In the Pacific Northwest, Oregon ski resorts are set to see the biggest upgrades and changes in the 2023/24 season. However, Canada, Washington, and their neighbor Idaho have a few tricks up their sleeves as well.
What’s New in the Pacific Northwest
Starting far north in Canada, we have Whistler Blackcomb replacing one of its old, high-speed quads with a more modern lift, an eight-person ride that will be the first one in Western Canada.
Brundage Mountain Resort, in McCall, Idaho, is unveiling the Centennial Express, a high-speed quad to replace the aging Centennial Triple Chair. This swift upgrade slashes ride time from 16 minutes to just 6 minutes, easing congestion and distributing skier traffic more efficiently across the mountain. Part of a decade-long improvement plan, Brundage also has exciting projects in the pipeline, including a Mountain Adventure Center and a 37-acre ski-in-ski-out development.
Sun Valley has replaced the Warm Springs lift with two new lifts, Challenger and Flying Squirrel, which adds another 54 acres of glade skiing to Little Scorpion. Schweitzer is also debuting a new lift, a high-speed quad called Creekside Express.
In Washington, Stevens Pass bids farewell to the vintage Riblet chair from 1964, upgrading it to a fixed-grip four-seater called Kehr’s Chair. This modernization relocates the lift slightly and enhances the skiing experience, bringing it closer to the Double Diamond lift. Crystal Mountain is also getting a new mid-mountain lodge called the Midway Yurt, which will sell grab-and-go food, drinks, and retail items at the base of the Rainier Express lift.
In Oregon, Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood will debut a brand new outdoor pool and hot tub in December, which replaces the original 1950s-era pool. Timberline will also add a new covered conveyor surface lift called Timber Tiger in a new learning area for beginner skiers. Mt. Hood Meadows is replacing its four-person high-speed lift with a new and improved Mt. Hood Express, a detachable six-person chairlift that increases the lift capacity from 2,600 people moved per hour to 3,600 people moved per hour.
In Central Oregon, Mt. Bachelor is also debuting a brand new six-person detachable lift (its first ever), replacing a four-person lift that was formerly known as Skyliner. Mt. Bachelor also made a few other lift improvements, including replacing haul ropes on Northwest and Little Pine.
For Oregonians closer to Eugene, Hoodoo just announced a new Kids Ski Free initiative that offers free ski tickets to kids 10 and under throughout the 2023/24 season. Season passes for ages 75+ have also been discounted to $49. Neighboring ski area Willamette Pass invested over 1 million in upgrades over the summer, including converting the Peak 2 chairlift from diesel fuel to electric to increase efficiency and reduce the resort’s carbon footprint. The resort also hopes to reopen its Midway chairlift this season.
Header image: ©Brundage Mountain Resort
January 08, 2024
