Keystone to get new eight-seater gondola

Valind

Valind

Active member
SUMMIT COUNTY - Keystone skiers and snowboarders

enjoying the great early season conditions right now can look forward

to next season, when the resort will offer a new and deluxe ride to the

top of Dercum Mountain.

The Dec. 21 announcement that Vail

Resorts' biggest on-mountain project in 2008 will be the installation

of a state-of-the-art eight-passenger gondola at its Summit County area

came as an early - and welcome - Christmas present for many loyal

Keystone guests.

"It's about time," said Texan Jesse Durbin, who

said he's been skiing at Keystone for 15 years. "This one is too slow,"

Durbin said, wiping his goggles during a Christmas Eve ride up the

mountain. "I hope what they put in is like Vail," he said.

Durbin's

wish will be answered, as the new gondola will transport twice as many

people up the hill per hour as the existing lift. The bottom-to-top

ride (climbing 2,307 vertical feet) will be cut to 12 minutes, carrying

up to 2,400 passengers per hour, winter and summer.

The new

gondola is designed with passenger comfort in mind, including

floor-to-ceiling windows and room to accommodate skis and snowboards

inside the passenger cabins. Level, heated loading and unloading

stations will be redesigned and offer convenient access for

wheelchairs, mountain bikes, strollers, sight seers, mountaintop tubing

hill guests and night-time dining guests, reflecting the fact that

Keystone Mountain has evolved to offer much more than just skiing and

riding.

The new River Gondola represents the first step in some

significant new developments planned at Keystone. The resort recently

announced plans to redevelop the Mountain House Base, and there are

also plans to reconfigure services at the summit, with the potential

for a new restaurant and lodge at the top of Dercum Mountain to replace

some of the services currently offered at the Outpost.

"Our

mission at Keystone is to provide our guests an exceptional

experience," said chief operating officer Pat Campbell. "The new River

Run Gondola will represent the most significant on-mountain project at

Keystone since the opening of the Outback Mountain in 1990," Campbell

said.

The new gondola will be 30 to 40 percent more energy efficient than the existing one, Campbell said.

New lift, new development

Although many locals have great stories to tell

about gondola rides up Keystone Mountain, few will be sorry to see the

vintage conveyance replaced by a more modern and functional ride.

"It's

been fun," said a local ski tuner who only identified himself as

"Gravy" Davy. "We've done some crazy things in here over the years.

There's a lot of memories in these cars," he said, wiping the frost off

the window to get a glimpse of some friends on the trail below. "But

it'll be nice to get up here faster on powder days and for sure, the

lines won't be as long," he said.

The bottom terminal of the

gondola will be relocated across the Snake River and into the River Run

base area complex, easing gondola access both for resort guests and day

skiers flocking in from the remote parking areas.

In the

second phase of this project, a new skier bridge will be constructed to

replace the current pedestrian bridge, enabling guests to ski directly

from the mountain into a newly enhanced skier plaza and skier services

area in the River Run Village.

The upgraded River Run Gondola

will follow the same alignment as the existing gondola with the top

terminal located in the same location at the summit of Dercum Mountain.

A new mid-station will be constructed halfway up Dercum Mountain with

loading and unloading in both directions, giving skiers and

snowboarders an option to access the upper trails from mid-mountain and

to download at the end of their ski day.

 
will transport twice as many people up the hill per hour as the existing lift.

Great - Keystone is already the most crowded resort in the world, River Run is going to be the scariest, most dangerous run on the planet
 
the art of getting your own gondola with a couple of buds by tripping, slipping and taking too much time on purpose to puff on the way up is soon to be a lost art.

Breck here I come, turn off the wind before I get there.

 
It's not gonna make a difference on crowds. That just means Summit Express will be entirely empty.

I don't know why they are spending money on that shit since the only place where the lines get long is Montezuma.
 
I've got free parking at Breck nearly every time i've gone this year...or paid $5 dollars which in comparison to 17 at vail isn't that bad....
 
that's kinda crappy. the less keystone appeals to tourists the better it is. it makes sense that itll be more crowded too because now they'll be able to haul more people up to the top faster
 
It's about time," said Texan Jesse Durbin, who said he's been skiing at Keystone for 15 years. "This one is too slow," Durbin said, wiping his goggles during a Christmas Eve ride up the mountain. "I hope what they put in is like Vail," he said.

Haha That is priceless. Texans WOULD love Keystone. Not that Keystone doesn't have a sick park and some awesome terrain, but come on it's Keystone! Don't know why they feel the need for a new Gondola.... how about expanding the terrain off of Outback or North Peak or finally offering free snocat shuttle's like Copper instead?

Stay Steazy,

phil.

 
its deffenintly not needed....they should make a lodge on top of a51 instead that would be sick....also did the finally take race course out next to the pipe and put in jumps?it looke like it
 
But Dubin needs his dem dere faster speedy gondula.

Ha wow Summit is getting blown out....Breck sucks with its parking situation now, Park 3 miles away ride a bus that has a terrible bus driver, 30 mins later get to the gondola, load up, ride up the gondola, some 15 mins later get off gondola, wait 20 minutes in lift line, and finally your off! Awesome. Keystone is rediculous on weekends if you try to park free you have to wait like 45 minutes on highway 6 just to get into the lot....now a gondola for our impatient Texan friends. 20 bucks to park at vail and bc, copper is a pain. Dam dont mean to be a downer, but sheesh, seems like these places are going overboard all to please a few ungrateful out of staters who cant appreciate what Keystone already offers them. Your there to ski, sure the gondola is nice, but your going to be outside as it is, just jump on the lift next to it if you wanna get up the hill faster.
 
Man, all that sucks^^^ over at Loveland, there are no lines, no waiting or paying to park. No walking a mile to get to the lift. Man, sounds awesome!!! this is why I love Loveland.
 
jesus you and loveland kid....sick mountain for sure, but man, you need to get around....try some southern mtns.
 
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