Big day at Mt. Bachelor as lift pieces fly into place

Mt. Bachelor is expanding by finally adding a chairlift on the southeast side of the mountain. And Friday brought a dramatic, high-flying milestone in the Cloudchaser project.

The $6 million project started earlier this year and entered its second phase on Friday as crews started placing steel towers on the new Cloudchaser chairlift, the 11th lift at the mountain.

“This is really exciting for all of us here at Mt. Bachelor and the community of Bend,” Promotions and Communications Manager Stirling Cobb said.

The new chairlift will add 635 acres to the mountain’s skiable terrain, making the resort the fifth-largest ski area in the U.S.

The new lift will be located next to the Rainbow Chairlift.

Cobb told NewsChannel 21 this new chairlift could help ease the long lines during ski season.

“We anticipate that it will help the lift lines this winter. Between Northwest and Cloudchaser, we’re talking completely opposite ends of the mountain, so this will help with any capacity challenges that we have,” Cobb said.

Mt. Bachelor hired a contractor to help with placing the steel towers by using a helicopter to transport them to the mountain, aided by crews on the ground to help bolt them down.

The new chairlift is one of many changes to the ski resort this snow season. Earlier this year, Mt. Bachelor announced they were raising the price on season passes.

For Powder House Ski and Snowboard, this new addition to Mt. Bachelor means more people buying snow gear to hit the slopes.

“It’s a territory that I’ve skied since I’ve been a little kid,” owner Todd McGee said. “I’ve lived here almost all my life, and it’s going to be nice. Instead of hiking over there or hiking out. we’ll be able to get some awesome territory on the east side of the mountain.”

Mt. Bachelor expects to open up for the ski season in mid-November, and Cobb said the new chairlift should be up and running some time in mid-December.