What's new on nearby slopes

Resort operators throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia are putting final touches on improvements for the winter season as the first snow has started to blanket the hillsides.

Here's what's new on the ski and snowboard slopes:

Washington

Crystal Mountain Resort is installing the new Northway Chairlift, which will increase the ski area's uphill lift capacity to 20,310 people per hour.

The Northway Chairlift will provide access to about 1,000 acres of skiable terrain, adding to the resort's 2,300 acres of lift-served terrain.

With the placement of the Sunrise Quad and development of Sunrise Basin's 12 alpine ski trails complete, the 49 Degrees North Ski Area spent this past summer designing six new alpine trails and several gladed descents in the terrain west of Chair 4. The ski area will build the Angel Peak trails and glades next summer.

Mission Ridge's most significant change wasn't on the slopes, but on the final four miles of road to the area.

The first of a two-phased improvement was completed along a 12-mile road connecting Wenatchee to the ski hill. Work included the stabilizations of banks, addition of guard rails to curves and barriers, widening of shoulders, addition of slow-vehicle turnouts and resurfacing. Mission Ridge also expanded its parking facility and upgraded its snowmaking system.

The installation of the Liberator Express (a high-speed, detachable quad lift) two years ago increased business. The 2005-06 season was a record year with 116,387 visits.

The Summit at Snoqualmie expanded and remodeled the food and beverage area at Summit Central. Whiskey Pete's has been changed from a small bar to a larger, family-friendly venue with an over-21 rule in the evenings.

Other improvements include 350-plus pairs of new rental skis, as well as additional Burton Learn-to-Ride snowboarding equipment, paving of the Alpental road, work to improve conditions of the slopes, a new men's restroom at Summit Central and a new roof at the Summit West Lodge.

While the White Pass Ski Area awaits its appeals on the expansion of the Hogback Basin Proposal, which includes two quad lifts, more ski terrain and a 2,000-square-foot mid-mountain lodge, it's made upgrades in the Hammerhead Terrain Park and the day lodge for this winter season.

British Columbia

In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, many Canadian resorts are going full throttle with upgrades and expansions.

The mega Whistler-Blackcomb Resort Peak-to-Peak Gondola is scheduled to open by December 2008.

In the meantime, the resort is spending $17.6 million on improvements to snowmaking technology. Construction is continuing on the Whistler Sliding Centre, on Blackcomb Mountain. The Sliding Centre will host the bobsled, luge and skeleton events with construction finalized this month.

The Whistler lift maintenance crew spent this spring working on a $5 million mechanical refit on the Whistler Village Gondola.

The Whistler Blackcomb Parks Team spent $40,000 refurbishing rails and purchasing new ones. The terrain parks on both mountains include jumps ranging from 25 to 80 feet, a roller-coaster rail, a 50-foot single bar rail, a 20-foot quarter pipe and a world-class super pipe.

Red Mountain Resort added a new Dopplemayr quad chairlift that replaces the current Silverlode chair. The lift has been readjusted so skiers and boarders can access more than 100 acres of new beginner and intermediate terrain.

Red's terrain park now includes a sound system, advanced tabletop jumps, new rails, an improved wall ride and a cross track.

On Vancouver Island, Mount Washington Resort has expanded its night skiing terrain by lighting up Stomping Ground Terrain Park, and boosted its tree-skiing (gladed) terrain on the south side of the mountain in an area next to the Hawk 6 Pack Chair.

Oregon

Mount Bachelor completed an extensive grading project where the Getback Trail merges with Chipper to improve the return to West Village. Recontouring of the top portion of the Slopestyle Arena will provide more consistent grades and improved jump placement.

Mount Hood Meadows has remodeled the first floor of the North Lodge and refurbished the Yellow Chair (new drive and bail-style chairs).

Timberline Ski Area installed the Jeff Flood Still Creek Basin Chairlift, which opens eight new trails in Still Creek Basin. This high-speed quad provides lift access to about 220 acres of new terrain and is Mount Hood's longest chairlift (6,700 feet).

Idaho

Skiers and snowboarders heading to Sun Valley Resort will find some noticeable changes. Dollar Mountain at Sun Valley, which caters to beginners, has two new high-speed detachable quad chairlifts that replace the Quarter and Dollar lifts. The two new lifts double the capacity to a total of 13 runs. The new $19 million YMCA in the Wood River Valley will provide a break to winter activities for those looking to swim some laps, get exercise or have the kids venture onto the Climbing Canyon. Daily and short-term passes are available to the YMCA.

Brundage Mountain Resort poured $3.1 million into the construction of two triple chairlifts — the Bear Chair and the Lakeview Lift.

The chairlifts boost the resort's uphill lift capacity from 3,100 people per hour to 6,700 people per hour, and serve 160 acres of new terrain on the south side of Brundage Mountain, improving lift service to the low-angle terrain of Bear Knob.

The Lookout Pass Ski Area installed the new North Star double chairlift, which provides access to six new trails (three expert runs and three intermediate runs) on the north side of the mountain that offers views of the Bitterroot Mountains and the Coeur d'Alene River Valley.

The additions of the North Star and Timber Wolf chairlifts have tripled the size of Lookout Pass since 2003.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort, voted by readers of Skiing Magazine into the Top-25 survey of best ski resorts in North America, invested more than $10 million for the upcoming season.

Two new chairlifts — the Basin Express and the Lakeview Triple — have replaced Chair One and improved lift access to the South Bowl's expert terrain and the popular Midway Trail. These lifts ease access to low-angle intermediate terrain for skiers and snowboarders and the Stomping Grounds Terrain Park.

The Basin Express rises 1,063 feet from Schweitzer Village in 3.7 minutes and carries 2,000 people per hour. The Lakeview Triple rises 775 feet, from just below the Basin Express unload to the top of Schweitzer Bowl, in 4.5 minutes and carries 1,200 people per hour. Total uphill capacity increases from 9,267 people per hour up to 12,502 people per hour.

Schweitzer also doled out an additional $2 million in snowmaking and snow surface-grooming equipment.

Silver Mountain Resort gladed much of the terrain in the Chair 2 Basin and invested more money in Phase II of the Morning Star Lodge. It's making final preparations for the early 2008 opening of Silver Rapids — the resort's year-round, indoor water-park.

Silver Mountain also refurbished Chair 4 and installed a sixth lane to its snow tubing park.

Tamarack Resort will build and maintain to Olympic specifications the Hells Canyon SuperPipe with 22-foot high walls. The resort also added two new alpine ski trails and acquired the license to run its own snowmobiling operation — 350 miles of groomed trails in the Payette River Mountains, and expansive backcountry terrain to explore in the Boise and Payette national forests.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com