MCCALL, IDAHO — The new Dopplemayr high-speed detachable quad gets skiers and snowboarders up the mountain in six minutes. The old Centennial triple took 16 and it's making a big difference on the mountain.
"That opens up this whole mountain now," said snowboarder Guy Jeppe. "I don’t know this side of the mountain that well because I rarely rode that."
Guy and I have that in common because to get to that side of the mountain we had to traverse from the Bluebird Express or take a painfully long ride on the old life.
"Yeah it is unbelievable," said Jeppe. "I’ve been over here before, but now lapping provides a lot more mountain to experience at Brundage."
This summer we showcased how Brundage built the new lift with the help of a helicopter and crews on the ground. The Centennial Express opened on January 2.
"It’s been years in the making to get this lift deconstructed and then built back in, it took about eight months," said April Whitney of Brundage. "People were stoked, they were hooting and hollering and since it opened we have had multiple days of fresh snow so it really kicked off a whole new era both in lift service, but also in snowfall for this season."
Brundage Mountain Resort has received around three and a half feet of snow since the Centennial Express opened. The new lift has 92 chairs with a vertical rise of 1,636 feet and it can accommodate 1,800 people per hour helping to disperse skiers and snowboarders on the mountain.
The side of the mountain accessed by the Centennial Express also has a number of beginner and intermediate runs where people can improve their skills.
Brundage is now 100 percent open and that includes the expert terrain on Hidden Valley. Skiers and snowboarders still need to be aware of early season hazards off-piste and in the glades.
