05/June/2026
One of the last remaining small-gauge cableways in North American skiing is officially approaching retirement. The U.S. Forest Service has formally published Loon Mountain Resort’s master application to replace its iconic, four-passenger White Mountain Express Gondola with a state-of-the-art, 10-seat D-Line flagship model engineered by Doppelmayr. If approved, the massive infrastructure project will follow roughly the same alignment up the peak and is slated for construction during the 2027 or 2028 offseason cycles. “The current gondola is oOne of the last remaining small-gauge cableways in North American skiing is officially approaching retirement. The U.S. Forest Service has formally published Loon Mountain Resort’s master application to replace its iconic, four-passenger White Mountain Express Gondola with a state-of-the-art, 10-seat D-Line flagship model engineered by Doppelmayr.
If approved, the massive infrastructure project will follow roughly the same alignment up the peak and is slated for construction during the 2027 or 2028 offseason cycles.
“The current gondola is one of the oldest detachable lifts in New England and nearing the end of its life cycle,” Loon Mountain management stated in its formal application to White Mountain National Forest officials. “Visitation at Loon has increased significantly since 1988 when the current gondola was installed. Increasing the uphill capacity of the existing lift from 1,000 people per hour to approximately 1,800 to 2,400 people per hour would better serve guests.”
Redefining the Base Area and Cabin Standard
While modern 10-passenger cabins are not technically required to hit Loon’s new target capacity, the decade’s shift toward larger carriers has become the universal gold standard for global resort operators. The expansive internal space allows families to ride together without splitting up, keeps ski school groups unified, and seamlessly accommodates wheelchairs, adaptive equipment, and downhill mountain bikes during the summer bike park season.
Loon’s corporate parent, Boyne Resorts, recently collaborated with Doppelmayr to install a nearly identical 10-place gondola system at Big Sky Resort in Montana. Following the blueprint of the Big Sky installation, the new New Hampshire flagship is anticipated to feature premium Omega V cabins, integrated heated seats, and a whisper-quiet direct drive system.
WHITE MOUNTAIN EXPRESS GONDOLA: THEN & NOW
Cabin Capacity 4 Passengers vs 10 Passengers
Uphill Capacity 1,000 skiers/hour vs 1,800 – 2,400 skiers/hour
Installation Year 1988 (Station Overhaul) vs Projected 2027 or 2028
Base Terminal Location Inside Octagon Lodge vs Moved Uphill (Standalone)
Lift Line Width 35 Feet vs 65 Feet
The construction will heavily alter the footprint of Loon’s crowded base area. The bottom terminal will be moved entirely out of the historic Octagon Lodge and pushed slightly uphill to improve skier circulation and pedestrian traffic flow. The top terminal will remain near the current summit station, with high-capacity carrier parking tracks built at one or both terminals to safely store the heavy 10-person cabins overnight.
To safely accommodate the physically wider profile of the D-Line machinery, the resort’s existing 7,000-foot-long lift line will be widened from 35 feet to 65 feet, resulting in up to five acres of temporary timber disturbance.
Expedited Environmental Reviews
The timing of the filing aligns perfectly with recent federal directives aimed at trimming bureaucratic red tape for mountain resorts operating on public lands. Speaking at the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) national convention, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment Michael Boren assured industry executives that the Forest Service is actively moving to accelerate environmental reviews for recreation infrastructure upgrades.
Reflecting that federal directive, the Forest Service expects to analyze the Loon Mountain project via a Categorical Exclusion. This represents the lowest of the three primary review tiers under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), drastically shortening the standard multi-year waiting period.
A Twin Doppelmayr Build in Lincoln?
The massive mountain project comes as a second, independent lift infrastructure plan gains momentum at the base of the mountain. The Town of Lincoln is currently reviewing a separate application for a smaller “pulse” gondola network. That proposed lift line is designed to span the local terrain gap, directly connecting Loon’s South Peak base area with the nearby RiverWalk Resort.
Industry insiders note that with both regulatory tracks moving concurrently, Doppelmayr could theoretically mobilize its installation crews to construct both the main peak flagship and the South Peak connector lift simultaneously.
Once Loon officially dismantles its legacy 1988 system, a historic chapter of North American lift engineering will draw to a close. The removal will leave Colorado’s Telluride and Utah’s Deer Valley operating the only remaining classic four-place gondolas left in North American ski country.
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