Where to Ski And Snowboard - More development at Jackson Hole

More development at Jackson Hole

22nd January 2016, by Abi Butcher

The new Sweetwater Gondola will significantly ease congestion at the base

Jackson Hole has announced yet more investment for next season. A new eight-man gondola will replace the current Eagle’s Rest and Sweetwater lifts improving access to the nursery slopes and Casper area of the Wyoming ski resort that this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The new eight-passenger gondola will significantly ease congestion at the Teton Village base and is yet another improvement for novice skiers and snowboarders.

It will rise 1,300 vertical feet over a distance of 4,500 feet, with a midway unload station near Solitude Way and a top station near the Casper restaurant.

Jackson Hole resort engineer and planner Bill Schreiber said the new gondola will help take the load off the Tram and Bridger Gondola.

“The current Eagle’s Rest lift moves less than 400 people per hour — this new gondola will move 2,000 people an hour,” he said.

The Sweetwater Gondola and the new Teton chairlift, which opened in December, represents the most significant development to the resort since the Bridger Gondola was built in 1997.

Also planned is a 300ft magic carpet just down from the midstation, and four acres will be cleared around the site to improve visibility and allow more space for beginners, children and their parents.

The news will no doubt be met with opposition from die-hard Jackson fans, but it’s positive stuff for skiers planning the long trip from the UK — and families.

The drawings below show where the lift will begin and end.