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This summer, work is underway on a beginner chairlift set to serve skiers and snowboarders at Washington’s 49 Degrees North, a ski area located in the Northeast corner of the state.
Once complete, the Doppelmayr quad will access slopes for newcomers like Treasure Hill and Gold Chute. Previously, a two-seater called Payday installed in 1972 stood in the area.
“The Payday lift served our visitors well for many, many years, but this new Doppelmayr quad will take that experience to the next level for all of our newer skiers and riders, families, kids, and lesson programs,” 49 Degrees North wrote in a social media post.
Just a few days ago, the ski area shared photos showing lift towers and upper and lower terminals.
“Making big strides on the new lift,” the post reads. “So exciting!!!”
To give skiers a shot at assembling some memorabilia, 49 Degrees North offered some of the Payday two-seaters for $550 earlier this month, but they proved to be a hot commodity and have since sold out.
For 49 Degrees North, the addition follows a bigger, perhaps more noticeable, shake-up to its lift infrastructure. In 2021, the ski area installed the Northern Spirit Express, a $7 million detachable quad that traveled to the summit and cut the uphill time to seven minutes.
As for additional lift improvements, 49 Degrees North teased, in a social media comment, that a rope tow for the terrain park is “in our plans for the future for sure, sooner than later too!”
After the sold-out Payday chair sale, 49 Degrees North also wrote that, “As we continue to make upgrades to the ski area, there is a high probability that there will be more opportunities like this in the future.”
Washington’s ski scene is dominated by a few heavy-hitters near Seattle, like Stevens Pass and Crystal Mountain.
But 49 Degrees North, and others, fill out the roster with quieter, more homey options. Fittingly, the ski area is a member of the Indy Pass. And despite the rootsier vibe, 49 Degrees North isn’t small, spanning more than 2,000 skiable acres with about 1,900 feet of vertical to match.
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