5.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT (improvements) This document is the fifth revision to the original Mountain Master Plan for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR). Although very similar to the plan that was submitted to and accepted by the Forest Service in 2004, a moderate number of changes have been made throughout this development proposal. Many of the changes consist of proposed summer activities. The improvements recommended for the upgrading and expansion of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort reflect identified resource opportunities and constraints in conjunction with the findings that resulted from the analysis of existing facilities. The improvements also incorporate the expectation for continued growth in demand and recognize skier preferences as indicated by market research. The purpose of the Master Plan is to produce a road map for development that ensures the greatest practical use of the existing lands, while remaining sensitive to myriad environmental considerations. The Master Plan is a dynamic document and will be implemented to reflect market demand. It is the objective of the development process to produce a high quality experience, both winter and summer, throughout the recreation area located within the Special Use Permit (SUP) boundary. Accordingly, the plan is tailored to improve Jackson Hole’s ability to respond to market needs/skier demands through development of a more year-round resort experience. This should not only improve the ski area’s current market niche, but also help to attract new users on a year-round basis. Starting in 2005, the focus of improvements at the resort shifted from projects outlined in the 2004 plan to replacing the old Aerial Tram. Environmental approval of the 2004 plan was delayed for many years due to the approval and construction of the new tram. The major changes incorporated into this updated plan compared to the 2004 Master Development Plan consists of the following: Additional conveyor lifts (covered carpet) Elimination of proposed Lower Sublette and Timbered Island lifts. Additional on-mountain storage and operations facilities. Additional summer activities including zip-lines, ropes courses, hiking/biking trails, etc. Additional Avalanche Hazard Reduction infrastructure and equipment. Combine the previously proposed Solitude lift and the existing Sweetwater lift into one high speed lift with a mid-unload. The improvements proposed in this section of the MDP are depicted on Figure 5.1. All proposals are shown at the conceptual level. Prior to implementation of any component of the plan, it will be necessary to generate detailed construction plans for each proposed improvement. 76 FIGURE 5.1 UPGRADE PLAN (BUILD-OUT) 77 During the course of the planning process, a number of alternatives have been evaluated for the upgrade and expansion of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. In formulating the improvement plan the following design criteria have been considered. Consistent Fall Line – This analysis identifies the most natural flow of skier traffic, as well as the optimum skiing routes to serve specific skier ability levels from top to bottom on a consistent basis. Trail Classification Distribution – The new and upgraded ski trails were designed with a focus on attempting to provide a distribution of trail classifications that will more closely match the ability level profile of the national skier market. Optimum Skier Density (per acre) on Trails – The installation of new lifts has been suggested in order to balance the uphill capacity of each lift with the downhill capacity of the terrain that it serves. Reasonable Waiting Lines for Lifts – Low trail densities have been balanced with hourly uphill capacities on lifts. A maximum of ten minute waits in lift lines has been specified for peak hour operations, with the exception of the Tram. Waiting times for the Tram can at times exceed 20 minutes. Chairlift Alignments – The construction of lift terminals is suggested where practical in terms of terrain (gradients), circulation, and ease of integration with existing skiing facilities. Support Facility Requirements – This critical element of planning incorporates the interface of vehicular, pedestrian and skier circulation, as well as skier support services, maintenance and utilities. More On-Mountain Restaurant Seating – The plan will incorporate the expansion and replacement of some restaurants. Throughout this document the words skiing or skier refer to anyone moving over the snow surface utilizing some type of winter sports equipment. This includes skis, snowboards, blades, randonnee, telemark, Nordic, and other types of equipment. PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS Improvements proposed in this MDP update are described in the sections below. The proposed improvements have been generated by a collaborative effort by the management of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the U.S. Forest Service, comments from the general public and the resort design firm of S.E. Group. All of the various departments within resort operations (Mountain Operations, Mountain Sports School, etc.) have had input into the various design elements outlined below. These improvements are designed to increase the desirability of the mountain and better match the ability level of the resort to that of the national skier market. Until this document receives final environmental review approval from the USFS, previous MDPs, which were approved through several NEPA reviews, will be in effect and used to guide development. 78 5.1 Lifts (proposed) The lift upgrade program is intended to be implemented over a period of years with timing priorities to be established according to demand and available capital. Specifications for the proposed lifts are summarized below in Table 5.1. A general description of each lift is as follows: Teton (High Speed Quad) A new high-speed detachable quad chair in an area of the mountain called Crags is again proposed in this MDP update. The top of this lift would be located on the north boundary of the ski area providing access to excellent advanced intermediate and expert terrain. It also would provide improved efficiency of avalanche hazard reduction activities. Sweetwater (eight passenger gondola w/mid-unload) This new lift will provide much needed out of base capacity. The top terminal of the lift will be located in one of two locations. The first option would be in the same location as the unload area of the existing Sweetwater triple chair lift. Significant grading (cutting) at the unload terminal is required. The material that is cut from the site will be used on the skier’s right side of Easy-Does-It run to eliminate an existing cross slope. The second top terminal option would be located between Wide Open and Kemmerer trails at a location known as Croaky Crossing. This lift will provide significant more access capacity to the Casper and Teton lifts. The mid-unload design will provide access to the Solitude facility in both summer and winter seasons. Sweetwater will be designed and installed as a gondola. Slalom (Fixed Grip Quad) This fixed grip quad chair would provide secondary access to the Thunder chair via Amphitheatre Traverse. It would only run part of the season when it is needed for race events and/or for upper mountain access during busy peak holiday periods. Solitude#1 (Handle Tow) The existing Pooh Bear handle tow will be relocated to a location adjacent to the Solitude facility. This lift will serve novice level skiers enrolled in Mountain Sports School (MSS) classes. Solitude #2 (Conveyor) This conveyor would be accessed by the new Sweetwater lift and be used primarily by the MSS. Eagle’s Rest (Fixed Grip Triple) To better utilize the existing Eagle’s Rest run and other novice terrain, a fixed grip triple lift would be installed along the south edge of Eagle’s Rest run. The lower terminal of the lift would be located approximately 275 yards above the base area. The lift capacity would be 1,200 pph and have a vertical rise of approximately 250 feet. The top of the lift would be installed approximately 150 feet uphill 79 FIGURE 5.2 LIFTS (PROPOSED) 80 from the unload point of the existing Eagle’s Rest lift. The top portion of the run would be completely re-graded to create new novice terrain with a grade of approximately 25 percent. Fort Wyoming #2 (Conveyor) This conveyor would provide access to additional beginner terrain for guests using the Kids Ranch. It would be 200 ft. long and covered. A moderate amount of tree removal is required for this installation along with extensive grading of the site. Cody Bowl (Handle Tow) This new tow would be installed on the “Powder 8” face of Cody Bowl in approximately the same location as a handle tow previously installed on this slope. It would be used primarily for spring/summer ski and snowboard camps. The tow would have a capacity of 600 pph and a vertical rise of approximately 425 feet. Upgrading and extending the existing summer access road will be required to facilitate lift construction and summer maintenance. This lift does not contribute to the resort capacity due to the fact it would not operate during the normal winter season. Cody Bowl Return (chair/surface lift) This lift would only serve as an access lift for skiers utilizing the Cody Bowl area. It would not run on a continual basis and would provide easy access back into the resort when snow conditions limit the use of backcountry terrain. The existing lifts, with the exception of Eagle’s Rest and Sweetwater, would remain in their current configurations and continue with their same capacities. At build-out of the resort, there will be the following number and types of lifts operating during the winter season. Total number of lifts at Build-out: High Speed lifts (incl. tram) 7 Fixed Grip lifts 8 Handle Tows/Conveyors 6* Total number of lifts 21 *The Granite Ridge handle tow is included in the above total even though it is located on private land.