TL;DR
Timberline Lodge has scrapped its long-planned gondola project and is replacing it with something more skier-focused: two new chairlifts on the lower mountain, plus a new base lodge. The gondola was meant to physically connect Timberline and Summit Pass - acquired back in 2018 - but the resort has decided a lift-based solution better suits its long-term operations. Still needs Forest Service approval before anything gets built.
Timberline Lodge has cancelled its gondola project and announced a revised lift plan for the lower mountain.
Two new chairlifts and a new base lodge replacing what had been a years-long plan to connect Timberline and Summit Pass via aerial cabin.
The pivot was announced this week by Timberline's Director of Marketing and Public Affairs, John Burton, who told the Oregonian the change reflects a better fit with the resort's long-term business viability and operational flexibility.
Background: Two Resorts, One Mountain
The history here matters. Timberline Lodge acquired Summit Pass in 2018, and a formal merger between the two ski areas was announced in 2021. While the two areas can be skied top to bottom, they are not yet connected by lift - closing that gap has been the central infrastructure goal since the merger.
The original solution was a gondola linking the two ski areas. That project has now been abandoned in favour of a chairlift-based approach that the resort says better serves skiers and offers more operational flexibility.
The Newish Plan
The revised proposal involves two chairlifts on the lower mountain. The first would be a fixed-grip quad, running slightly higher up the mountain than the existing lift it replaces. The second would be a high-speed chairlift running from near the top of the new lower quad up to approximately the Stormin' Norman chairlift - creating a more direct and efficient lapping circuit for that section of the mountain.
Burton described the intent in a statement: the concept keeps Summit Pass as an approachable, family-friendly, and value-oriented area while also giving more advanced skiers access to Timberline's upper mountain from Government Camp.
A new skier services building remains part of the plans alongside the two lifts.
What Comes Next
Before any of this moves forward, the project needs to clear the U.S. Forest Service approval process - the same federal review hurdle that applies to any lift development on national forest land. No timeline has been indicated for that process or for construction.
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
