Boyne Mountain is installing the D-8, the first 8-seat chairlift in the Midwest. Photo provided by Boyne Mountain.

BOYNE FALLS, MI - If you’re a skier who loves speedy lifts and not having to wait around in lines, put Northern Michigan’s new Disciples 8 on your list to check out this winter.

Boyne Mountain is installing the first eight-person chairlift in the Midwest right now, and this fast ride - a trip time of just three minutes to the top of the runs - is expected to be ready for the 2022/23 season.

The resort’s lift tickets for the upcoming season went on sale this week.

Boyne has been keeping ski enthusiasts updated on this massive construction project via social media. “The first towers for #Disciples 8 are in the air,” the resort posted on Facebook recently. “Stick around as we continue to get more towers sky high.”

“The engine has been installed at the base terminal, and work on the top terminal is officially underway.”

The new chairlift, nicknamed the D8, is an eight-place lift that runs on gearless Doppelmayr Direct Drive technology. It’s designed to be fast, quiet and low-maintenance, allowing for better efficiency in getting skiers to the top of their favorite runs at this resort, which sits south of Petoskey.

Photos of the D8′s long, uphill construction footprint clearly show where it’s being built to replace the Disciples I and II lifts. Those smaller vintage chairlifts were recently sold as part of a $100,000 fundraiser to support regional programming for kids and teens.

“The D-Line is one of the most technologically advanced chairlifts in the country, holding 205 new developments, including 31 innovations and 14 patents,” Boyne Mountain staff said. “This high-speed chairlift also features a 3.16 minute ride time, automatic safety bars, and ... a loading carpet for young skiers and riders.”

Boyne Mountain is installing the D-8, the first 8-seat chairlift in the Midwest. Photo provided by Boyne Mountain.

Boyne Resorts, which also owns The Highlands at Harbor Springs to the north, now has 10 spots in its expanding collection. Its most recent acquisition was the Shawnee Peak resort, which is Maine’s oldest continuously operating ski area.

One industry publication has dubbed Boyne a “coast-to-coast ski empire.”

D8 is Boyne Resorts’ third eight-place lift. It follows similar build jobs at Boyne’s Big Sky Resort in Montana in 2018 and Loon Mountain in New Hampshire last year. Loon Mountain’s eight-person lift is called the Kanc 8. It can carry 3,500 skiers per hour and can also be used to carry bikes.

Other Boyne properties include Brighton in Utah, The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington, Sugarloaf and Sunday River in Maine, and Cypress Mountain in British Columbia. The group also owns the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park in Tennessee and the Inn at Bay Harbor - Autograph Collection on Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey.

Boyne Mountain is installing the D-8, the first 8-seat chairlift in the Midwest. Photo provided by Boyne Mountain.

The D8 project comes at a time of ambitious planning by Boyne for its Michigan properties. SkyBridge Michigan is currently under construction atop Boyne Mountain. Set to be the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge spanning 1,203 feet, it will debut to pedestrians seeking big views this fall.

Plans for renovated guest accommodations and an outdoor expansion of its popular Avalanche Bay waterpark complex also are in the works.

Boyne Mountain recently added Chalet Edelweiss, renovating former guest housing into a luxury Nordic-inspired slopeside lodging area. This spot set apart from the main lodge might be as close as you’re going to get to feeling like you’ve just arrived in Northern Europe.

These upgrades come on the heels of big plans already underway at its sister resort, The Highlands at Harbor Springs. That work includes renovated guest rooms and suites, along with timelines for new restaurants and a multi-story European spa.

Boyne Mountain is installing the D-8, the first 8-seat chairlift in the Midwest. Photo provided by Boyne Mountain.

Other pieces of Boyne Mountain’s 10-year plan include:

Boyne Resorts was founded in 1947 by Everett Kircher and has grown into the third-largest mountain resort company in North America. It’s used to being at the forefront when it comes to ski lift innovations. The resort shares this bit of ski lift history:

“Boyne Resort had many firsts, including installation of the world’s first triple chairlift in 1964 at The Highlands Resort, and the world’s first four-person chairlift, installed in 1964 at Boyne Mountain. In 1990 Kircher installed Michigan’s first high-speed detachable quad chairlift at The Highlands Resort. And in 1992, Boyne Mountain unveiled America’s first six-seat high-speed chairlift.”

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