dig the tunnel. The 1980s and 1990s brought about several upgrades to existing equipment. In 1984, snowmaking capabilities were installed. In 1985, Chair 2 was upgraded to a triple chairlift. The late 1980s also saw the construction of expanded lodge facilities at the Valley area. Lift 8, a fixed grip quad, was installed to access intermediate and advanced terrain in 1990. In 1995, the Basin’s lodge was remodeled and expanded. Lift #3 was replaced in 1996 with a fixed grip quad. 1998 saw the installation of another fixed grip quad, Lift #9, which provided access to "The Ridge". Prior to Breckenridge Ski Resort's construction of the Imperial Express SuperChair in 2005, Lift 9 was the highest offloading chairlift in North America. In 2011, the aging Lift 4 was replaced with a triple chairlift. The E Tow Cabin was removed. For 2015, Lift 2 was split in half, and it was shortened to end at its midstation. The upper section of the lift was replaced with a new fixed grip triple called Ptarmigan, running in the alignment of the former platter. In 2018, Lift 1 (a fixed-grip triple installed in 1981) was replaced by a Leitner-Poma high speed quad, named "Chet's Dream". Proposed Olympic venue When the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics to Denver in May 1970, the local organizers' proposal included the development of Mount Sniktau as the primary venue for alpine ski racing for downhill and giant slalom, with slalom at Loveland Ski Area. By early 1972, it was decided to move the alpine events to Vail because the proposals did not meet the Olympic standards. After the Colorado voters, in November, rejected public funding for the Olympics, it was relocated to Innsbruck, Austria. Plane crash On a clear Friday afternoon in early October 1970, a chartered airplane carrying half of the Wichita State University football team crashed just northeast of the ski area. A total of forty were on board and only nine survived; the cause was attributed to several pilot errors. First responders were motorists (I-70/US-6) and construction workers at the Eisenhower Tunnel. References External links MySpace.com - Loveland 3dSkiMaps.com - Loveland Ski Area - 3-D map New #4 Chair Development Buildings and structures in Clear Creek County, Colorado Ski areas and resorts in Colorado Tourist attractions in Clear Creek County, Colorado