Snowmass Ski Area to open new Cirque T-Bar on Friday

Snowmass Ski Area will open its new Cirque T-Bar Friday.

Aspen Snowmass leadership will deliver remarks and host a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. before the first T-Bar is loaded.

Providing access to the mountain’s highest point, the new T-Bar is accessible from the Sheer Bliss lift and stands as the replacement for the 28-year-old Cirque Poma Lift. The T-Bar doubles the old lift’s uphill capacity. 

“This infrastructural improvement reflects Aspen Skiing Company’s commitment to improving capacity, efficiency, and guest access to some of our most popular high alpine terrain,” Susan Cross, vice president of Mountain Operations at Aspen Skiing Company, told The Aspen Times. 

The new T-Bar, which has a ride time of just under six minutes, will provide access to the High Pass and High Alpine trails, according to Cross and a press release. More terrain, such as the Cirque Headwall, will open as conditions allow.

Cross noted that because the T-Bar will double the former lift’s uphill capacity, it will improve flow and reduce wait times.

The new T-Bar is the second major lift replacement opened on Snowmass this winter, joining the Elk Camp six-seater, which replaced a 30-year-old high speed quad. Cross said the replacements were “less about terrain” and more about “upgrading infrastructure in high traffic areas.”

“Both the Elk Camp Chair and Cirque T-Bar are on-mountain improvements we’re proud of, and are a part of a nearly $80 million investment across Aspen Snowmass focused on enhancing the overall mountain experience year-round,” Cross said. 

The two replacements are “the first time in nearly two decades that Snowmass has added two new lifts in a single season,” the press release states. 

The Snowmass Master Plan — a guiding document to improve terrain connectivity, access, and guest flow — laid the foundation for both projects.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.