The rain came in troves Sunday night in Glenwood Springs and Carbondale, which, hopefully, is a tell of a powder season ahead at Sunlight Mountain Resort. In any case, the local ski hill has finished replacing two lifts, of the three total there, ahead of its anticipated opening day on Dec. 12.
Avid skier Blake Lockard grew up downvalley, and can’t quite recall the first time he got on a lift at Sunlight, because he would have just been 2 or 3 at the time. Up until about fourth or fifth grade, however, Lockard does remember needing “a boost” onto the old lifts.
“They used to say, ‘If you could ride the lifts at Sunlight, you could ride the lifts anywhere,’” said Travis Baptiste, Sunlight’s director of business development, with a laugh. With the upcoming season, the unofficial phrase will become merely sentimental.
The “Primo” and “Segundo” lifts — towers and all — were swapped out over the summer. The third lift, “Tercero,” was installed in the late ‘80s, when Primo was cut at its midstation and no longer reached the bottom of the hill. The outgoing Primo lift was originally installed in 1966. The original Segundo came from Aspen Mountain and was installed at Sunlight in 1973.
“It’s the largest project that Sunlight has ever tackled in its history,” Baptiste said. “We loved our aging lifts, but at some point you’ve got to upgrade, so here we are.”
“I’m just looking forward to less stops,” said Lockard, “because there have been times I’ve been stopped on Primo or Segundo for like 30 minutes.” With the upgrade, he’s counting on not being left swinging as frequently. To help with the still inevitable — but hopefully shorter — periodic stalls, the new lifts will include three-person (Segundo) and four-person (Primo) seats, providing more social stimulation on the way up, which Lockard also appreciated.
As of last week, Primo was undergoing inspection by the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board (CPTSB) and crews were wrapping up some finishing touches, including electrical work, on Segundo before its inspection. CPTSB inspects every lift in Colorado at least twice a year, including for winter and summer licensing and one surprise inspection during the operating season. It wasn’t required of Sunlight to replace the aging lifts, which would have likely, with regular maintenance, passed inspections for quite a few more years to come, according to Baptiste.
The brand-new Primo lift was manufactured by Leitner Poma out of Grand Junction. The new-to-Sunlight Segundo lift, however, comes from Arapahoe Basin, where it operated as the Lenawee lift for 19 years. Leitner Poma secured the towers for both lifts and carried out the technical aspects of installation.
A handful of local contractors also assisted significantly with the project. Baptiste said, “Every crew we have had step foot on our mountain has been nothing but professional.”
When asked about the cost of the project, he said it was the biggest investment in the history of Sunlight, but wouldn’t give a figure.
The new lifts could attract more visitors to Sunlight, and Baptiste acknowledged that’s a key part of his role there, but added that this “is really a community move.” The intent is to turn a profit and also provide locals, particularly aging users, a more comfortable and safe experience.
Lockard is confident the new lifts won’t change the classic appeal at Sunlight, certainly in comparison to the exponential development at the four-mountains managed by Aspen One over the years. Still, there’s a bittersweet element to the transition, considering the nostalgia for many the old two-seaters evoke.
“There’s not many of those center-pole, two-person chairlifts left around,” said Baptiste. “It’s so exciting to have a new project, but it’s a little sad, too, because those lifts have put in some serious work and carried generations of human beings to a great skiing experience.” Luckily, there’s a good chance locals will come across old Primo or Segundo chairs, perhaps in a neighbor’s backyard or on their porch, since they were sold and auctioned off over the summer. Lockard, in fact, scored a Primo seat. And some are still available: about 20-25 from Primo and seven from Segundo.
People intent on keeping a piece of Sunlight history can request to purchase their own by emailing info@sunlightmtn.com