Overall, it’s not a blockbuster year for new chairlifts.
Much of the summer construction activity across North America is set to involve humbler lifts. There aren’t, for example, any blow-your-socks-off trams with glass bottoms or disco balls. Meanwhile, Deer Valley, Utah, got the equivalent of an entire new resort this past season. Next winter won’t see anything as dramatic.
Still, chairlifts are being installed this summer, and we like chairlifts. These are a few we’re looking forward to riding in the future.
Electric Horseman—Sundance, Utah
The lowdown: A new alignment that expands upper mountain terrain.
Decades ago, the late, great Robert Redford starred in The Electric Horseman, a western flick about a cowboy who walks off with a stolen horse and gets into all kinds of trouble. As far as movie titles go, it’s a memorable one. It’s an even better moniker for a ski lift, though. What are lifts, after all, if not electric steeds?
That must’ve been the thinking over at Sundance, where, this coming winter, a new high-speed quad called the Electric Horseman is set to come online. This one’s a big deal for the ski area. Not only does the lift add another way to get up the mountain’s summit, but it’s also part of a terrain expansion with two pods that total 165 acres. The first stage opened during the 2025-26 season, while the next will open next winter.
Oh, we forgot. There’s another layer to the Robert Redford callback that involves a well-known bit of ski lore. In case you missed it, Redford bought what would become Sundance more than 50 years ago, changing its original name, Timp Haven in a nod to his film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
In 2020, Broadreach Capital Partners and Cedar Capital Partners took over. The new lift, though, is a welcome nod to one of skiing’s favorite actors and Sundance’s unique origin story.
Photo: Courtesy Powder Mountain
DMI—Powder Mountain, Utah
The lowdown: A new lift that brings a sizable chunk of terrain officially into the fold.
Powder Mountain has spent far more time in the news than your usual ski area. A few years back, the Netflix billionaire Reed Hastings snapped it up, quickly debuting a blended private-public model that raised eyebrows and drew headlines. While the private side of the resort’s seen plenty of development in the Hastings era, the general public is getting some upgrades, too.
That’s evident with the new Don’t Mention It, or DMI, lift. The fixed-grip triple accesses a tasty-looking chunk of terrain that, in the past, was reserved for guided trips. In total, the zone encompasses more than 1,000 acres, according to Powder Mountain—a number that includes lift and hike-to access.
“As a skier, it’s what you dream of: open glades, chutes, steep lines, it’s the perfect expansion for us, and it is all expert skiing. We can’t wait to hear the hooting and hollering as people drop in,” said Brandi Hammon, Powder Mountain’s president, in a press release earlier this year.
Angel Express—Angel Fire, New Mexico
The lowdown: A darn fast lift that expedites frontside access at Angel Fire
Something big’s coming to New Mexico next winter. The Angel Express, the state’s first high-speed six-seater lift, is under construction at Angel Fire. The addition to the resort’s frontside climbs up from the base and deposits skiers at the mid-mountain. It’s aimed at the beginner and intermediate crowd, serving a network of gentler runs.
To make way for the new lift, Angel Fire bid farewell to Chair 2, an old workhorse that dates back to 1966. While locals might miss seeing Chair 2 around, parts from the retiree will be used to maintain other lifts around the mountain, like Lift 3 and Dreamcatcher.
Courtesy Powderhorn
Wild West Express—Powderhorn, Colorado
The lowdown: A sizable upgrade to a sleepy, lesser-known resort
Tucked away in western Colorado, Powderhorn is one of those resorts. You know, the kind without gargantuan condos but plenty of character? Part of that came from West End, an aging double that effectively provided access to half the mountain.
As beloved as West End was, though, it finally came time for something new. Next winter, that’ll look like the Wild West Express, a repurposed high-speed quad from Snowmass. This’ll reduce the ride time, which, in the past, was the opposite of quick. West End was one of the longest fixed-grip lifts on the continent. That should tell you all you need to know. Here’s to a newer, speedier future.
Homewood Gondola—Homewood, California
The lowdown: A win for a resort that’s seen a bumpy few years
After local outrage around privatization plans and a recent winter spent closed—it was a whole saga—Homewood got back to business this past season. (For the record: following the privatization controversy, Homewood reaffirmed that it would stay open to the public.) Instead of some celebratory powder turns, though, the resort—much like many other mountains in the West—dealt with a dry winter we’ll all remember for the wrong reasons.
Brighter things are on the horizon, though. Homewood’s planned gondola is officially in the works, with plans to have it up and running in time for the 2026-27 season. The eight-passenger ropeway replaces the Madden chair and fits into the resort’s master plan, which also includes a new mid-mountain lodge. It’s a significant change for Homewood, but the resort’s status as one of Lake Tahoe’s most picturesque haunts isn’t going anywhere.
Related: I Moved Away From the Mountains, But My Ski Dreams Won’t Let Me Go
