« return to welch village
Jan 1st Test Run

Leigh Nelson and family made a few test runs in the Back Bowl today.  The Back Bowl will be open on Jan 2nd to members of Welch Village.  For the first month or so of operation, the Back Bowl is open to members/passholders only, click here to purchase your membership today!

Load Testing

Load testing is scheduled for December 29th.  Load testing replicates fully loading the chairlift, using fertilizer bags for weight, and running the lift through a series of tests.  This is the last major test before opening a new chairlift.  It is our goal to open the lift, and the Back Bowl, on Jan 1st. 

The clock is ticking

The clock is ticking...December 26th, opening day, will soon be here.....The cable is up and the chairs will be hung this week.  We have also made lots of snow in the back bowl.

Remember, for the first month of operation the back bowl is only open to season passholders/members:  get your pass/membership today here.

Helicopter Day

Despite the windy conditions, the folks from Midwest Helicopter Airway, Inc., set two towers today, the ones on the steepest part of the Back Bowl.  It was fun to watch.

Concrete is in
Now we just wait for it to dry.

The concrete for the towers and terminals has now been poured.  Once it's all dry, we can put the towers up.  Once they are up, things really start to move.  The slope is so steep at points we need to bring in a helicopter to set the towers.  Remember, for the first month of operation the back bowl will only be open to passholders....get yours now by clicking here.

Lift Installation Has Begun

The snowmaking pipe is almost all buried and we have begun construction of the new Dopplemayr Quad chairlift.  This week we are digging the footings for the towers.  Once the cement is poured we will need to wait a few weeks before installing the towers - to let the cement cure. 

Clearing Complete
Now it's time for snowmaking & lift

The clearing of the runs which will be open next season is now complete.  This week we are working on shoring up the drainage system at the bottom of the area.  We also expect, on June 25th, to receive the drawings for the lift tower foundations.  About 1/2 the snowmaking pipe is now here and we expect to start welding it together in the next week or so.

Back Bowl Update Introduction
Leigh Nelson shares the opening plans for the Back Bowl

Welch Village Resort as initiated plans to go forward with it's long awaited expansion of the Back Bowl Area with an anticipated opening date of Dec. 26, 2008.  Work will begin soon on a busy off-season schedule that will include: Expansion of the current snow-making system, Finishing the creation of up to 12 additional slopes of advanced terrain, and installation of a brand-new Quad Chairlift.  The addition of the new slopes will make Welch Village Resort one of the largest in the region.  Stay tuned to welchvillage.com all summer long to get updates on the expansion project.

Read Press Release »