5 Chairlifts That Preserve Skiing’s Golden Age

In an age where big infrastructure upgrades—like lightning-fast eight-person lifts and big, fancy gondolas and trams—seem to make skiers swoon, it’s easy to see how the simple beauty of an old-fashioned, fixed-grip lift goes unnoticed. After all, why get to the summit at a tortoise pace when you can shimmy up the mountainside like a rabbit on caffeine?

There are actually lots of reasons to throw it back to skiing’s olden days. From a more practical perspective, slower lifts help pace traffic on the slopes. They also give our legs a rest and encourage leisurely lift convos—not to mention the fact that you have time to eat a proper brown-bag lunch without having to go into the lodge.

Most importantly, these historic lifts are a crucial piece of ski history—a literal time machine back to our sport’s heyday. These five are some of the oldest and most intriguing chairlifts still spinning around the bullwheel. They won’t be around forever, though, so ski-history aficionados best check them out on the sooner side before they go the way of wooden skis, leather boots, and Tyrolean hats.

Single Chair, Mt. Eyak, Alaska

Mt. Eyak, a 30-run ski area above the town of Cordova, lays claim to the oldest chairlift still in operation. There’s just one catch: The 1939-lift built by the American Steel and Wire Company was originally installed at Sun Valley and moved to Alaska in 1974. There’s always some controversy around such things, but this lift is largely considered to be the oldest operating lift on the continent.

North American Chair, Mt. Norquay, Alb.

Nicknamed the “Big Chair” when it debuted in 1948, the North American Chair was Canada’s second chairlift (the first was at Quebec’s Mont Tremblant). It’s been upgraded pretty extensively over the years—and is scheduled to be replaced by a gondola in 2027, so you better hurry if you want to ride this one before its gone—but this center bar-style lift accesses Mt. Norquay’s steepest terrain. There’s also a charming restaurant at the top, the Cliffhouse Bistro, which used to be a traditional English tea house.

Single Chair, Mad River Glen, Vt.

Mad River’s iconic single isn’t a transplant from anywhere else—it was installed at Mad River in 1948 and was restored by the ski area in 2007. The fact that Mad River chose to preserve it instead of replace it—which certainly might have been the easier option given how hard it is to find parts and people who know how these old lifts operate—says a lot about its historical importance. This one is truly a bucket list for all skiers who get giddy over our sport’s storied past.

Seventh Heaven, Stevens Pass, Wash.

This Riblet chair is considered one of the steepest lifts on the continent. Originally built in 1960, the lift is still ferrying skiers to the summit of Stevens’ Cowboy Mountain two skiers at a time thanks to various updates and refurbishments, including a new drive terminal and the movement of the original line to accommodate another lift. But the ride still feels like a glorious slice of ski history.

Festival, Powder Ridge, Ct.

This double chair is one of three built by the Hall Company at this small New England ski area during the early 1960s. It boasts the original slatted wooden bench seats and spans 2,600 feet over mostly mellow terrain. What’s cool about Festival is that it still operates using old counterweight technology along with a tension bullwheel.