Nonprofit pushes back as Vail seeks dismissal of lawsuit threatening Park City lifts

Riders on the disputed Timberline chairlift at Park City Mountain. Resort. Photo: Screenshot via Skiliftguy/YouTube

PARK CITY, Utah — A nonprofit landowner is urging a judge to reject Vail Resorts’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit that could force the shutdown of two ski lifts at Park City Mountain, escalating a legal fight over land rights in The Colony at White Pine Canyon.

In a newly filed opposition, UI Charitable Advisors argues its claims are valid and should proceed, disputing Vail’s assertion that longstanding easement rights allow it to operate the Timberline and Iron Mountain Express lifts on the property.

The lawsuit, filed in February, centers on a parcel the nonprofit says it purchased in December 2024. UI Charitable Advisors alleges that Vail lacks valid authorization to operate lift infrastructure and associated ski terrain on the land, and is seeking to halt those operations.

Vail Resorts says the claims are legally flawed, pointing to a 2003 easement agreement it says grants the right to operate lifts and ski runs across much of the parcel. The company argues the easement remains in force despite subsequent property transfers and that the nonprofit acquired the land with knowledge of existing ski operations.

In its opposition, though, the nonprofit challenges that interpretation, arguing the easement’s scope and applicability are in dispute and cannot be resolved at this legal stage. The filing contends that key questions about property rights, mapping changes and legal boundaries require further review in court.

The dispute also revisits a central point of contention: whether a 2010 map altered or clarified the extent of the easement. Vail says the document reinforces its rights, while the nonprofit argues it raises questions about whether those rights were ever properly defined or transferred.

The case carries broader implications for the Canyons Village side of the resort, where the Timberline and Iron Mountain Express lifts provide access to terrain serving ski-in, ski-out homes within The Colony.

Vail has warned that shutting down the lifts would have immediate and far-reaching consequences, affecting resort operations, employees and the regional economy. The company has asked Richard Mrazik to dismiss the case and award attorney’s fees.