Breckenridge Ski Resort Announces Plans For Peak 9 Improvements
On Tuesday, the White River National Forest announced the latest proposal from the Breckenridge Ski Resort for improvements to Peak 9, including a new gondola and lift replacements aimed at reducing skier traffic and enhancing the base area experience.
After focusing for the last two years on upgrades to Peak 7 and Peak 8 to better transport skiers and riders throughout that terrain, giving Peak 9 the attention it deserves next is welcome news. For all of those who like to start their day at the Quicksilver lift, including Steve and I, the bottleneck at the Peak 9 base is a known challenge. Breckenridge Ski Resort’s plan includes a new Gondola, a new Peak 9 ski school learning area, and an upgraded C-Chair. The biggest improvement is surely the new Gondola from the Maggie/Quicksilver area, which will feature a midload station halfway up the Frontier ski run, and a summit station next to the current A-Chair summit. The Gondola proposal also includes a new learning area for ski school off of the midload station with two conveyor lifts, a warming hut, a bathroom, and snowmaking facilities. Ski school usage of the Quicksilver SuperChair is one of the leading causes of congestion at the Peak 9 base area, so moving ski school’s infrastructure, and giving skiers and riders two base lifts to choose from, will likely have a big, positive impact! The final piece of the current proposal is replacing Breckenridge’s oldest running lift - the 52-year-old double C-Chair - with a high-speed six-seater.
Breckenridge VP and COO Jon Copeland said in a statement on the project proposal: “This project aligns with our resort’s priorities to continue to improve flow and circulation across our Five Peaks, specifically in and around our base areas and main portals to the mountain, focusing on upgrades that make our resort better versus bigger”. Copeland said. Because the majority of the project would be built on National Forest land, which is leased by Breckenridge Ski Resort on a special recreational use permit, approval of the proposal by the US Forest Service, USDA, will need to be granted before these plans become official. The White River National Forest division is currently accepting public comment, and is in the process of vetting the proposal before delivering a response as mandated by the National Environmental Protections Act. Whatever the outcome, we look forward to seeing what’s in store for Peak 9!
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