Aspen Snowmass summer projects underway

Aspen Snowmass has several capital projects underway this summer that will debut in time for the 2026-27 winter season. 

The construction of the all-new Nell Bell lift on Aspen Mountain, which will replace the historic Bell Mountain (1957) and Little Nell (1986) lifts with a single high-speed detachable quad, has already begun operations this summer, with helicopter operations closing a portion of the Ute Trail select days. The new lift will run from Gondola Plaza to the top of Bell Mountain, featuring 135 chairs and a 2,656-foot vertical rise, according to a press release, in addition to “providing unprecedented access onto Aspen Mountain from the base.” 

The vintage chairs will be auctioned off, the release confirms, with proceeds going to various community charities and additional details to come.

At Snowmass, a $42 million investment is underway for the total rebuild and transformation of Ullrhof, the mid-mountain restaurant set to open this coming winter. Upon completion of the renovation, the release confirms that Ullrhof will be the resort’s first all-electric restaurant, what the release calls “an important milestone in Aspen One’s continued commitment to sustainability.”

What’s happening in Aspen, in one click.

Sign up for our morning newsletter at AspenTimes.com/newsletter

There will also be ongoing snowmaking improvements and forest health work across all four mountains. Aspen Snowmass is a key partner in the Shadow Mountain Wildfire Mitigation Project, what the release describes as “a collaborative effort to create more wildfire-resilient conditions on Shadow Mountain in Aspen through strategic forest glading and removing overgrown vegetation.”

Project partners on that include the city of Aspen, Pitkin County, Aspen Fire, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Aspen Valley Land Trust and the Wildfire Collaborative.