Warmer, faster, snowier: what new upgrades mean for East Coast skiing

Despite a mediocre snow season last year, the Northeast had more than 13 million skier visits, the highest figure in eight years. Much of that interest was undoubtedly driven by the increasing use of multi-mountain passes, with skiers and boarders enjoying late-season snowfall and recent investments in snowmaking and infrastructure.

There are even more upgrades this coming season, as resorts from New York to Maine are packed with new chairlifts, more efficient snowmaking, renovated mid-slope restaurants and more. Here’s a guide to the most notable ski area improvements of the year in the Northeastern United States.

Vermont

Ski resorts cover the hills and mountains of Vermont, from single-lift activities Brattleboro Ski Hill Unpleasant Killington, with 1,509 hectares of ski area spread over six peaks. Vermont’s topography—lots of terrain at nearly 4,000 feet—provides the best snow conditions in the East, as does its geography: a northern ridge running parallel to Lake Champlain is home to the state’s highest peaks and the snowiest resorts in the country. East: Ode, Smugglers notch And Jay Peakall of which average about 300 centimeters of snow per winter.

But even in Vermont, snowmaking has become imperative. In its northern reaches, Burke Mountain has invested in new pipes and increased water pressure to improve snowmaking, just like that Mad River Glenwhose articles of association of the cooperative only allows snowmaking on the lower 700 feet of the mountain’s 2,000-foot vertical drop. (The bylaws are an effort to preserve what the ski area calls “one of the last bastions of natural snow skiing in New England.”)

While the snowmaking upgrades in Vermont and elsewhere are being done with climate change in mind, they also include more efficient pumps and snowmaking equipment, said Bryan Rivard, director of communications for the Ski Vermont trade association. “The goal of doing things more efficiently takes into account both being better for the environment and better for business.”

The two Colorado-based resort conglomerates, Vail and Alterra, have acquired many of the East’s best-known mountains in recent years and are using the sale of multiple mountain passes to support snowmaking operations at these eastern properties. Sugar bush, owned by Alterra, will spend $12.6 million in the 12 months from August this year on upgrading its operations, including $3 million on snowmaking and a new quad lift. The lift, which replaces the Heaven’s Gate triple, will be less sensitive to wind failures.

In southern and central Vermont, where natural snow is not as plentiful, Okemo now 98 percent of the terrain is covered with snow cannons. Bromley Mountain and Killington have also improved their snowmaking Pico Mountain the snow cannon pump house overhauled, doubling the outflow and adding 25 new snow cannons. Magic mountain, in addition to installing a long-awaited four-person top-to-bottom lift, it doubled the snowmaking capacity. Stratton spent $6.9 million offseason improving the beginner area with improved slopes, new drag lifts and, as the ski pass wicket continues to fade into history, contactless RFID gates.

Smaller mountains have also taken steps Middlebury Snow Bowl replacing the Sheehan Chairlift with a new quad that will increase uphill capacity by 20 percent, and add night skiing on several runs.

Maine

Maine doesn’t get the snow of Vermont, but it has some well-formed mountains with significant vertical slopes off the east coast.

Sunday river, one of Maine’s most popular mountains, now has nearly two miles of snowmaking pipeline, part of an effort that has tripled the available water for the resort’s Jordan Bowl. The resort’s new Barker 6 lift will treat six skiers per chair to heated seats and a ride that is 30 percent faster than the old lift. Sugar Loaf will add 300 acres of new terrain anchored by a high-speed quad called the Bucksaw Express.

The private equity firm is also in control in Maine Saddle Mountain Mountain will open a mid-mountain lodge. Since the resort reopened in 2020, it has spent approximately $30 million on upgrades, including major snowmaking infrastructure.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire may have the most famous backcountry run across North America, in the Tuckerman Ravine in Mount Washington. But the state also has a slew of resort improvements for those who prefer to take a chairlift.

Attitash mountain resort is replacing its Summit Triple seat with a new high-speed quad, the Mountaineer, which will reduce ride time from 18 minutes to eight minutes. The name comes from a historic local railway. Loonse Berg‘s new chair, Timbertown Quad, will serve 30 acres of new beginner and intermediate terrain that will be covered largely by automated snowmaking.

Cranmore mountain resort opens its 30,000-square-foot Fairbank Lodge and slopeside bar. Vail’s property Put on Sunapee built a ski-through lighthouse as a nod to the three lighthouses on Lake Sunapee. State ownership Cannon Mountain will rebuild its 650-meter tram line, one of the few in the East, after reconstruction the state approved $18 million in credits for this.

New York

Winters in New York can be fickle, but the state has long had a knack for carving out ski runs on any available terrain. By Whiteface’s steep slopes to the gentle descents of Swain ResortNew York has more ski hills than any other state and no shortage of off-season improvements this year, including new lifts.

Gore mountain replaced the Bear Cub surface lift, which served the beginner section of the hill, with a quad chair with a loading belt – it automatically moves skiers into position for loading. Transport systems are popular in the Alps and ideal for beginners. The Notch, a new high-speed quad in Whiteface, takes skiers from beginner terrain to two different release locations. Whiteface also installed 150 new snowmaking machines.

Holiday Valley Mardi Gras Express, a new high-speed chair for six people, replaces a four-person lift at a busy point on the mountain. The elevator replacement is part of $9 million in off-season improvements, including renovations to 35 of the Inn’s 102 rooms and more automated snowmaking. Belleayre replaced the outdated Seat 7, a triple seat, with a new quad seat, and installed five miles of new snowmaking and 255 new snowmaking equipment.

More than 15 other ski destinations have upgraded snowmaking capabilities, including Catamount mountain resortwhich built two new pump houses and installed 50 new snow guns, supplied by an expanded snowmaking pond. Greek Peak Mountain Resort replaced its snow cannons so that it could cover 16 football fields with half a meter of snow in 24 hours.

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