the next two years.

Last week, the White River National Forest opened the opportunity for public comment on the proposed improvements.

The resort has a 40-year special use permit from the White River National Forest, and the planned improvements are within the approved area, according to a U.S. Forest Service news release.

SkiCo plans to replace the Elk Camp and Alpine Springs quad chairlifts with detachable six-seater chairlifts, expand the Elk Camp restaurant patio, build a children’s challenge course for summer use and renovate the Ullrhof restaurant, the press release said.

Due to the aging of the Elk Camp and Alpine Springs chairlifts, there are delays due to breakdowns and maintenance.

“The projects that really excite me are the lift replacement projects,” said Monte Lutterman, a permit administrator for Mountain Resorts in the Aspen Sopris Ranger District. “The Elk Camp chairlift is a very classic alignment. If approved, that would be the third lift in that alignment. I just think it’s cool and remarkable that Snowmass has been around for so long that they actually have their third lift at Elk Camp. So that’s an important part of the proposal.”

In an article on GoSnowmassOn December 16, 1967, the first chairlift opened at Snowmass. Five chairlifts opened that month, and nearly 57 years later, 21 chairlifts now line the mountains at Snowmass Ski Resort. The Alpine Springs chairlift opened in 1973, providing access to the east side of Baldy Mountain. In 1995, the Two Creeks base area opened, served by the then-new high-speed four-seater Elk Camp gondola lift, providing access to the summit of Burnt Mountain, according to the Aspen Sojourner.

The Elk Camp Restaurant Deck expansion project will create additional restaurant seating on the east side of the resort as there is not enough seating in the area to meet capacity needs during lunchtime.

The Kid’s Challenge Course expands the range of summer activities available for kids. Currently, on-mountain activities for kids at Elk Camp may be limited to activities that have specific height/weight restrictions.

As part of the renovation project for the Ullrhof restaurant, the aging facility is to be upgraded with a modern design and expanded by 300 seats in order to accommodate guests during the lunch rush and on days with high visitor numbers.

Pending approval of proposals contained in the 2022 Snowmass Master Development Plan, construction is expected to begin in summer 2025. The Forest Service adopted the plan in January 2023.

“Individual proposals within an accepted master development plan must undergo environmental review as part of our normal permitting process,” Aspen-Sopris District Ranger Kevin Warner said in the release. “Public comments are an important part of our environmental review.”

Comments will be most helpful if received by September 20, 2024, the press release said. Electronically submitted comments can be submitted online at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/whiteriver/?project=66397. Written comments may be mailed to: Kevin Warner District Ranger, Aspen-Sopris Ranger District, 50 Weant Blvd. Unit A Carbondale.

Comments should include: (1) name, address, telephone number, and organization represented, if any; (2) title of the project in question (Snowmass Improvement Projects 2025 CE); and (3) specific facts, concerns, or issues and supporting reasons why they should be considered.

“The most helpful thing to me is when people comment on the proposed actions and provide specific facts, concerns, problems or supporting reasons that we should consider,” Lutterman said. “When people say things like ‘Colorado already has too many skiers,’ that doesn’t help me much because that’s not really part of the proposed actions. So I would say be as specific as possible and then comment on the proposed actions.”

A decision is expected in February 2025.

“We will first look at the public comments and then do an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),” said David Boyd, spokesman for the White River National Forest. “And if the application is approved, they can start construction in the summer of 2025.”

For more information, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/whiteriver/?project=66397.

Reach Regan Mertz at 970-429-9153 or [email protected].