Arapahoe Basin, CO – Arapahoe Basin’s Exhibition triple chairlift, built at the Colorado ski area in 1978, will be replaced this summer with a high speed Leitner-Poma quad chair lift, christened Black Mountain Express. Of the 118 chairs from the old lift, 110 will be available to the public for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis for $450 each. The remaining chairs will be donated to local Summit County organizations for fundraising purposes.nSale of the chairs will begin May 1 at 8:00 a.m. online at www.arapahoebasin.com. The chairs will be available for pickup on June 11 and 12 at A-Basin.

The new lift received its name this past February after receiving hundreds of suggestions in a naming contest. A-Basin employee Mark LaFlamme was the first to enter the Black Mountain Express name.

The new lift will have a capacity of 2000 people per hour, a length of 2,877 feet and a vertical rise of 719 feet. Ride time from base area to mid-mountain will be just under three minutes, half the time of the current lift ride. Construction is scheduled to commence mid-June and will not impact the current season’s closing date, tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2010, or opening date next fall.

“The Exhibition lift is a great lift with few maintenance issues, but now is the time to replace it. The new lift will have increased capacity, shorter ride time and easier loading. It will provide rapid, easy access to the upper mountain, Montezuma Bowl, and Black Mountain Lodge,” explained Alan Henceroth, Chief Operations Officer.

No reservations will be taken for the chairs. All sales are final and chairs should be used at the purchaser’s own risk. A pick-up truck or similar vehicle is recommended to transport the chairs.

Eight chairs from the Exhibition lift will be donated to the following organizations: The Summit Foundation, High Country Conservation Center, Team Summit, Summit County Community Care Clinic, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, The Family & Intercultural Resource Center, Friends of the Dillon Ranger District and the Keystone Science School.