Upgrading Park City Mountain?

After a failed attempt a few years ago to upgrade its 6-pack SilverLode lift into an 8 passenger chair, and replacing the Eagle/Eaglet fixed grip lifts by a 6-pack detachable, Park City Mountain (PCM) is returning to the Park City council for an authorization, emphasizing that these improvement won’t increase vehicular traffic in town. 

It’s true that with the terrible snow season we just had, Park City needs all the help it can get to make up for its low altitude in view of continuing climate warming. Given the extremely poor snow season we just experienced and the resort’s relatively low elevation, which makes it more vulnerable to ongoing climate warming (the woolly Mammoth in the room) —Park City needs every operational advantage it can get. Hopefully, the City will at approve the Eagle upgrade. 

The most urgent need is to increase morning uphill capacity so skiers can access the mountain quickly, without long lines. Failing to address this continues to hurt the Park City brand, especially if we put in the mix the number of outdated lifts still in operation. A faster, higher‑capacity Eagle lift connecting the base to the top of King Con would significantly address the morning bottleneck. 

However, the proposed upgrade of Silverlode to an 8‑pack won’t be enough to resolve the crowding at the base of that lift. Unlike its predecessors, PCM has developed a habit of frequently slowing or stropping its chairlifts, which significantly reduces their nominal capacity. Adding two more seats per chair may lead to even more stoppages, offsetting much of the theoretical 33% capacity increase. This won’t make the difference needed to resolve the current long lines and massive overcrowding at the base of Silverlode.

Instead, I return to a proposal I’ve advocated since this discussion began: Lower the base terminal of Motherlode down the Thaynes drainage to roughly 7,500 feet. This would allow a ski cut-off to be created from the top of Broadway, wrapping around and below Miner’s Camp, descending directly into the new Motherlode loading area. 

The cherry on the cake would be to extend the top terminal by moving it to the edge of Puma Ridge, near the timberline below Jupiter Peak, at up to 9,500 feet. This would open a much easier access to the entire Jupiter area, including Puma Bowl, Pioneer and McConkey lifts, and any terrain currently served by Motherlode. 

Many skiers coming from the upgraded Eagle lift would have the option to ski into Broadway and then turn left toward the new Motherlode cut-off, reducing pressure on both Silverlode and King Con. Removing Motherlode’s top station from the congested Summit area would also reduce crowding there. A redesigned Motherlode would offer roughly 2,000 vertical feet of skiing and distribute skiers more effectively across the entire Park City side of the resort. 

Even those skiing the bowl from the top of the Quicksilver Gondola could directly access Motherlode without having to reach King Con. This could reduce or eliminate the need for the aging Thaynes double chair. In addition, the current Motherlode 4‑pack could be relocated to Jupiter, with its base lowered near the Thaynes mine shaft, improving access and spreading skiers into currently underutilized terrain. 

Overall, this approach would improve circulation, reduce congestion, and make far better use of existing terrain than simply upgrading Silverlode to an 8‑pack.