SkiCo to Invest $80 Million in Infrastructure Projects This Summer
The Aspen Skiing Company approaches a summer packed with infrastructure-improvement projects across the Aspen mountains. The company announced Monday it will spend nearly $80 million on new chairlifts, renovated on-mountain dining, and more.
SkiCo will replace the Elk Camp quad chair lift with a high-speed six-pack lift, with the goal of reducing lift lines and increasing capacity for bike loads for the Snowmass Bike Park, according to a press release.
“This lift represents a major investment in the Snowmass Bike Park operations as it will almost double the capacity of bike haul, which was a major driving factor in the project,” the release stated.
SkiCo will also replace the platter lift on the Cirque with a T-bar, effectively doubling the capacity of the lift as it will change from single to double-rider.
“This is the first time in nearly two decades that Snowmass has added two new lifts in one season,” the release stated.
As the construction takes place, some closures will occur on Snowmass throughout the summer season. Guests can stay up-to-date about the closures on the Aspen Snowmass app and website, which will provide updates in the coming months.
Snowmass’ 56-year-old Ullrhoff will be dismantled and transformed into a building with a “modern mountain design,” reopening in the 2026/27 winter season. The rebuild will double the occupancy of the building, providing more than 500 seats, and will include an expanded upstairs bar and lounge, an updated menu, and operational efficiency upgrades, according to the release. The new Ullrhof building will be SkiCo’s first completely electric on-mountain restaurant.
SkiCo also expects to upgrade Elk Camp restaurants, but awaits approval from the town of Snowmass Village. It plans to expand outdoor deck capacity by 120 seats and add a covered umbrella for a shaded summer space and a heated winter space.
SkiCo will also improve its snowmaking infrastructure on all four Aspen mountains, which include investments in automation and technologies to make snow-making more energy efficient.
Additionally, the company will work on forest health and safety projects on each mountain, focusing on improving wildlife habitat, wildfire mitigation, and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
“We have a huge summer ahead for on-mountain developments here at Aspen Snowmass,” SkiCo CEO Geoff Buchhesiter said in the release. “These projects represent Aspen One’s commitment to ongoing investment in delivering the most exceptional guest experience possible.”