Announcing the Grand Opening of our New Lithia Chair for the 24/25 Season!  

We are delighted to announce the opening of Lithia Chair on December 14, 2024 at 10:30 am. This will be the first chairlift opening in over 35 years and is a revival of easier terrain that our guests enjoyed for the first few decades of the mountain’s history with the Poma surface lift. The new 5 tower chairlift with fixed grip, triple-seat chairs was manufactured by SkyTrac and utilizes an all-electric auxiliary motor, as opposed to the traditional diesel- one of the first in the US to use this technology. SkyTrac is a leader in chairlift manufacturing having produced lifts at countless Ski Areas and Resorts across the country including, Jackson Hole, Park City Mountain, Alta Ski Area, Mt. Hood Meadows, Taos Ski Valley and now our very own Mt. Ashland Ski Area.

What Kind of Terrain Will it Serve? 

The Lithia Chair will serve Easy and More Difficult terrain. From the lodge, skiers can access the lift by skiing down Aisle 1 to the loading area – just below the lodge near the Center Stage Terrain Park. The 90-second ride will end at the very top of the Sonnet slope, providing access to all trails that come off that hill in every direction. Poma (a More Difficult run) will now be easily accessible and we are announcing the renaming of the Lodge Poma trail to Lupine (a More Difficult run). A future Easy trail named Bumblebee is in the current master plan and will also be accessible from the top of the Sonnet Hill. The Lithia Chair project has been a priority this year due to the need for a more well-rounded beginner program and learning progression for novice skiers and snowboarders.  Additionally, the Lithia Chair will be more resilient in higher winds that sometimes closes the Sonnet Chair. The trails Poma, Lupine, and Bumblebee are all planned to be lit for night skiing next season. The terrain will offer a designated area for both the Elementary and Middle School Alpine Teams to race, and once the lights are installed, it will also host some of the adult race leagues

SkyTrac broke ground on September 1st and ground work continued for both the top and bottom terminals until September 30th when the pouring for the foundations for the top and bottom terminals and operator enclosures began. Subsequent work included preparing and setting the 5 towers. October 19th the motor room, drive,  and the bullwheels were installed and by October 20th rigging was set for the splice with the final cable splice completed October 23rd. Final communication cables and chairs were hung October 24th. The construction for the lift was completed October 24th with the overall construction timeline totaling just 54 days. 

Once the construction was completed, Lithia Chair had to undergo rigorous load tests and safety inspections in addition to 100 hours of run time before operating for our guests.

This project represents years of planning, hard work and collaboration and is all about improving the experience for our community. The Lithia Chairlift not only modernizes our infratsucture, but also sets the stage for future similar projects.  

The Lithia name pays homage to the tourism roots of Ashland, when the local mineral springs drew visitors from around the country starting in the 1910s. Many of the community’s favorite gathering places bare the name: Lithia Park, Lithia Plaza, and the historic Lithia Springs Hotel. Although a departure from the more common Shakespeare-themed names, Mt. Ashland has broken that precedent with other names such as Comer Chairlift, Dan’s Run, Rodger’s Way, etc.

We can’t wait for all of our guests to enjoy the new Lithia Chair and the amazing terrain that comes with it!