Sugarbush To Replace Heavens Gate Triple Lift With New Quad

Sugarbush ski resort, located in Warren, Vermont, is planning several improvements to its infrastructure in the coming years. The most significant of these improvements is the replacement of the Heaven's Gate triple chairlift with a fixed-grip quad chairlift. The new lift will follow the same alignment as the old lift, and will improve the capacity and speed of the lift. The estimated cost for the lift replacement is between $7-10 million, and the project has been approved by the U.S. Forest Service. However, the replacement won't happen until 2024 due to several factors, including the need to source out the workers and parts required to get the job done. Lifts are currently in high demand, and there is still a shortage of workers and supply chains throughout the United States. Therefore, Sugarbush is delaying the project to ensure they have the necessary resources to complete it successfully.

The existing heavens gate triple lift at Sugarbush Resort. Credit: New England Ski History “We really wanted to get the Reverse Traverse realignment done this season, but we were just not going to be able to get it online in terms of snowmaking for this ski season. That will happen in 2023 and it is significant in terms of capital improvements. This will give people another way off the hill in the early season.” — JJ Toland, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Sugarbush Resort In the meantime, Sugarbush will be focusing on another project in 2023: the realignment of the Reverse Traverse trail leading down to the Heaven's Gate chairlift. Currently, parts of the trail do not go downhill, causing logistical issues for getting terrain on Lincoln Peak open. Additionally, the trail does not feature snowmaking, which further complicates the process. The new alignment of the trail will add 3600 feet of snowmaking pipes to the new trail, and it will all go downhill, making it easier to maintain and open more terrain for skiers and snowboarders. This project has also been approved by the U.S. Forest Service.These plans are part of a busy offseason at Sugarbush, where they have already spent over $7.2 million on various projects. The upgrades include new groomers and upgrades to the snowmaking capacity. The weir in the snowmaking pond has also been replaced to improve efficiency.