The four-year controversy over lift upgrades at Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR), Utah, isn’t over yet. A group of Park City locals appealed the approval once again. Repeating the same issues from 2022, a group of residents has appealed the two PCMR lifts that were approved unanimously in a Planning Commission meeting on May 27. The current appellants are all local Park City skiers but are not the same group of people as those from the 2022 successful appeal.
The PCMR proposal involves upgrading the Eagle lift to a high-speed six-pack and the Silverlode Express from a six-pack to an eight-pack. The new appeal was filed on June 8, with the local group stating that these upgrades will create overcrowding on the ski runs, and that PCMR will exceed its Comfortable Carrying Capacity (CCC). The appellants allege that the increased lift capacity will worsen downhill overcrowding.
The group appealing the new lifts said they are in favor of the upgrades, but are looking for a deeper review of the impact of the upgrades regarding the CCC at PCMR. The CCC is the number of guests the resort can manage given its lift infrastructure, skier flow, trail density, parking, and overall resort experience. The dispute states that the commission slighted a development agreement involving the city and resort, saying the uphill capacity of the lifts should be equal to downhill capacity of the corresponding terrain, to eliminate unsafe conditions on the mountain. Vail Resorts, the parent company of PCMR, is refusing to share the CCC of the mountain. However, the Park City legal counsel determined that CCC data is not strictly required for the new conditional permit process and the plan was approved without the data.
As part of the planned upgrade, the fixed-grip triple Eagle lift will be replaced by a high-speed six-pack, the new Eagle Express lift. This would increase uphill capacity from 1,800 to 2,800 guests per hour, a 55% increase and would result in a 16% increase in uphill capacity out of the Mountain Village. The increased capacity is expected to ease morning congestion. In addition, PCMR is planning to remove the Eaglet lift, which hasn’t operated since 2021. The proposed Eagle Express lift will stretch 5,796 feet and have a 1,600-foot vertical rise. Guests could expect an approximately six-minute ride time. The new lift would have a mid-station, allowing guests to offload for beginner and intermediate terrain, near the Three Kings uphill terminal. The summit station would be located near the top of King Con Express, creating direct access to Silverlode Express or the Quicksilver gondola, which connects the Mountain Village and Canyons sides of the resort.
The other lift involved in the appeal is upgrading the Silverlode Express six-pack into an eight-pack. This would increase uphill capacity from 3,000 to 3,600 guests per hour, representing a 20% increase. The new lift alignment would be unchanged from the outgoing one. Silverlode Express is a major chokepoint for the resort, as it is the only lift directly out of the Miner’s Camp area, which is where the Quicksilver Gondola dumps out from the Canyons side. From there, all guests either have to ride up the Silverlode lift or ski down to King Con Express.
The nation’s largest lift-served ski resort has struggled for four years to gain approval for these two lift upgrades. This new appeal is a major setback after the recent unanimous approval by the Park City Planning Commission. PCMR had hoped construction would proceed next summer — years ahead of the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
The previous 2022 appeal delayed plans by four years alone. If this new appeal is upheld, the Planning Commission will have to consider the lift permits a third time. If it is denied, the appellants may take their case to court. Either way, the upgrades that Park City hoped to have operational well before the Olympic torch arrives in Salt Lake City are once again in limbo — and the clock is ticking.
