Since Vail’s acquisition of Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) in September, there has been chatter of connecting PCMR and Canyons Resort. Finally, after a unanimous vote, the Park City Planning Commission has approved the $50 million plan of merging the two ski resorts.
An 8-person gondola will connect the two mountains, creating the single largest resort in the US. This comes to the sum of 7,300 acres of skiing. The gondola will run from the base of the existing Silverlode Lift (PCMR) to the Flatiron Lift at Canyons. There will also be an unload at the top of Pine Cone Ridge. This allows easy access to Thaynes Canyons at Park City.
Vail is very proud of themselves, calling this “one of the most ambitious and impactful capital plans in the history of the U.S. ski industry.”
In addition to the resort connection, other upgrades and changes will be made. Here is the full list:
- The King Con Lift will be upgraded to a 6-pack, high speed, detachable lift.
- The Motherlode Lift will be upgraded to a 4-pack, high speed, detachable lift.
- A Snow Hut Restaurant will be erected near the base of the new gondola
- Summit House Restaurant improvements at PCMR
- Red Pine Lodge improvements at Canyons resort
- Increased snowmaking along the two trails in the Iron Mountain area of Canyons which will have increased traffic due to their proximity to the new connecting gondola.
- 5-million dollars of ‘catch up’ work between the two resorts.
- The aforementioned 8-person interconnecting gondola.
