Lee Canyon launches operation of 4th chairlift Friday
A fourth lift begins operations at Lee Canyon Ski Resort on Friday morning, the first major chairlift project for the resort in nearly 10 years.
The 1,500-foot Ponderosa quad chairlift will start running at 11 a.m. with a grand opening celebration. The skiers/snowboarders who board Ponderosa’s first chair will ride through a breakaway banner and will receive a “first-chair” plaque to mark the occasion.
Lee Canyon’s first chairlift, Chair 1, a double chair, was installed in 1968.
“In recent years, Lee Canyon has experienced unprecedented growth of its community, especially season passholders. As Las Vegas’ backyard outdoor resort, our goal is to continually invest in our guest experience,” said Dan Hooper, Lee Canyon’s general manager.
The Ponderosa is the first major chairlift project since 2014, when the Bluebird quad chair replaced Chair 2, according to a news release. Other recent investments have included Hillside Lodge, a modern 10,000 square-foot facility that features the Bristlecone Bar, the ski-in/ski-out Sky Deck, and the Brewin’ Burro coffeehouse. It opened in the 2019/20 winter season. In August 2022, the resort cut the ribbon on a new lift-served downhill mountain park. In December 2023, Lee Canyon opened the Ponderosa parking area, which added another 450 stalls. It is located near Rabbit Peak.
Since the 1960s, Lee Canyon has operated with three lifts. Over the years, Lee Canyon has upgraded technology for terrain access, most recently with modern quad chairs that make it faster for people to reach higher elevations and for the resort to serve more people, as Las Vegas has grown. The quad chairlift, which can move 1,800 users per hour, is a part of the resort’s $7 million capital improvement project.
Lee Canyon operates during all four seasons and has added summer and fall activities like a lift-served mountain bike park, yoga classes, archery lanes, axe-throwing and disc golf.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VegasMarvRJ on X.
