Alta’s Wildcat Chair is being featured in Powder Magazine’s Iconic Lifts video series. “Kitty,” as Alta locals fondly call it, is one of the most popular lifts at this Little Cottonwood Canyon ski area, as it accesses some of the most playful, sheltered, and steep terrain on the mountain. Westward Ho is a classic run on a powder day, and Wildcat is the only ticket to get there.
But it’s not just the terrain that makes Wildcat great. This lift is one of a few classic fixed-grip double-chairs left in the country, as more and more are being replaced by faster and more efficient detachable quads. As a result, Wildcat has a connection to the past and a mystique that only old and slow chairs can impart. There’s just something relaxing about riding Wildcat, watching skiers whoop and holler below your skis, with the best view of Mount Superior right over your right shoulder.
If you’re in love with the Wildcat Chair as much as I am, then you’ll dig the video:
Personally, I think it would be a damn shame if we lost Wildcat. There has got to be a way to save this iconic lift, because as soon as it is torn down to make way for a sleek and modern version, “iconic” will no longer apply. #keepwildcatfixed