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Stevens getting another high-speed chairlift
By GREG JOHNSTON 
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Stevens Pass Ski Area will build its second high-speed quad chairlift this summer, officials of Harbor Resort Co. have announced.
Stevens becomes the second ski area in Washington this year to announce major improvements for the coming off-season.
The $2.5 million Express chairlift will be built by Garaventa CTEC, the same company that, in 1996, built Stevens' well-received Skyline Express, the ski area's first high-speed quad (four-seat) lift.
It will also be a "detachable" quad, which means the chairs come off the main cable at the loading and unloading terminals. That allows the chairs to run up the mountain at high speed, but slow down in the terminals to make it easier for skiers and snowboarders to get on and off.
High-speed quads travel about twice as fast as conventional lifts and are popular because they mean skiers and snowboarders spend more time on the snow.
It will be Washington's sixth high-speed lift. White Pass Ski Area has one and Crystal Mountain will have three by next season. Earlier this month, Crystal announced plans to build its third, a six-seat lift, this summer.
Stevens' Express lift will replace two conventional lifts, Blue Jay and Hogsback, on the popular intermediate-level hill in the center of Stevens' front side, and will be open at night.
The new lift's bottom terminal will be situated lower on the slope and closer to the base area than the other lifts, making it easier to reach.
Stevens officials said yesterday the decision to build the lift was made easier by the strong season the ski area has experienced so far this winter. That defies dismal preseason predictions due to El Niño, the warm Pacific Ocean current that is causing weather havoc this season in the Southwest and producing a warmer-than-normal winter in the Northwest.
"The season started slow, but January was one of our best months ever because of consistently good weather," said Chet Marler, operations official at Stevens. "We had fresh snow yet good driving conditions. That encourages us and makes it easier to justify this expenditure."
The ski area is also planning improvements to its Brooks chairlift, a two-seater with access to intermediate terrain that's particularly popular among snowboarders. The loading ramp will be lowered by eight feet, making it easier to reach.
Work on the new quad will begin after the area closes in April, with the lift towers from Hogsback and Blue Jay being torn out and removed on the snow in order to minimize damage to vegetation. Foundations for the the new lift's steel towers will be built as the snow melts and exposes the work areas. The towers will be flown in by helicopter and bolted down during summer.
Area officials plan to have the new lift in operation by next winter's ski season.
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