Powder Monkey Lift Replacement – Snowshoe Blog

For the first time since 2006, our mountain operations team will be installing a brand new chairlift here on the mountain. Powder Monkey, a fixed-grip triple installed in 1977 as one of Snowshoe’s original lifts, will be replaced with a fixed-grip quad ahead of the 2023/24 winter season. The new lift from Leiter-Poma & Skytrac will increase uphill capacity, ease congestion in the Basin area, and improve access to the Western Territory. 

If you would like to own a unique piece of Snowshoe history, the Snowshoe Foundation will be auctioning off 25 of the original Powder Monkey lift chairs.

The auction is a blind bid format, with a minimum bid of $400. Chairs will be awarded to the 25 highest bids received with all proceeds benefitting the Snowshoe Foundation, whose mission is to elevate the quality of life for residents within the Central West Virginia communities of Pocahontas, Randolph, and Webster Counties. The deadline to place a bid is Friday, May 19 at 5:00PM.

Lift Replacement Progress Updates:

Keep checking back in with this blog post to see the latest updates. 

May 11, 2023 – All lift towers have been romoved.

April 24, 2023 – Removal of the terminals and lift towers begins. 

April 4, 2023 – Disassembly begins with the removal of chairs, haul rope, and both the top and bottom bull wheels. 

April 2, 2023 – The original Powder Monkey triple’s final day in service.