Aspen Mountain is scheduled to open Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2026. For the first time in decades, it will open with only one base. Lift 1A came down this summer, and the plan to rebuild the west side doesn't call for a new lift until the winter of 2029-30. Starting this season, every lift ride up Ajax begins at Gondola Plaza, where two lifts will load: the Silver Queen Gondola and the new Nell Bell quad.
Nell Bell was approved as a faster way onto Bell Mountain. With the west side shut down, it is also the only other way up when the gondola line is long or the gondola isn't running.
The West Side Closes for at Least Three Winters
Lift 1A, also called the Shadow Mountain lift, first ran in the winter of 1971-72 and ran its last season in 2025-26. In late July, crews began removing the chairs and haul rope, with the towers to follow later in the summer or fall, the Aspen Daily News reported. The replacement is planned to load farther down the hill, with its base terminal on top of a subgrade parking garage. That garage has to be built first.
The order of work is spelled out in a construction sequencing agreement among the City of Aspen, Aspen Skiing Co., Aman Aspen and Chalet Alpina, finalized July 31. Aspen Public Radio reported its estimated timeline for the lift:
- SkiCo orders the new lift in fall 2028.
- Crews install it in 2029.
- The lift opens, extending down to Dean Street near the original base of Lift One, in the winter of 2029-30.
The lift has to wait on the lodging projects around it, and the agreement makes the new lift dependent on real progress at both Aman Aspen and Chalet Alpina. In the meantime, you can still ski out on the west side. The agreement requires Aman Aspen crews to keep a ski corridor open past the site during construction. SkiCo plans to keep Schuss Gully open to reach it "as conditions allow," while Norway and Normandy will be closed.
So you can ski down to South Aspen Street this winter, but you can't ride up from there. The ride up starts on the east side of town.
Two Lifts From One Plaza
Nell Bell replaces two of the oldest lifts SkiCo ran, and the old pair was rarely used. In the 2024-25 season, Little Nell ran 28 days and Bell Mountain ran two, SkiCo told The Aspen Times.
| Little Nell + Bell Mountain | Nell Bell | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed | 1986 and 1957 | Summer 2026 build |
| Lift type | Two separate lifts | One high-speed detachable quad, Leitner-Poma |
| Route | Base to top of Little Nell, then a second lift up Bell | Gondola Plaza to top of Bell Mountain |
| Ride time | About 21 minutes combined | About eight minutes |
| Vertical | Split across two lifts | 2,656 feet |
| Capacity | Operated only on select days | Up to 1,800 riders per hour, 135 chairs |
The Aspen Daily News reported that the eight-minute ride is "several minutes faster" than riding the Silver Queen to the summit and skiing down to other terrain. Mak Keeling, SkiCo's vice president for mountain planning, called it "a cheat code" for reaching Ajax Express, Hero's and F.I.S. faster than before.
The route is a fairly recent idea. Aspen Mountain's 2018 master development plan looked at a replacement Bell lift that loaded farther uphill. Then skiers flocked to the new Hero's lift and terrain after it opened in 2023, and SkiCo removed the nearby Gent's Ridge chair in 2024. After that, a review memo cited by the Daily News said SkiCo concluded that running the lift all the way to the base was the better alignment for skiers.
When the Gondola Stops
The Silver Queen dates to 1986, the same year as the Little Nell chair. When the gondola has been down in past winters, skiers could still get up the mountain from 1A. That option is gone this season.
SkiCo told city council that Nell Bell is expected to shorten base lines on busy days and could be useful when the gondola can't run because of high winds or mechanical problems. Because the chairs sit closer to the ground, Keeling said the new lift may be less likely than the gondola to close in wind. In remarks reported by The Aspen Times, he also set expectations: "But there will, of course, be days that are just too windy for anything."
City council saw the same connection. Councilman John Doyle said he liked the Nell Bell plan partly because another base-area lift would be completely offline during the Lift One corridor redevelopment, the Daily News reported. At the time, that gap was expected to last "a winter or two." The sequencing agreement now puts the new lift's opening at least three winters out.
The Top Unload Is Blue-and-Black Terrain
Nell Bell has no mid-station. If you board at Gondola Plaza, you ride all the way to the top of Bell Mountain, with the runs to Hero's, Ajax Express and F.I.S. just below. Aspen Mayor Rachael Richards raised that point during the city's review, The Aspen Times reported, saying riders might not realize how difficult the terrain is where they unload. SkiCo also mentioned faster laps on Bell Mountain and Gent's Ridge.
The old two-lift setup let lower-mountain skiers get off partway, at the top of Little Nell. The new lift doesn't. That matters for houseguests, children who are still learning, and anyone used to taking a few easy laps before committing to the upper mountain. Aspen Snowmass itself describes Aspen Mountain as having limited beginner terrain. Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands open Dec. 12.
Little Nell Loses Night Skiing, and Its Events Start Higher
The Little Nell chair was part of town traditions: torchlight parades, Ajax Cup races, and the Gay Ski Week downhill costume contest. Aspen Mountain Manager Travis Benson told council that unloading higher shouldn't be a problem for most participants, since many can already ski down to the Little Nell run from higher slopes. Anyone who needs help can be brought down by snowcat, snowmobile or toboggan, according to the Aspen Daily News.
Night skiing on Little Nell ends with the new alignment. SkiCo said it may look at night skiing on its other mountains in the future.
The first big test of the new setup comes early. Wintersköl marks its 75th year Dec. 10-13, 2026, with a torchlight descent, fireworks over Aspen Mountain, and a drone show for the anniversary, according to the Aspen Chamber Resort Association. Aspen Gay Ski Week celebrates its 50th year Jan. 17-24, 2027. Both will be the first versions of these events run from a lift that starts at the plaza and drops riders at the top of Bell.
Opening Day and the First Few Weeks
Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled to open Nov. 26, 2026. Aspen Mountain is scheduled to close April 18, 2027, conditions permitting. SkiCo has billed Nell Bell as new this season. The most recent public progress report, from POWDER in late September, described helicopters setting tower components with installation still underway. SkiCo hasn't said whether Nell Bell will run on opening day, so check the lift status on the Aspen Snowmass mountain page before you walk over on Thanksgiving morning.
The plaza is likely to be busiest on Dec. 12 and 13. Aspen Snowmass is selling $80 lift tickets that weekend as part of its 80th anniversary, the same weekend Highlands and Buttermilk open. If you ski from downtown, Gondola Plaza is now the only place to catch a lift up Ajax, and Nell Bell is the only alternative to the Silver Queen.
Lift changes at Aspen Mountain's base will keep coming through 2029, and the team at Saslove & Warwick keeps up with them as closely as we follow the market. If you'd like to talk through how the Lift One corridor plans affect downtown Aspen, contact us.
