Say good bye to the aging quad Greyhawk and Challenger chairlifts on the Warm Springs side of Baldy and say hello to the yet-to-be-named six person Doppelmayr chairlift.
Take one last look, because that is all going to change for the 2023 / 2024 ski season.
New Chairlift(s)
The Warm Springs lift replacement project is as follows:
- Replace the current Challenger and Greyhawk lifts with a six person chairlift that has a mid-station for unloading only.
- Install a quad Lift A that terminates near the current I-80 cat track. The I-80 cat track will be rerouted to be slightly higher up on the hill. This is a replacement for the fire damaged Flying Squirrel lift that was removed after the 2014 fire.
One important item to note.
The current ~13 minute (or ~10 minutes, depending on the source) ride up the current Challenger lift should only take ~8 minutes with the new lift.
UPDATE: 11 April 2023
So it begins…
Chairs are being removed at the top terminal of the Challenger chair today.
Looks like all the big toys came out today to help.
The post is getting a lot of signatures.
Anyone need some spare parts?
All of the chairs removed are being lined up at the top of the mountain.
Does that remind you of anything?
Hint: gr****y sho****g
UPDATE: 3 May 2023
Progress is being made.
The Challenger lower terminal has been removed.
Same for the Greyhawk chair – lower terminal has been removed.
And the trees have been cut for the new Flying Squirrel lift.
UPDATE: 6 July 2023
The snow is gone 😁.
Construction of the top terminal is happening.
And in case you forgot your glasses…
Photos courtesy of Jason Child.
UPDATE: 23 October 2023
What happens when a few months go by…
Top terminals are getting done, towers are in, cables are on.
Here is the new top terminal of the Challenger lift (assuming it has the same name).
I don’t know. What would you call this style? “Mountain modern” perhaps.
Flying Squirrel
There it is, the Flying Squirrel replacement.
The new version of the I-80 cat track above the top terminal of the Flying Squirrel chairlift.
Top towers at the Flying Squirrel terminal – steep!
Looking down lower Flying Squirrel where trees have been cleared and intersect with Lower Picabo St.
Now we just need chairs 😁