You Can Watch Chairlift Construction Live at Deer Valley This Month

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 11:48 AM ET

The vast construction projects that take place in the mountains over the summer often go unseen by most skiers.

But later this month, Deer Valley, Utah, is changing that status quo with a unique opportunity: after buying a scenic lift ride ticket and riding to the top of Bald Mountain on the Sterling Express, spectators can watch a procession of helicopters flying in and installing the towers for two of the ski resort’s new lifts.

The event is scheduled for July 19, and scenic lift ride tickets that include summit access are $30. Kids ride for free. After the show, spectators can head to the Silver Lake Lawn for live music, beer, and food trucks.

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The helicopters are delivering towers for the under-construction East Village Express Gondola and Pinyon Express. The East Village Express Gondola has ten-person cabins and connects the new East Village to Park Peak, while the Pinyon Express borders Deer Valley’s original terrain boundary.

Deer Valley president and COO Todd Bennett said in a statement that the tower installations are part of the ski resort’s effort to deliver the largest ski resort expansion in history.

“We encourage the community to be part of this momentous day,” he added.

Both lifts are among the seven new ropeways Deer Valley expects to debut this coming winter as one step of its ongoing Expanded Excellence project, which, once complete, will have expanded the resort’s footprint to 5,276 skiable acres.

During the 2024-2025 ski season, Deer Valley opened three new lifts: the Keetley Express, the Hoodoo Express, and the Aurora, serving 300-plus acres of new terrain.

Before Expanded Excellence got underway, Deer Valley had a terrain footprint of about 2,000 skiable acres, making it large but not notably so. When the project concludes, Deer Valley will be one of the ten largest ski resorts on the continent.

A luxury experience was—and still is—Deer Valley’s strong suit. In the coming seasons, the ski resort will add sheer magnitude to its list of strengths.

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

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