SkiCo aims to expand, improve Snowmass ski area

Expansions and improvements are headed for the Snowmass ski area, according to a recent presentation from Aspen Skiing Co. to the Town of Snowmass Village Planning Commission. 

SkiCo representatives updated the board on proposed minor amendments to the Snowmass Mountain Master Plan (Planned Use Development), a document that outlines long-term land use plans and parameters. The major areas discussed were lifts, snowmaking, trails/glades, summer activities, and housing — even though housing falls outside of the explicit master plan purview. 

“We want to make sure that (the Master Plan) works with the town and the mountain both and we’ve tried to write it that way,” said Chris Kiley, senior vice president of planning and development with SkiCo.

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The presentation comes after the 2022 Snowmass Mountain Master Development Plan’s approval by the U.S. Forest Service in January 2023. SkiCo leases ski area land from the Forest Service and is required to update the agency on SkiCo’s plans for the land at least every 10 years.

Lift plans for the ski area include:

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• the extended Coney Express quad, with access across from the Snowmass Mall and a mid-station access point, 
• a Cirque T-bar replacement, 
• upgrade the Village Express to a 10-person gondola — possibly a telemix to allow chairs and gondola — for summer and winter access to on-mountain dining and recreation, 
• upgrade the Alpine Springs lift to a 6-pack, upgrade the Elk Camp chairlift to a 6-pack, 
• maintain the yearslong approval for a new Burnt Mountain quad lift, 
• expansion of the Dawdler area for intermediate terrain for learning, 
• a surface lift at Sam’s Knob. 

The Coney Express expansion is first priority for SkiCo, followed by Cirque and ideally another lift at the same time. Beyond that, the order in which the lift-related needs will be addressed is yet to be determined.

Snowmaking changes are also part of the proposed amendments, moving operations to a higher elevation to escape high temperatures at the lower elevations. Mak Keeling, vice president of mountain planning for SkiCo, said no new water rights or agreements with the Snowmass Water and Sanitation District would be required with the plan, which would add 146 acres of coverage to the preexisting 329 acres of snowmaking coverage.

“If there isn’t enough water, we’re not blowing snow,” he said. 

The surface lift at Sam’s Knob and snowmaking changes are climate change-related proposals, as lower-elevation terrain opens later and later into the ski season due to warm temperatures. The surface lift would allow people to access the proposed Village Express gondola for downloading in the event of unskiable conditions at lower elevations.

Trails and glades proposed amendments include:

• a new trail from The Edge to the High Alpine Restaurant that minimizes skier cross traffic, 
• glade improvements at the Frog Pond Glades, 
• connecting Baby Ruth to the Hanging Valley Glades, 
• five new trails and distinct gladed areas off the Alpine Springs lift (which is proposed to be upgraded to a 6-pack), 
• expand the Sneaky’s Glades on skier’s left, 
• new glades between Wildcat and Howler and Wildcat and Slot, 
• new beginner areas in Dawdler.

Keeling said the proposed glade improvements are a product of an Environmental Impact Statement from the Forest Service, which identified diseased trees and wildfire risk in the areas.

“All of the zones identified here in all of these gladed areas that we’ll be showing today, the Forest Service is asking us to take out trees because there’s overgrowth, there’s dead (trees), there’s disease, there’s downed trees,” he said. “It’s basically a forest health (issue) and a fire hazard.”

SkiCo also looks to expand deck and interior capacity at several on-mountain dining areas, with new facilities proposed at Alpine Springs and another, more fine-dining type restaurant they’re calling Gunner’s View, off the Gunner’s View trail. Keeling said expanding the existing on-mountain dining is SkiCo’s priority, due to the expense of constructing a new on-mountain dining facility.

Summer plans for Snowmass focused on expanding family-oriented activities like ropes courses that cater to children of all ages. SkiCo also wants to expand downhill-specific mountain biking trails by 19 miles — currently, there are 27 miles of trails — and connect the cross-country system to the top of Sam’s Knob. 

Hiking trails will also see an expansion by 10 miles from 36 to 46 and help mitigate mountain biker and hiker trail conflicts. 

As a result of all the proposed changes, the ski area’s comfortable carrying capacity would increase from 12,500 skiers daily to 14,820. Keeling stressed that does not mean the mountain would see that kind of traffic every day, it’s a number calculated from a combination of parking, lodging, lift, trail acreage, food and beverage, and operational capacity.

“What feels busy today is not what will feel busy in 15 years,” he said.

He also said that in the last six years, capacity has only surpassed 11,000 people on two days. The typical day sees about 8,000 visitors, which includes all-day skiers or skiers who go up for just one lap.

And the parameters for projects laid out in the Master Plan do not need to be met at their maximum allowable capacity. 

SkiCo also presented their housing mitigation plans, referencing the tiny home complex in an old RV park in Basalt, the Hub in Willits, and the Tenants-for-Turns program. 

“When we come back, we’ll be looking to collaborate with the planning commission, with the council, (and) with stakeholders in the community to help to address some challenges to sites in order to really develop and deliver housing here in the town,” said Chris Kiley, senior vice president of planning and development for SkiCo.

Snowmass resident George Falk commented on the presentation, expressing concern about the placement of the Coney Glade lift and T-bar lift. 

“If I understand the new proposed Coney lift, you have to cross the mall to the other side to where the ski school used to be to get on,” he said. “Extremely unsafe… I currently have a locker at the base and just to turn in some times in the day is a challenge because there are people crossing and every different way.”

Planning Commission member Stan Clauson agreed with that point earlier in the meeting.

“I recognize that you’re not proposing any specific lifts at this time. Going back to the Coney Express, I almost regret my personal approval of the Coney Express because of great concerns for conflicts and skier traffic,” he said. “I hope that when that’s implemented, SkiCo will be very careful about managing the conflicts between the young very fast, very sort of insouciant skiers that come through the the the bumps of the terrain park and are crossing the very beginner skiers who are on those ramps at that point of crossing, as well as people who may be crossing from the mall simply to get on the lift.”

The commission decided to table board comments and a decision on recommending the amendments to Snowmass Town Council to their next meeting on Feb. 21. Eventually, the resolution allowing the amendments to the Master Plan will go before the Snowmass Town Council.  

Significant improvements should be accounted for during any future Special Review application process, as required by the Planned Use Development. Some of these proposed amendments would also trigger an Environmental Impact Study due to their location on Forest Service land. Just because something is part of a PUD does not mean it is guaranteed approval at a later date.