Jackson Hole has announced it will shortly be starting work on a new gondola for the 2016/17 season. The new Doppelmayr-built Sweetwater Gondola will be located between the existing Bridger Gondola and Teewinot High Speed Quad.
There will be a mid-station approximately a third of the way up the mountain in the Solitude area, and the gondola will terminate just uphill of the Casper Restaurant. It will feature cabins carrying eight passengers each, take 7.5 minutes to make its ascent and have an hourly uplift capacity of 2,000 people. “Improving the out-of-base capacity will greatly enhance skier flow, and the Sweetwater Gondola will dramatically improve the beginner skier and rider experience,” said President of Jackson Hole Jerry Blann, referring to plans to create a new and enhanced children’s ski school facility located in the Solitude mid-station area. The gondola was chosen as the best type of lift to allow easy and safe uploading and downloading of children for the new children’s teaching facility, in addition to parents and family. “It’s not coincidental that we are happy to announce this new lift during our 50th anniversary season,” Blann added. “This is the first in a series of significant capital improvements over the next few years that underscores our commitment to keeping Jackson Hole at the industry-leading level we are at today. It also further demonstrates the steadfast commitment to this goal by our ownership family, the Kemmerers.”