Madison 8, a new eight-place, state-of-the-art D-line chairlift will replace the existing Six Shooter lift on Big Sky Resort’s north side. With the installation of the new lift, Big Sky Resort will be in a class of its own as the only North American ski resort with three bubble D-line lifts, and the only North American ski resort with two eight-place lifts. Madison 8 is planned to open for the winter 2024-25 season. Follow along with the construction process over the summer and fall of 2024.
Decommissioning of Six Shooter 6
June 2024
This spring, while many Big Sky skiers were enjoying the last few weeks of ski season, the summer chairlift construction season was already underway on the Moonlight Basin side. On April 17, Madison 8 construction kicked off with the decommissioning of the existing Six Shooter lift. In the following weeks, all 85 chairs were removed from the lift line, followed by the cutting of the haul rope and the demolition of the top and bottom lift terminals. Finally, in mid-May, Six Shooter’s 29 towers were removed via helicopter, clearing the way for the next steps on the new Madison 8 lift.
“In typical Big Sky fashion, heavy snow made for challenging conditions in this first month of work on Madison 8, however, the work proceeded smoothly, and all of the teams managed to stay on schedule,” said Caleb Teigen, the resort’s construction manager.
Looking ahead, the next couple of months will be centered around earthworks and foundations. Teams are now focused on the excavation work at the top and bottom terminals. Soon, micropiles will be installed to secure the new structure into the ground. Concrete work at both terminals will follow shortly after.
In the meantime, Doppelmayr has built all the tower foundation rebar cages and forms, and they will start installing them within the next month. The materials needed to build the above-ground components of the lift are expected to arrive throughout July – along with sunny weather – as the journey to install the world’s longest 8-seat lift continues.