Best New Chairlifts and Gondolas for Skiing & Riding

As always, four-season resorts from East to West were busy this summer upgrading existing chairlifts and gondolas or adding entirely new ones to open acres of new terrain for skiing and riding for the 2022/23 ski and snowboard season..

aerial trams at Snowbird, Utah, one red, one blue — Photo: Snowbird

If you are a downhill enthusiast – as I am – check out these best new lifts to get you up the mountain faster and more comfortably than before.

Alphabetically, by state –

gondola with snow-covered mountain behind it. — Photo: Palisades Tahoe

California – Palisades

This is the first full season of the resort that combines the former Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows into a sprawling mega-resort, and the first season for the new base-to-base gondola between the two formerly independent operations.

It’s a 16-minute ride, with a mid-station at KT-22, which – legend has it – was named for the 22 kick-turns by the wife of Squaw’s founder.

Beware of the cornice atop K-22 – it broke under me several years ago when I was doing laps into its powdery moguls. My head-over-bindings tumble and “yard sale” was worthy of a Warren Miller movie.

Also, the old Red Dog fixed quad has been upgraded to a high-speed six-seater, adding additional uphill capacity.

See more about the new lift on the article I wrote for SeniorsSkiing.

Maine – Sunday River

The resort has replaced the old Jordan Express with a new heated high-speed eight-seater with heated seats and a see-through bubble for wind and weather protection.

See more about what’s new in the Northeast in this article I wrote for SeniorsSkiing.

Deer Valley, Utah

The Burns Express is a new chairlift connecting the Snow Park base area to Little Baldy, offering Ski School access to more beginner teaching terrain and an additional option for skiers to navigate out of the main arrival area.

See more about what’s new in Utah resorts in this article I wrote for SeniorsSkiing.

Snowbird, Utah

Two brand new large, super-modern Tram cabins – one red, one blue – will ferry guests to 11,000 feet. The trams offer spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows and additional see-through viewing panels in the floor, for a true feeling of flying.

After snow season, prepare yourself to experience – drumroll please – a rooftop balcony, first of its kind in the United States. Hang out – and hang on – riding outside for 360-degree views. Starting summer 2023.

The Snowbird tram is the connection to my favorite part of the mountain, Mineral Basin.

See more about what’s new in Utah resorts in this article I wrote for SeniorsSkiing.

Jackson Hole Trail Map — Image: Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

After 28 years of service, the fixed-grip Thunder Lift has been replaced by a high-speed quad, which is twice as fast as the lift it replaces, cutting upload time from 14 minutes to 7.

The new Thunder Lift accesses some favorite runs on this iconic mountain, including Thunder Bumps and The Grand. It’s also the connection to my own personal favorite run at Jackson Hole, Laramie Bowl.

See more about the new lift on the article I wrote for SeniorsSkiing.

Grand Targhee, Wyoming

On the other side of the Teton Pass from Jackson Hole, this legendary resort debuts the new Colter Lift on Peaked Mountain this season. The lift will transport up to 2,000 people per hour, gain 1,815 vertical feet in just over 5 minutes and provide 30 percent more skiing and riding with the addition of the new terrain on Peaked Mountain to what was formerly hike-in terrain.

It is the first major terrain expansion at Grand Targhee since the Sacajawea lift opened in 2001. The resort usually gets more than 500 inches of snowfall each winter, and used to offer snorkels as a marketing gimmick.

My favorite run at Targhee is anything I don’t have to flag down another skier or snowboarder to ask how to get back to the base.

See more about the new lift on the article I wrote for SeniorsSkiing.

Life should be downhill in winter.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.