WAKEFIELD, Mich. (WLUC) - Snowriver Mountain Resort will have the first high-speed detachable chairlift in the U.P. in the 2023-2024 ski season.
The resort is replacing the Chippewa Double, the Leelinaw Triple and the Voyager Quad chairs out of the Jackson Creek Summit area (previously known as Indianhead) with the only 6-person chairlift in the powder friendly region known as “Big Snow Country.” Home elevator
The new six-pack detachable will be built and installed by Doppelmayr and will be named the Voyageur Express. The lift will feature 53 chairs and have a three-and-a-half-minute ride to the top travelling at 1,000 ft/min instead of the 8-10 minutes, plus stops, it took with the existing fixed grip lifts.
The lift’s initial capacity will be 2,800 people per hour (pph) with the option to upgrade to 3,200 pph in the future should additional capacity be needed.
“The new lift will greatly enhance our guest experience at Jackson Creek Summit,” stated first year GM Benjamin Bartz. “Because the new lift will be much easier for guests to load and unload, we anticipate smoother operations, meaning guests will spend more time skiing and less time sitting on a lift.”
The line for the new lift has already been cut and will bring skiers from the base of the existing Leelinaw Triple to the top of the former Chippewa Double, providing easy access to lodging, guest service facilities and food & beverage outlets.
The Chippewa Double, Leelinaw Triple and the Voyager Quad are three of the original chairlifts from the 1960s, installed soon after founder Jack English brought skiing and riding to the U.P. back in 1959.
“High speed lifts are a perfect fit for our Midwest ski areas,” explained Charles Skinner, President, and Owner of Snowriver, Granite Peak and Lutsen Mountains. “High speed lifts transform the ski experience at our resorts from spending most of the ski day riding the chairlift or waiting in line to enjoying most of the day skiing down the hill.”
To learn more about the resort or to purchase tickets, click here.
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