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Aspen Highlands Ski Area - Final Environmental Impact Statement received general submission approval by Pitkin County. In particular, base area skier use patterns, access to initial access lifts, skier egress in the Thunderbowl area, skier amenities, and base area transportation and parking facilities would be affected. The development would include construction of the Aspen Highlands Village, recontouring of some base area ski terrain, and improvement of roads servicing the ski area. In addition, the Moore Family Partnership has proposed installing a ski lift from the High School to near the upper terminal of the existing Thunderbowl Lift. This lift would be used by students, Aspen Ski Club participants, and local area residents and would help reduce vehicular trips on the Maroon Creek Road and facilitate skier egress, but it would not increase initial access capacity because it would not be directly linked to on-mountain distribution lifts. ALTERNATIVE B · PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE As with the No Action Alternative, several previously approved actions that have not yet been implemented would also take place under and be part of Alternative B. The elements of Alternative B would be implemented in two phases. The specific actions proposed for Phase I would include (Figure 1 ): * Replace existing Thunderbowl and Golden Horn lifts with a new quad chairlift (Thunderbowl Lift). * Construct Steeplechase Lift to serve 209 acres of existing terrain and new advanced and expert terrain. * Clear a new catwalk from mid mountain to the base of the new Steeplechase Lift (Steeplechase Catwalk). * Extend existing Olympic Bowl Catwalk to serve the Loge Bowl (Loge Bowl Catwalk). * Replace existing Merry-Go-Round restaurant with a new restaurant in the same general location. * Relocate the ski patrol headquarters from the top of the Cloud Nine Lift to south of the Loge Peak Lift. The new facility would include public restrooms and a Forest Service interpretive center. The specific actions proposed for Phase II would include: * Add Highland Bowl Lift and 190 acres of mainly advanced and expert terrain in Highland Bowl. * Add Maroon Bowl Lift and 189 acres of advanced and expert terrain in Maroon Bowl. * Construct a catwalk between the Steeplechase and Highland Bowl lifts (Highland Bowl Catwalk). * Extend snowmaking capability to cover an additional 227 acres of ski terrain (to reach a total of about 303 acres) from the base area to Loge Peak. The technical descriptions of the Thunderbowl, Steeplechase, Highland Bowl, and Maroon Bowl lifts are shown in Table 3. The Thunderbowl, Steeplechase, and Maroon Bowl lifts would be top driven with power supplied underground along existing or new ski trails or catwalks. The Highland Bowl Lift would be driven from the bottom terminal with power supplied underground along the proposed Highland Bowl Catwalk from the base of the Steeplechase Lift. The new Thunderbowl Lift would provide access to 96 acres of intermediate and advanced skiing terrain; the Steeplechase Lift would provide access to 209 acres of gladed, advanced, and expert terrain; the Highland Bowl Lift would provide access to about 152 acres of open-bowl, advanced, and expert terrain; and the Maroon Bowl Lift would provide access to about 189 acres of expert-only bowl terrain. 10 Section JJ Alternatives Considered in Detail