Towering more than 5,000 feet above the high desert floor, Arizona Snowbowl beckons skiers and snowboarders from near and far.

Since 1961, the Agassiz chairlift has lifted skiers (and now snowboarders) out of the base at Arizona Snowbowl and up to its 11,500-ft summit. Next season, it will continue to do so -- but in a much faster and more comfortable fashion.