We here atPOWDERaren't the only skiers embracing a little nostalgia this summer. Alta Ski Area, Utah turned back the clock and shared photos of the original Collins lift to their Instagram on Thursday, July 10, 2025, and included a little Alta history lesson.Like many western ski towns, Alta's origins are deeply intertwined with the history of mining. Silver was discovered in the area now known as Alta in 1864. The town of Alta was officially established in 1871 in the widest, flattest area of the canyon. Just one year later, there were 3,000 people living there and more than 180 buildings had been constructed. As quickly as it had risen, Alta fell due to the decline in value of silver, the primary resource from the area's mines.Check out the original Collins lift line below.This piece is part of POWDER's Summer of Ski Nostalgia content series. Stay tuned in daily for more nostalgic articles, and keep an eye out for the upcoming Summer of Ski Nostalgia badge to identify future content.You can also view all of POWDER's summer nostalgia content here.Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.
The original Collins Lift at Alta took skiers up Collins Gulch, both named for Charles H. Collins. Photo: Alan K. Engen Ski History Collection/ Courtesy of Alta Ski Area
When Did Alta's Collins Lift First Open?
In the late 1930s, a group of businessmen and skiers took a leaf out of another mining-turned-ski town, Sun Valley, Idaho's books, and created the Salt Lake City Winter Sports Association. After negotiation with the US Forest Service, they raised $10,000 for the construction of a ski lift to serve 1,800 acres of public lands managed by the USFS. The Collins lift was built and officially dedicated in 1938. The lift itself was named for Charles H. Collins who was involved in mining the area in the 1800s.The chair opened on January 15, 1939 and approximately 350 skier rode up the lift, paying just 25 cents per ride, or $1.50 for the full day.The original Collins Lift traveled quite low to the ground. Check out the trenches that had to be dug after a snowstorm below.
Trenches dug to allow chairs to pass through Alta's deep snowpack. Photo: Alan K. Engen Ski History Collection/ Courtesy of Alta Ski Area
How Was The Original Collins Lift Made?
According to Alta's Instagram post, the original Collins lift was a single chair constructed from the remnants of abandoned mine tramway. The wooden towers from the original tramway were made from timbers originally used to brace mine shafts. These towers weren't quite tall enough to compete with Alta's legendary annual snowpack, so employees would dig trenches around the bottom terminal to allow chair to travel uphill.In 1949, the old wooden towers were replaced with taller, steel towers.Skiers would have to side step up a ramp of snow in order to board the bright red chairs that carried them up Collins Gulch, as shown in one of the photos above.
The construction of the modern day Collins lift in 2005. Photo: Courtesy of Alta Ski Area
What Does The Collins Lift Look Like Now?
The original Collins lift was removed in 1973 and replaced with a Yan double-chair that spun until 2004. In 2004, both the Collins and Germania lifts were removed and subsequently replaced with a Garavanta Quad lift with an angle station, which has proved to be much faster and gives easier access from the ski area parking lot.The current iteration of the Collins lift is one of Alta's most important. It serves as the only way to reach Alta's summit, and the terrain accessible via the Sugarloaf and Supreme Lifts.Collins is and will continue to be one Alta's most popular lifts. With that in mind, some folks believe an individual doesn't die until their name is spoken for the last time. If this is true, Charles H. Collins is immortal at Alta Ski Area.
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Why Alta's Original 'Collins Lift' Was Built From a Mining Tram first appeared on Powder on Jul 11, 2025
