After a historic winter with 701 inches of snowfall, China Peak Mountain Resort is about to modernize. In a recent episode of Stuart Winchester’s Storm Skiing Podcast, he spoke with Tim Cohee, who is the President of China Peak. The podcast is worth a listen due to the extensive discussion of the rise of China Peak and the Cali Pass. One of the most interesting tidbits, including that during the next two ski seasons, China Peak will be getting two new lifts.
For the 2023-24 season, the first lift replacement will be the Canyon chairlift (6), which will become a fixed-grip quad. This chairlift is coming from Jackson Hole, where it was known as the Thunder Quad. This allows for increased capacity out of the base area and begins the modernization of China Peak’s chairlift network that’s coming over the next few years.
In 2024, the Firebowl T-bar is going to be replaced by a fixed-grip quad chairlift. This lift is coming from Taos Ski Valley, where it was known as Lift 4. The old Taos chairlift will be going to two places. Most of the lift will be going to Firebowl, an old t-bar that has been inoperable for numerous years. The other remaining lift towers and chairs will be going to the Dodge Ridge, and replacing Chair 5. The double chairlift that is currently there has a quad drive system, making the replacement at Dodge Ridge much simpler.
A consideration down the line could be a new detachable chairlift. Tim said that they’re considering replacing the Summit Chairlift (1) with a detachable six-pack. This is possible now due to the new California Mountain Resort Company, which now owns China Peak, Dodge Ridge, and Mountain High. This tandem creates more revenue, and thus, the potential for more investments.
You can listen to Stuart’s podcast episode with China Peak President Tim Cohee here.
Image Credits: China Peak Mountain Resort
