Alta, WY – This summer, Grand Targhee Resort replaced its old Blackfoot double chairlift with a new Doppelmayr fixed grip quad.

This lone double chair remaining at Grand Targhee was due for retirement. The Blackfoot chairlift has been an iconic piece of Grand Targhee Resort’s history since it was installed in 1974, accessing over 500 acres and 1,200 vertical feet of terrain. 

The old Blackfoot chair, manufactured by Riblet, had an uphill capacity of 960 passengers per hour, with a ride time of 12 minutes. The new lift, which will include a safety bar with foot rests, can haul 1,800 guests per hour, and the total ride time will decrease to seven minutes. In the event of a power outage the new lift will be able to run off of a backup diesel engine.

“The entire resort team is excited to replace and upgrade the Blackfoot chairlift,” says Targhee’s marketing and sales director, Ken Rider. “The resort ownership and entire team is committed to the guest experience and reinvesting in the resort with ongoing improvements. This is the largest and most visible of many recent capital investments the resort has made.”

Construction of the new Blackfoot lift is now largely complete, and officials expect to have it ready for Targhee’s opening day of the 2016-17 winter season.