New lift coming to Stratton Mountain
The Snow Bowl lift at Stratton Mountain will be replaced by a new high-speed quad chair.
STRATTON - Capital projects totaling $10 million will enhance the Stratton Mountain experience throughout the year, with a new high-speed Snow Bowl lift topping the list of investments for 2018-19.
Now part of the Alterra Mountain Company, Stratton skiers will enjoy the ride on a new Doppelmayr lift designed and situated to minimize the impact of wind and inclement weather while providing easier access to beginner terrain from the summit of southern Vermont’s highest peak as well as to signature trails including the double-black diamond World Cup, which hosted Vermont’s first ever World Cup races in 1978.
Working with Ecosign, a world leader in creative design solutions for mountain resorts, the high-speed quad chairlift will be positioned to minimize the impact of wind, with lower towers that hug the tree line on skiers’ left, and built with a parking rail for all 98 chairs to combat overnight icing.
Ride time is reduced from 14 to five minutes, providing access to a variety of terrain for beginner to expert including favorites like Drifter, Spruce, and the Meadows. In addition, the new lift shacks will be crafted locally of wood for a classic Vermont vibe.
Work on the yet-to-be-named lift will pause from May 15 through August 1, as the rare Bicknell’s thrush songbird is nesting above 3,000 feet, about at the level of the Interstate trail, where the boreal forest begins. Despite the intermission, which has been the standard practice in all recent lift installations, Stratton’s newest high-speed lift should be ready to ride for the 2018-19 season.
With the announcement, Alterra Mountain Company, created in 2017 and comprising 12 mountain destinations spread throughout five states and three Canadian provinces, reinforces its commitment to growth and investment in its family of destinations, including Stratton, by announcing significant capital improvements at each.
The investment plan totals more than half a billion dollars over the next five years, spending approximately $110 million per year.
