As long as snow conditions cooperate, the West Bowl Express will be ready to ride by the scheduled opening of the mountain on Nov. 16.
With a few more finishing touches left on the construction of the chairlift, senior director of mountain operations Erik Meertens said its completion date will likely be in about two weeks.
The next step of the process is safety and load testing with Technical Safety BC and Doppelmayr engineering and maintenance staff, which will cover all the necessary bases to ensure a smooth ride up the hill. Though the date hasn’t been set, this will likely take place at the end of October or first week of November.
Reaching higher than the old T-bar that operated in the West Bowl until 2020, the West Bowl Express will give guests lift access to old runs that will be regularly maintained, as well as three new runs.
West Bowl Express: design and assets
What makes this chairlift such a unique addition to the lift network at Sun Peaks is its detachable carriers that are to be kept in a covered parking rail overnight.
Reaching such high elevation, chairlifts are subject to inclement mountain weather conditions that can result in rime (iced surfaces), which could delay morning maintenance to get the lift running if crews have to remove ice.
“It’s going to add a little bit of time just removing the carriers and then launching them, but that 20 minutes of time that it takes to take the carriers off or on is nothing in comparison to if we had a major weather delay.”
The window of operation is a little less with this lift than the others, opening at 9:30 and closing at 3:15 p.m.
Powered by electricity, the lift can load 1,800 people per hour initially, with the ability to go as high as 2,400, and can run even if the power goes out thanks to a backup auxiliary.
Another asset is the speedy trip up the mountain, which takes about five and a half minutes to travel the length of 1,520 metres and 315 vertical metres that the lift offers.
Expanding the trail network
The West Bowl ski area is going to remain largely the same, director of communications for Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR) Christina Antoniak said, with open bowl terrain as well as some treed areas.
There will now be an area of skiable terrain from the top of the West Bowl Express that reaches above where the old T-bar used to run. The skiable area in the West Bowl is tripling in size, from 54 acres to 169 acres.
A large portion of the terrain of the West Bowl was skiable for the last few years given you were motivated enough to make the trek from Top of the World. Not only is this terrain now easily accessible, but the new run Whyte’s Ride skirts the boundary on the far side of the West Bowl, giving skiers a way to ski a zone that was previously not a viable option.
“If you ended up in this zone, you were going to have an incredibly difficult time getting back to roundabout or Seven Mile Road,” Antoniak said, adding that the flat access road Seven Mile Road is also a very unappealing option to skiers.
The upper portion of Whyte’s Ride existed previously, but now, with the help of significant logging efforts done in various other spots as well, the new run extends down and takes skiers all the way to the bottom terminal.
“It’s a very, very cool new trail over there, with lots of rolling terrain and undulating terrain, that’s probably the best new run over there,” Meertens said, particularly focusing on the newly logged piece that connects the top of Whyte’s Ride with the lower portion.
Another new run, Saddle Up, takes skiers over to Westsyde. Gateway is an access run added off Roundabout as a last chance for skiers to make their way back to the West Bowl Express.
“We know on our busy days, holiday periods, that sort of thing, there can be quite a compression of guests waiting at the mid station on Burfield,” Antoniak said. “So this really should alleviate a little bit of the pressure that is felt there.”
Not only does the West Bowl Express give skiers lift access to a desirable terrain, but the addition of a new lift ensures grooming will be done regularly in that area.
Though an inviting expanse of land, Meertens warns skiers not to cross the permanently closed area boundary at the bottom of the West Bowl.
“The further you get into that permanently closed area, the more dangerous it gets,” he said.
To make sure everyone’s as stoked as they should be for the ski hill enhancement the West Bowl Express provides, Antoniak said to keep your ears peeled for a grand opening announcement.
What did you think of this story?
Sun Peaks Independent News is your essential source for community news in Sun Peaks. Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you.
