Deer Valley Resort welcomed guests onto two new lifts Saturday, the East Village Gondola and Pinyon Express, the first expansion infrastructure to debut this season. The openings came during a sold-out holiday period, with lift tickets and Ikon Pass reservations fully booked through Jan. 2.  Th at limits daily skier numbers to manage crowding. With access to the new gondola and Pinyon Express, guests can ski the first of many brand-new runs built as part of the expansion. Among them is Clipper, a green run that reaches almost 9,350 feet and introduces the new high-elevation terrain serviced by Pinyon Express.  Pinyon Express is a new six-pack detachable chairlift with individual seat heating serving this upper mountain learning area. The lift gives newer skiers access to longer, higher beginner runs, while also helping connect Bald Mountain, Flagstaff Mountain and Park Peak.  The East Village Gondola is a new 10-passenger, two-stage gondola designed so its lower and upper sections can operate independently depending on weather conditions. Currently, the gondola is in use to help skiers download to the East Village while ski access is not yet open. The lifts may feel familiar to some, as these two were the focus of a public helicopter fly-day in July, when over 1,000 spectators watched as a Chinook helicopter flew in more than 30 towers to complete the upper half of the gondola and all 11 towers of the Pinyon Express lift.  “Getting the first two of our brand new lifts open was the result of months of planning paired with real-time adaptation. Our teams plan well in advance for multiple weather scenarios, but the variability we’ve seen this season required constant reassessment,” said Emily Summers, Deer Valley’s communications director. “To open the East Village Gondola and Pinyon Express this weekend, it was a very targeted effort by our snow grooming team and took over 48 hours of snow movement to pull it off.” Given variable temperatures and changing conditions, Deer Valley has prioritized opening new terrain when it can be built and managed safely rather than pushing to open areas before they can hold up under traffic, Summers said. As more lifts come on line, the teams are prioritizing openings that help move skiers away from already busy areas and improve circulation between different parts of the mountain. As of Tuesday morning, Deer Valley had 16 of 31 lifts open to move skiers across 41 open trails.  “We’re prioritizing terrain that helps disperse guests, reduces pressure on core areas, and improves circulation between lift pods. That means openings won’t always be linear or intuitive from a guest perspective, but they are intentional, based on safety, snow quality and operational efficiency,” she said. Overnight changes in temperature, wind and snow conditions can quickly alter what terrain is safe to open on any given day. As a result, Deer Valley’s operations teams make initial decisions early each morning and re-evaluate conditions throughout the day as weather and snow surfaces change. “A significant amount of flexibility is required across the entire mountain operations team,” said Summers. “For on-mountain staff, this requires long hours, close communication, and the ability to pivot quickly, all while maintaining our standards for guest experience.” While recent snowfall has helped, Deer Valley said consistent cold temperatures are the most important factor at this stage of the season. Cold weather allows snowmaking teams to build depth, helps groomed surfaces set properly, and preserves snow quality once terrain opens, especially on high-traffic runs during the holidays. “Durability is still an important consideration, but this season looks a little different. Right now, we’re opening terrain as natural conditions allow and being very intentional about how we manage it. That means some areas may open, close and reopen as weather and overnight conditions change. Our priority is staying responsive to what the mountain is giving us each day,” said Summers.  With skier numbers capped and demand at capacity, Deer Valley said each new lift and terrain opening plays a direct role in managing crowding. “Expanding access allows us to better distribute guests across the mountain, easing congestion in core areas, opening runs that provide access to additional food and beverage outlets and improving the overall experience,” she said.  These two lifts will be joined by five others this winter with access to 80 new ski runs, adding to the 20 runs and three lifts debuted last season. By the end of the expansion project, the resort will more than double its size with 3,700 new acres of skiable terrain.  The post New lifts open as Deer Valley manages sold-out holiday crowds appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less