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Underrated Colorado Ski Area Proposes New Chairlift To Boost Tourism

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 3:23 PM ET

A new chairlift could be in the works for western Colorado's Powderhorn Mountain Resort.

The ski area has submitted a proposal to the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests requesting to remove the existing West End chairlift and replace it with a detachable quad chair.

The new chair would be shorter, but placed in the same alignment as West End and be twice as fast as the old chair. The project would also include tree clearing and grading along the lift line for new top and bottom terminals, and the relocation of an existing patrol yurt near the top terminal.

A replacement for West End, which was originally installed in 1972, was approved in Powderhorn's 2001 Master Plan, however due to changes in project configuration and passed time, an updated assessment is required to move forward with the project. The USFS has opened up a seven-day comment period on the project starting September 24, 2025.

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Pending the USFS's approval, the new lift will be built during summer of 2026, ahead of the 2026/27 ski season.

The new lift, the Wild West Express, has been repurposed from Snowmass' Elk Camp chair, which was replaced during summer 2025. The chair is currently being refurbished at Leitner Poma of America, which is just down the road from Powderhorn in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The replacement of the West End lift comes as part of Powderhorn's greater initiative to improve the mountain experience. For the 2025/26 season, Powderhorn's rental shop has been relocated to the southwest side of the base lodge. The Quickdraw Cafe will open in its place with increased breakfast and lunch capacity, and an amazing view of the Book Cliffs. The mountain has also added a new snow groomer to the fleet and expanded the parking lots.

Powderhorn is one of those small, independent resorts that's retained so much of its character over the years. The mountain has a base elevation of 8,200 ft. and vertical drop of 1,650 ft. with 1600 skiable acres and 5 lifts.

If you picture an egg shape with Glenwood Springs at one end and Grand Junction at the other, Aspen Snowmass is off to the side, Sunlight is inside the egg, next to Glenwood, and Crested Butte is outside the egg, also closer to that Glenwood side.

But for the growing communities in Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, and the rest of the western slope and North Fork Valley, Powderhorn is their local hill. This new lift is fantastic news for these communities and their access to skiing.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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