Alta has big plans in the works, including a proposed tram that will run to the summit of Mount Baldy. According to the The Salt Lake Tribune, which posted a link to the U.S. Forest Service’s Alta Master Development Plan Improvement Projects, Alta has a long wish list of chairlift upgrades, parking changes, lodge expansions and more. The list of proposals has been submitted for approval by the Forest Service, who will conduct environmental assessments before signing off.
According to Alta’s development plan, the resort’s upgrade desires include:
- Albion/Wildcat base parking.
- Tram from Germania Pass to the top of Mt. Baldy.
- GazEx or other equivalent technologies to replace artillery and avalauncher.
- Replacement of Albion and Sunnyside lifts.
- Replacement of Cecret and Supreme lifts.
- Replacement of Wildcat lift.
- Flora lift from bottom of Sugarbowl to the top of Collins lift.
- Supreme terrain work.
- Alf’s restaurant building addition.
- Watson Shelter building addition.
- Equipment storage facility.
- Lake restoration at the top of Glory Hole.
Lets break all this down. For parking, Alta wants to shift 50 spaces from the Wildcat lot to the Albion lot. They will then take the area from those 50 spaces in the Wildcat lot to enlarge the turnaround/skier drop-off area that will better accommodate the UTA skier bus. Up canyon, the Snowpine lot will be merged with the Albion lot to create 48 new spaces there.
Mount Baldy Tram
The biggest eye-opener is the tram to the top of Mount Baldy. Alta says their rationale is for the tram to primarily be used for ski patrol conducting avalanche control work on the mountain, but it will also allow for skier access as well, eliminating the hike to ski classic lines like Main Chute. The tram will be 1,900 feet long and will begin near the top of the Collins lift on Germania Pass, ending just below the Baldy summit above a run called Perla’s. The tram capacity would be 150 people per hour.
Several lifts will be replaced including Sunnyside, Cecret, Supreme, and Wildcat. In addition, the Albion lift will be removed altogether.
Sunnyside
This lift will become a “chondola,” which Alta describes as “a mix of chairs and gondola or cabriolet cabins.” I’ve never heard of anything like this before and really need to see a concept to visualize what this contraption would look like.
Cecret and Supreme
These two lifts will be merged into one new high-speed quad. The new lift would start near Alf’s restaurant, follow the current Cecret lift alignment, then curve into the current Supreme alignment.
Wildcat
The Wildcat double chair will be replaced with a high speed quad. The same alignment would be followed. Alta’s rationale is that the old chair is getting hard to find replacement parts for.
New Flora Lift
Alta proposes a new lift called “Flora” that will start at the bottom of Sugarbowl and end at the top of the Collins lift. The Flora lift would eliminate the need for skiers to use the EBT traverse to go from the Sugarloaf side of Alta to the Collins side. This traverse sometimes closes during times of high avalanche danger, so the Flora lift would allow skiers to make that same trip on a lift. Flora will be a fixed-grip double chair.
There are many other proposed improvements including building additions, increased snowmaking and ski run terrain work. You can read everything in more detail at Alta’s Proposed Action Document.
Public comment will be accepted until May 26.
So what do you think about Alta’s proposals? Will this be a good thing for skiers, or will it ruin the vibe that Alta is famous for?