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<br />Aspen HighJa1'.ds Ski Area - Draft Enviro1l17le1llaJ Impact Statemelll
<br />new explosives make-up facility south of Loge Peak (Figure 3). Alternative C would not include any
<br />development in the Maroon Bowl and would exclude the area from the SUP area. The Steeplechase Catwalk
<br />would also not be construCted. The snowmaking capacity would be substantially lower under Alternative C than
<br />under Alternative B. One additional feature of Alternative C is the introduction of summer sky-rides to Loge
<br />Peak in order to allow summer visitors to take advantage of the spectacular view of the Maroon Bells Wilderness
<br />and to use the Loge Peak restaurant. The independent Aspen Highlands base area development would not affect
<br />Alternative C differently than the No Action Alternative. Technical descriptions of the Thunderbowl,
<br />Steeplechase, Highland Bowl, and Highland and Ridge surface lifts are summarized in Table 4. The
<br />Thunderbowl, Steeplechase, and Ridge Surface lifts would be top driven with power supplied underground along
<br />existing or new ski trails or catwalks. The Highland Bowl and Highland Surface lifts would be driven from the
<br />bottom terminal with power supplied underground from the base of the Steeplechase Lift along the proposed
<br />Highland Bowl Catwalk and the Highland Bowlliftline. The two surface lifts would increase access to Highland
<br />Bowl, while the other lifts would provide access to the same terrain that they service under Alternative B. The
<br />upper terminal of the Thunderbowl Lift would be 700 feet to the south and 400 feet to the west of the existing
<br />upper terminal of the Golden Horn lift. This would provide access to some currently underutilized trails and the
<br />lift would be used for teaching, racing, special events, and repeat skiing.
<br />
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<br />
<br /> Length V crt. Rise Ride Time Capacity Skiable Area
<br />Lift Typel (ft) (ft.) (min) (PPh}2 (acres)
<br />Thunderbowl D4C 5000 1500 5 1600 96
<br />Steeplechase FlC 4400 2200 9 1600 190
<br />Highland Bowl FlC 4500 1950 9 1200 123
<br />Highland Surface surface 1000 300 2 500 30
<br />Ridge Surface surface 1800 200 3 500 23
<br />lD4C = detachable quad chairlift; FlC = double fixed-grip chair-lift; surface = surface lift
<br />2pph = persons per hour
<br />
<br />Ski Terrain
<br />Capacity (skiers)
<br />
<br />962
<br />
<br />1907
<br />
<br />1155
<br />
<br />283
<br />
<br />204
<br />
<br />New terrain and associated tree clearing proposed for development under Alternative C would be similar to that
<br />proposed under Alternative B, except for Maroon Bowl, which would not be developed. In addition, without the
<br />development of the Steeplechase Catwalk, lower Boomerang Woods may not be developed. Most of the terrain
<br />development would consist of glading in the Deep Steeplechase expansion area and to a lesser extent along the
<br />lower reaches of the Highland Bowl Lift line and to the east of the Thunderbowl Lift. The three levels of tree
<br />removal to facilitate skier access would correspond to those described above under Alternative B. Lift corridors
<br />would also be cleared to a minimum of 60 feet wide in forested stands to meet the PTSB safety standards.
<br />
<br />The Loge Bowl and Highland Bowl catwalks would be the same as under Alternative B, but the existing Grand
<br />Traverse Catwalk would be extended as Temerity Catwalk to the Hyde Park area. The average grade of this 12-
<br />foot-wide catwalk would be about 13 percent. In addition, the Lower Temerity maintenance road would provide
<br />emergency egress for the Steeplechase and Highland Bowl terrain from the base terminal of the Steeplechase Lift
<br />to Castle Creek Road. It would be located mainly on NFS land except approximately the bottom 25 percent,
<br />which would run along the boundary with Castle Creek Valley Ranch. A short service road would also be
<br />construCted from the termination of the existing Loge Peak Road to the base of the proposed Ridge Surface Lift.
<br />
<br />In addition to reconstruction of the Merry-Go-Round restaurant, Alternative C could also include construction
<br />of a second 9,500-square-foot restaurant south of Loge Peak. The new restaurant would seat 250 to 275 people,
<br />improve access to dining facilities for people skiing the Steeplechase area and Highland Bowl, and would be open
<br />
<br />12
<br />
<br />Section II
<br />Alternalives Considered in Detail
<br />
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