KETCHUM - Sun Valley Resort is looking at a plan to replace its oldest chairlift and increase skiable terrain by about 400 acres.
The proposed Cold Springs Canyon Project would include replacing the Cold Springs chairlift, increasing skiable terrain within bounds, and rerouting and improving the Cold Springs mountain bike trail.
According to the resort, the new chairlift will be a mile-long detachable quad that carries skiers and snowboarders up 1,500 vertical feel in six minutes.
The terrain expansion would add about 400 skiable acres with the resort's boundary, accessible from the top of Seattle Ridge.
The resort will host an open house for the public on Friday, March 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the River Run Day Lodge. Sun Valley staff, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and project managers will be on hand to answer questions about the project.
Field work is planned for this summer, including an environmental assessment. If the project is approved, construction could begin as soon as the summer of 2018.
