{"id":1788113,"date":"2026-02-23T17:52:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1788113"},"modified":"2026-02-23T17:52:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:52:44","slug":"mountain-designer-chris-cushing-talks-about-his-record-setting-expansion-project-at-deer-valley-ut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1788113","title":{"rendered":"Mountain Designer Chris Cushing Talks About His Record-Setting Expansion Project at Deer Valley, UT"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_388088\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-388088\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/mountain-designer-chris-cushing-talks-about-his-record-setting-expansion-project-at-deer-valley-ut\/chris-cushing-at-se-group-credit-se-group\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-388088\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-388088 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-388088\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chris-Cushing-at-SE-Group.-Credit-SE-Group.jpg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-388088\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Cushing, Principal, Mountain Planning at SE Group. | Credit: SE Group<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-46953693\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-46953693\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-17929491\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-17929491\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Creating the largest ski resort expansion in industry history takes countless skilled contractors and designers. <\/strong>At Deer Valley, this seasoned team is led by Chris Cushing, Principal, Mountain Planning at SE group, a 40-year veteran who heads its global resort planning practice. In his role, Cushing directs all aspects of mountain planning and design services at the SE group. In a February 16 phone interview with <em>SnowBrains<\/em>, Cushing discussed designing and implementing the largest ski resort expansion in industry history at Deer Valley\u2019s East Village among other things.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cushing\u2019s background at <span style=\"color: #000000\"><a style=\"color: #000000\" href=\"https:\/\/www.deervalley.com\/explore-the-mountain\/mountain-report\"><span style=\"color: #000000\">D<\/span>eer Valley<\/a> <\/span>goes back decades, to when his dad was asked to help design the legacy side of the mountain. <\/strong>With a soft opening in 2024, the East Village is really coming into its own this season with 7 new lifts servicing 2,000 acres of new terrain. Cushing and his team are no strangers to large projects, although this is still unparalleled. New resort developments need to be more resilient for a changing climate. \u201cSnowmaking is becoming more and more important,\u201d Cushing said. \u201cYou need that firepower. When we have had cold temperatures, they\u2019ve been able to really make a lot of snow, and that\u2019s important.\u201d Furthermore, \u201cWe are configuring the lift network so that upper mountain terrain can be opened longer so you don\u2019t have to ski all the way back to the base area. You might ride a gondola to the peak and then use the upper lifts.\u201d<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related:<\/strong><em><strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #333399\"><a style=\"color: #333399\" href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/first-milestone-at-deer-valley-ut-east-village-gondola-and-pinyon-express-are-open\/\">First Milestone at Deer Valley, UT: East Village Gondola And Pinyon Express Are Open<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Regarding the Deer Valley East Village expansion project, Cushing said he was brought on board in 2013, when the proposed mountain development was being led by a Netherlands-based firm named <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-processed=\"true\">Stichting Mayflower. <\/strong><\/b>In 2017, New York based Extell development company purchased the land and Deer Valley became the resort operator in August 2023. The expanded terrain integrates seemlessly into the legacy side of the mountain with at least six connection points where trails flow easily into each other. Cushing commented that what\u2019s additive about the new terrain is there are some longer runs and bigger vertical than what the existing mountain has. \u201cYou can get a lot of vertical really fast.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_392192\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-392192\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/mountain-designer-chris-cushing-talks-about-his-record-setting-expansion-project-at-deer-valley-ut\/renduring-of-the-east-village-base-area-at-deer-valley-credit-deer-valley-resort\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-392192\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-392192 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFoAQMAAAD9\/NgSAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T+3sARQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN3HoAAEwzlS7AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?resize=600%2C338&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"360\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-392192\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Renduring-of-the-East-Village-base-area-at-Deer-Valley.-Credit-Deer-Valley-Resort.webp?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-392192\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rendering of the new East Village base area at Deer Valley. | Credit: Deer Valley Resort<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The Deer Valley project\u2019s unprecedented size and scope required years of planning and decades of preparation.<\/strong> Cushing\u2019s dad, Joe, started at SE Group (formerly Sno.engineering) in 1964 as an early employee. Joe Cushing and Sno.engineering designed the original resort. In 2001, Sno.engineering was renamed SE Group as the company grew its offerings, including the addition of detailed landscape architectural planning and design. The company partners with ski resorts for all kinds of resort development ventures. One project was at Copper Mountain which was designed by Cushing\u2019s father. Cushing described <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">it as a great \u201cmountain\u2014well laid out with good circulation, flow, and fall lines.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>In 2023, Cushing and the SE group completed the Steamboat Springs, Full Steam Ahead project, including 3 new lifts and 655 acres of new terrain.<\/strong> The expansion included the new Wild Blue gondola, which opened a new beginner area off the main base and allowed skiers uninterrupted single-lift access to Sunshine Peak. This allows beginner and intermediate skiers direct access to Sunshine Express, easing access to high alpine terrain with excellent snow quality. The expansion at Steamboat also included a completely reconfigured base area with an ice skating rink and an escalator for guests making their way to the lifts. Most major Rocky Mountain ski resorts in the United States have more than one base area. According to Cushing, one major challenge for the Steamboat project was that \u201cthere is only one base area and we have to move 10,000 skiers and riders up from that\u00a0 space every day.\u201d The base area has 3 major lifts capable of moving 10,000 guests uphill per hour to multiple different mountain areas, clearing congestion away from the base as efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_392193\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-392193\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/mountain-designer-chris-cushing-talks-about-his-record-setting-expansion-project-at-deer-valley-ut\/steamboat-base-area-during-the-winter-credit-mountainwatch\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-392193\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-392193 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFoAQMAAAD9\/NgSAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T+3sARQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN3HoAAEwzlS7AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Steamboat-Base-area-during-the-winter.-Credit-Mountainwatch.jpg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Steamboat-Base-area-during-the-winter.-Credit-Mountainwatch.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Steamboat-Base-area-during-the-winter.-Credit-Mountainwatch.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Steamboat-Base-area-during-the-winter.-Credit-Mountainwatch.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Steamboat-Base-area-during-the-winter.-Credit-Mountainwatch.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Steamboat-Base-area-during-the-winter.-Credit-Mountainwatch.jpg?resize=600%2C338&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"360\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-392193\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Steamboat-Base-area-during-the-winter.-Credit-Mountainwatch.jpg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-392193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Skiers enjoying the Steamboat Base area during the winter. | Credit: Mountainwatch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-4-54813205\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-4-54813205\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"4\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-44725390\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-44725390\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>This winter season has been anything but normal for Utah, but Deer Valley is still opening its new terrain and guests are loving it. <\/strong>For many seasoned skiers, the mountain feels brand new.\u00a0 New arrivals to Deer Valley will be unable to distinguish between the expanded terrain and the legacy side of the mountain. Cushing and his team were careful to retain the design aesthetic of the legacy mountain in the expanded terrain. \u201cWhat\u2019s great about Deer Valley is you ski in the fall line. We tried to do the same thing at East Village: use the natural terrain and follow what the mountain has to offer us.\u201d Cushing concluded, \u201cMy dad was very proud of what he created at Deer Valley. It\u2019s a real honor picking up when he retired, continuing his work and having the opportunity to continue our family legacy and design the new area.\u201d For Deer Valley regulars, Cushing\u2019s Cabin at the top of Flagstaff is a tangible reminder of their family\u2019s legacy on the mountain. Looking down the road, Cushing\u2019s designs will feature 7 new runs and a new lift on Hail Peak just in time for winter 2026-27 and 1,500 more acres to develop in South Peak in the future.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 4032px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHgAQMAAAAPH06nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4M8Al+AAAUvMG0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nsaa.org\/images\/Journal\/Photos\/DV_tour.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"480\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nsaa.org\/images\/Journal\/Photos\/DV_tour.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Cushing on an early mountain tour with Deer Valley leaders. | Credit: National Ski Areas Association<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 2 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chris Cushing, Principal, Mountain Planning at SE Group. | Credit: SE Group Creating the largest ski resort expansion in industry history takes countless skilled contractors and designers. At Deer Valley, this seasoned team is led by Chris Cushing, Principal, Mountain Planning at SE group, a 40-year veteran who heads its global resort planning practice. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1788113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1788113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788113\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1788113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1788113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1788113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}