Winter Park Resort’s new Cabriolet lift opens for the ski season

Skiers board the new Cabriolet at Winter Park Resort's "Village".

The new Cabriolet (open air gondola) at Winter Park Resort takes guests from the Vintage Hotel parking lot to the new Village near the base of Winter Park.

Winter Park Resort’s newest lift, the Cabriolet, began operating on Friday, December 5, 2008.  Designed to take skiers and snowboarders from the parking lot by the Vintage Hotel at the main entrance of Winter Park Resort to the new “Village” near the main base facilities at the ski area.  The open-air gondola can accommodate up to eight passengers and ends the era of parking lot shuttle buses from the lots just off Highway 40 to the Balcony House roundabout.  The brisk ride in the airy cabriolet (which should be really interesting on a windy day) deposits guests in “The Village” where they can then walk to the Zephyr Chairlift or the Balcony House ticket windows.  Many long time locals where grumbling about the longer walks involved and the displacement of the shuttle bus stops that service the towns of Winter Park and Fraser.  The rumored cost of the new lift (estimated at $6.5 million) and its questionable need had many tongues wagging in the lift lines on Friday and Saturday.  Many pointed out that the millions could have been better spent on upgrading the snow making capabilities whose inadequacies have become more apparent every early season.  One miffed local opined that it was clearly a project born from the minds of “maketing types” who envision every visitor to the resort passing by the retail establishments that will occupy the new “cheesy village”. And with a rumored 15% occupancy rate the new “Village” will more resemble a ghost town from Colorado’s storied past.  ”They should put in plastic tumbleweeds and hire Dave the Hermit to pose as an old prospector and really complete the Disneyesque surreality of the place”, said one long time Winter Park skier.

The Vintage Hotel parking lot is the starting point for Winter Park's new Cabriolet lift.

The Mary Jane as seen from the new Cabriolet lift at Winter Park Resort, Colorado

Iris looks for signs of activity at The Mary Jane as she rides the new Cabriolet lift at Winter Park Resort

Skiers walk from the Zephyr Mountain Lodge to The Village at Winter Park Resort to board the Cabriolet to take them to the Vintage Hotel parking lot.

Workers hurry to complete construction on Winter Park's Village and ice skating pond.

Skiers and snowboarders walk past the ongoing construction in Winter Park Resort's new "Village".

The center of the yet to be completed "Village" at Winter Park Resort, Colorado.