Image credit: PunkToad via Flickr / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0.
Sundance Mountain Resort just put a hard winter-2026/27 label on the next chapter of its back-mountain buildout. The resort says Electric Horseman, a new high-speed quad, will open with more than 100 acres of new terrain and Storyteller, a 1.7-mile groomed ridge run carved from the old Far East Ridgeline.
For Utah skiers and snowboarders planning Wasatch trips this season, the traveler decision is whether Sundance finally becomes a one-lift back-mountain mountain. Official materials say the new chair climbs more than 1,850 vertical feet in about six minutes and lets guests lap the entire back side without a three-lift shuffle.
- New lift: Electric Horseman high-speed quad for winter 2026-27.
- Vertical: More than 1,850 feet per lap in about six minutes.
- Terrain: 100-plus new acres, bringing the resort to 605 total.
- Signature run: Storyteller, a 1.7-mile upper-intermediate ridge groomer.
- Extras: Three expert gladed chutes drop from the ridge toward the base.
What Sundance announced for winter 2026-27
In an Aug. 21, 2026, press release, Sundance Mountain Resort said Electric Horseman and Storyteller complete the first phase of its back-mountain expansion. The resort puts total skiable acreage at 605 after the addition and flags more expert terrain still ahead in later seasons.
The same announcement is mirrored on the resort’s own press room page and the dedicated Electric Horseman project page, which frames the lift as the piece that finally opens continuous back-mountain lapping from a single high-speed chair.
Independent reporting from the Park Record earlier tracked the same project on the ground, including construction progress and a hoped-for early-December opening target while crews finished towers and terrain work.
Why Electric Horseman changes the day
Sundance says the chair was designed to cut congestion on the back mountain and raise uphill capacity. Guests who previously needed multiple lifts to stitch upper terrain together can now ride one high-speed quad and stay on that side of the mountain.
That matters most on busy holiday weeks and powder mornings, when every extra transfer costs vertical and creates mid-mountain bottlenecks. A six-minute ride over 1,850 vertical feet is the operational claim travelers should test against the live lift board once the season opens.
The resort also ties the project to earlier improvements: Outlaw Express in 2021, additional intermediate acres and snowmaking the next year, and the Mountain Camp Day Lodge as a day-skier base with tickets, rentals, lockers, and ski school.
Storyteller and the new expert options
Storyteller is the named signature run of the expansion. Sundance describes it as an upper-intermediate groomer with long turns and broad views along the former Far East Ridgeline. Advanced skiers get three new expert gladed chutes that peel off the ridge and flow back toward the base.
That mix is useful for mixed-ability groups. Intermediates can stay on the ridge groomer while stronger skiers drop into the trees without forcing the whole party onto a different lift pod.
Names matter here only as navigation. Electric Horseman and Storyteller are the searchable labels guests will see on trail maps, season-pass marketing, and the resort’s own winter pages as opening day approaches.
Where this fits in the wider Wasatch choice
Sundance will not suddenly match the acreage of Park City or the tram prestige of Snowbird. The useful comparison is access quality on the terrain the resort already owns. A high-speed back-mountain quad changes lap rate and crowd distribution more than it changes the size of Utah skiing overall.
Travelers who already like Sundance for smaller base crowds, arts programming, and the Mount Timpanogos setting get a concrete reason to rebook this winter. Travelers who only chase the largest Utah maps can still skip it, but they should not dismiss the mountain as transfer-heavy if Electric Horseman performs as advertised.
Destination guests flying into Salt Lake City International Airport should still treat canyon weather and parking rules as separate risks. The new lift does not erase road closures, traction laws, or peak-day parking limits on the approach to the resort.
Season-pass and day-ticket timing
Sundance is already marketing season passes against the promise of more terrain and faster uphill. If the lift is your purchase trigger, confirm product fine print for opening-week blackouts and whether any early-season closures on Storyteller or the new chutes are excluded from passholder expectations.
Day-ticket buyers have more flexibility. Wait for a clear open status, then buy closer to travel when the live trail report shows Electric Horseman and Storyteller both green. That approach costs a little convenience and saves a wasted nonrefundable day if construction or snowmaking slips.
Families and mixed groups should also price lesson and rental packages through Mountain Camp before assuming the new terrain is self-explanatory. A longer ridge run helps intermediates, but the expert chutes are not a substitute for marked green teaching terrain.
How to plan a 2026-27 Sundance trip around the new lift
If Electric Horseman is the reason you choose Sundance over a larger Wasatch resort this winter, wait for the live opening confirmation before locking nonrefundable lodging around a first-week December visit. Construction announcements are not the same as a certified open date.
Once the lift is spinning, build the day around back-mountain laps in the morning and return to front-side beginner or lodge services later. Day skiers should check Mountain Camp for tickets and rentals so the new terrain does not start with a base-area scramble.
Pass holders and destination guests coming through Utah Valley can pair the ski day with a Provo overnight using Deep Arrival’s Things to Do in Provo guide for evening food and non-ski hours without driving all the way to Salt Lake.
Confirmed facts are the named lift, acreage total, Storyteller length and rating class, and the six-minute / 1,850-foot operating claim from Sundance. What remains open is the exact public opening day, hourly capacity under storm cycles, and how long any phased terrain release lasts after first snow.
What is confirmed versus still provisional
Confirmed from Sundance: the Electric Horseman name, high-speed quad classification, more than 1,850 vertical feet, about a six-minute ride, 100-plus new acres, a 605-acre resort total after this phase, and Storyteller as a 1.7-mile upper-intermediate ridge run with three expert gladed chutes.
Still provisional for travelers: the certified public opening day, whether every new acre opens on day one, storm-cycle hold policies for the ridge and chutes, and any temporary capacity limits while crews finish punch-list work after first snow.
Use the official Electric Horseman page and the winter operations board as the live sources after arrival. Press-release language is good enough to plan interest. It is not enough to force a nonrefundable first-week December itinerary without an open-lift confirmation.
| If you want | Do this |
|---|---|
| Continuous back-mountain laps | Prioritize Electric Horseman once the resort marks it open |
| An intermediate view run with length | Start on Storyteller before dropping into steeper options |
| Expert tree skiing with the same lift | Use the three new gladed chutes off the ridge when posted open |
| A first-week December trip | Hold refundable lodging until opening status is live |
Watch the resort’s winter operations board for the certified Electric Horseman opening date, any temporary closures on Storyteller or the new chutes, and whether early-season snow covers the full 100-plus acre package or only a partial release.
When does Electric Horseman open at Sundance?
Sundance targets winter 2026-27. Treat any early December date as provisional until the resort posts the lift as open.
How much new terrain does the expansion add?
Sundance says more than 100 new acres, bringing the mountain to 605 total acres after this phase.
What is Storyteller?
Storyteller is a 1.7-mile upper-intermediate groomed ridge run with three expert gladed chutes branching off for advanced skiers.
Does Electric Horseman replace other Sundance lifts?
No. It is an added high-speed quad meant to open continuous back-mountain access alongside existing chairs such as Outlaw Express.
