SAM Magazine-Park City, Utah, Aug. 24, 2010-Canyons is adding two state-of-the-art Doppelmayr quads, including the first in the U.S. with heated seats and orange bubble enclosures, improving access to the gondola from the village, expanding terrain and expanding its snowmaking capabilities. This is the first phase in the redevelopment Canyons under its new owner, Talisker.

The area has also dropped the "The" from its name.

The new bubble quad effectively doubles Canyon's capacity out of the base area. The lift starts just outside the Grand Summit Hotel, and rises 1,500 vertical feet over an 8,500-foot length. A mid-station unload-only terminal gives riders a chance to get off at the mid-mountain Lookout Peak.

The weather-protecting orange bubbles take skiers to the top of the mountain in just nine minutes, making it the fastest way to reach the upper slopes, as well as brightening riders' outlook on overcast days. The chair seats are heated in the base terminal by a 48-volt system that works much like heated seats in a car. The installation includes 186 chairs, which will be parked in their own garage.

A second new high-speed quad, Iron Mountain, will open 300 acres of intermediate to expert terrain. The lift is 5,000 feet long, with a 1,500-foot vertical rise.

Canyons is also relocating the base terminal for the gondola immediately across the village center from the Cabriolet Lift, to create a direct-connect gondola that transports guests from the center of the village to the Red Pine Lodge. This will provide a far more simple and fluid process for transporting guests onto and off of the mountain.

To boost its snowmaking capacity, Canyons is constructing a 20 million gallon reservoir. This and additional infrastructure investments will more than double Canyons' snowmaking capabilities.

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