Give Us a Lift

With the addition of Slushman’s chairlift, more relaxed Ridge rules, and the opening of side-country access gates on both sides of the mountain, things may feel a little different to those who grew up skiing Bridger Bowl. It looks like the changes will keep coming next season too, as Bridger now plans to replace both the Deer Park and Bridger chairlifts with a single three-person lift. The loading zone will be a bit farther up the hill than Deer Park’s current pickup spot, and the new ride will end at the top of Bridger’s current unloading zone. Bridger Bowl expects reduced closures with the new lift, as the heavier chairs are more stable in high winds. The improved access should also help ski patrollers with avalanche control. And unlike the weird, futuristic magic carpets at the base of the Powder Park and Pierre’s Knob, this lift is actually a throwback to Bridger’s bygone era, when both Alpine and Bridger lifts had loading/unloading points halfway up the lift. That’s right, an old-school midway ramp will allow skiers so inclined to exit below Bronco. We love it when our hometown hill goes retro.