SUMMIT COUNTY – Arapahoe Basin picked a name for the high-speed quad chairlift that will replace Exhibition lift this summer. The new lift will go by the moniker “Black Mountain Express.”

In December, the Basin called on its fans to brainstorm a name for Exo’s replacement. COO Alan Henceroth received hundreds of suggestions, including “Quadzilla” and “Chairway to Heaven.”

Mark La Flamme of A-Basin’s Snow Maintenance Department submitted the winning name. Guests riding the lift will have a view of Black Mountain’s jagged peaks, just east of the ski area. Many expert backcountry skiers hike Black Mountain each year to descend some of Summit County’s steepest and most challenging chutes, including the Trench, the Dog Leg and the Brain.

Black Mountain Express will whisk guests from the base area up to mid-mountain in about half the time the fixed-grip Exhibition does. The ski area installed Exo in 1978. The new lift will have a capacity of 2,000 people per hour, a length of 2,877 feet and a vertical rise of 719 feet. Ride time will be just under three minutes.

Construction is scheduled for mid-June and will not impact the current season’s closing date.