Copper Mountain Resort wants to expand accessibility to beginner terrain on the far west portion of the resort by replacing and extending the Lumberjack chairlift above West Village.

The resort is proposing to the U.S. Forest Service to replace the existing Lumberjack lift with a high-speed detachable quad that climbs 600 feet farther uphill than Lumberjack’s current top terminal.

The 4,900-foot-long chairlift ride would have a vertical rise of 765 feet and an uphill capacity of about 2,400 people per hour.

The resort also wants to cut a new Middle Roundabout Bypass trail to improve beginner ski and rider circulation and access to terrain in the area.

Copper wants to add 5 acres of snowmaking coverage under the resort’s existing water rights agreement. To do so, Copper is asking to extend an access road, power line and snowmaking to the new top terminal location.

White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams wrote in a letter that Copper’s proposal is specific to improve access to underutilized beginner terrain out of West Village and to provide a more beginner-friendly experience. Fitzwilliams added that Copper wants to add a consistent, high-quality snow surface in the area and allow the chairlift and associated terrain to open earlier in the winter.

To comment by the June 6 deadline, visit Bit.ly/CopperLumberjack.

For more information about these projects, contact Forest Service Project Manager Sam Massman at 970-309-3268 or samuel.massman@usda.gov.