It truly is Christmas in July at Stratton Mountain Resort as shiny new gondola cabins, the latest HKD snowguns, new snowcats, two new glades, buses and bullwheels, grips, racks and rental gear have arrived in what will be a $7 million capital investment for the upcoming season at Stratton Mountain.These projects follow on the heels oflast year’s $10.5 million investment that touched virtually every aspect of the resort experience. Additional projects this summer include new Village shops and restaurants, expansion of the Carlos Otis Clinic and the Patricia Kaltsas Performing Arts Center at Stratton Mountain School, which brings that two-year total to more than $21 million.
Manufactured by Sigma, an affiliate of Leitner POMA, the 58 new gondola cabins feature a rubber mounted frame designed for a smooth ride. Carpeted flip-up seats and exterior ski and snowboard racks create a comfortable carriage for12.
New cabins and cable replace the originals built in 1988; a newgear box was installed at the start of last season bringing the gondola project in at about $3 milllion. With a trip time of less than eight minutes, the Stratton gondola carries 2,400 people per hour and runs 7,580 feet from base to the summit of southern Vermont’s highest peak with a vertical rise of 1,742 feet.
The 350 high efficiency, low energy HKD snowguns, at a cost of $1.2 million, bring Stratton’s fleet of tower mounted snowguns to more than 1,000. In addition to boosting firepower, these efficient new HKDsmake Stratton’s move from diesel to clean electric compressors complete, saving 60,000 gallons of fuel.
“It’s a win for the environment, and our bottom line,” said Snowmaking Manager Kevin Booth.
This summer’s snowmakingproject also includes20 new air/water snowguns for a total of 75portable air/water snowguns.
“While these air water guns are not our go-to gun, they work well in the early season and for touch ups,” Booth said. “We just want to have as many tools as possible.”
Add the 14 fan guns, unrivalled air and water capacity (with 280 million gallons in reserve), two new Prinoth BR 350 grooming machines in the fleet, one of which is winch ready, and there’s a recipe for snow so great it’s guaranteed.
Two new Blue Square (intermediate) glades extend beyond the western boundaryfor a total of 125 acres of gladed terrain designed for all abilities ranging from the wide open Emerald Forest to the tight and technical double black runs like Squirrel’s Nest.
And there’s more with new shops including Lole, eateries and pub in the Village, restaurant expansion at mid-mountain, summer trail work, state-of-the-art sound and video in the Training and Fitness Center’s cycling studio.
Source: STRATTON MOUNTAIN, Vermont, July 17, 2014