The only new Utah chairlift this season is now up and running at Snowbird.  The high-speed detachable replaces the old Gad 2 double chair built in 1971 and cuts travel time in half. Snowbird re-graded the hill at the top of the new lift to make it easier for skiers and snowboarders to hop off the chair and also re-graded the bottom of Bananas trail to ease traffic flow.

I scooted over to The Bird for a first look and to chat with fellow locals about the upgrade. Now, all we need is a fresh dose of snow to ride it the way it was meant to be ridden.