New Peak 8 Lift in Breckenridged

Breck proposes Peak 8 lift

Detachable quad would be the highest lift in North America and would 'change the perception' of the resort

Breckenridge -- What many consider to be some of the best advanced terrain the Breckenridge Ski Resort has to offer - the Imperial Bowl, the Lake Chutes and Peak 7 Bowl - has been available only to those willing to earn their turns by hiking.

That could change soon.

Bringing to life a desire on its wish list since the late 1990's, the resort in October will formally propose to the U.S. Forest Service a new chairlift to run from the top of Chair 6 up the spine of Imperial Bowl.

Should it be approved, the detachable quad could be ready for operation as early as the 2005-2006 winter, depending on how fast construction goes.

The Breckenridge "Summit Lift," as the resort is calling it, would be relatively low capacity (600 passengers per hour, compared to the 2,800 per hour that Breck's Colorado Super Chair transports), and would separate its chairs by up to 300 feet, to give the entire structure a minimal wind resistance.

It would unload at 12,840 feet, about 60 feet from the summit of Peak 8, and would be the highest lift in North America - surpassing Loveland's Chair 9, which peaks at 12,700 feet.
It would also be fast, rising 940 vertical feet in 2.7 minutes, and would directly access both the south- and north-facing Peak 8 bowls as well as the Lake Chutes and Peak 7 Bowl, with a short traverse in either direction.

In a sense, it would transform a ski area that has often been labeled a beginner's mountain. "This would change the perception of Breckenridge," said director of mountain operations Rick Sramek, who is leading the resort's push to get the lift approved. "It would certainly change the way advanced skiers skied the mountain."

The lift-building process

The lift approval process to this point has been relatively informal, one the resort has used to feel out the potential of the project. It began last fall with a general, here's-what-we'd-like-to-do briefing of the U.S. Forest Service. In that meeting, Sramek outlined what the resort had done to investigate the impact the lift would have on the environment, both biologically and botanically.

It would have little impact, the resort said.After creating topographical images to represent what the lift would look like and exactly where it would be located, Sramek and lift director Jon Mauch held a "courtesy meeting" along with Dillon Ranger District Ranger Rick Newton and winter sports administrator Joe Foreman to alert the Breckenridge Town Council and Summit County commissioners of the project last week.

Both Breckenridge Mayor Ernie Blake and Commissioner Bob French - who deals with Breck issues - gave the project a thumbs up.Sramek said the resort will present its formal proposal to Newton - who will ultimately decide whether of not the lift goes in - in mid-October.According to Newton, the two primary cons the Forest Service will consider are the following: boundary issues - will this encourage people to use the ski area more to access the back-country? - and visuals - how intrusive, if at all, would the lift be to those looking up from the town?

Newton, who is in his first year as DRD ranger, said that because there is no timber in the proposed impact area, "wildlife issues and ground-impact issues are pretty benign."He also said that although public input would be something to consider, he's unlikely to be swayed in either direction by letter volume. "It's not a voting game," he said.On that note, Mauch said, "I'm confident it will get approved, personally."