Kelly Canyon is one of the many Idaho ski resorts with updates and changes for the new season.
The resort brought in a park builder to design and add jumps, rails and ramps to the terrain park.
The resort has also worked on clearing out the underbrush for tree skiing and improving its lifts.
One new lift expected to be popular is the rope pull lift for the terrain park. Skiers and snowboarders go right up to the lift and grab the rope.
“You stay on your board or skis, and it just pulls you all the way to the top, and then you just pop off and go down again,” said Sam Whitlock, Kelly Canyon’s revenue director.
The resort used to have rope pulls on the bunny hills, Whitlock said, but it was replaced with the magic carpet lift. The rope pull lift is a good choice for skiers and snowboarders who are more advanced, like those on the terrain park.
Another lift improvement at Kelly Canyon involves the infamous Lift 4, known for frequently not working. It was previously the only way to access the far east side of the mountain.
The resort added a cat track lift that takes skiers between lift 2 and lift 4 once they are on the top of the mountain.
“The cat track cuts over to Flojo and opens up a ton of new terrain without needing to get on lift four, which is a super huge improvement,” Whitlock said.
As far as fixing problems goes, the ramp at the end of Moose Run caused problems for many skiers.
Anyone who did not finish the run at a high enough speed got stuck on the ramp. They would have to remove their gear and walk off. The resort made changes to this and does not believe it will be a problem any longer.
Among other changes, the resort has extended the upper parking lot, added new snow guns, and moved the ski school to the ticket office by the rental area. They feel this streamlines things.
Whitlock hopes these changes will make the park a better place for everyone who wants to come.
“We want it to be a mountain where everyone is welcome,” he said.
Whitlock also believes with these changes, Kelly Canyon Resort could easily see its best ski season ever. The resort plans to open its season on Thanksgiving Day.