10 Great New England Ski Lifts

[snowmonster]

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/specials/ski/gallery/ten_great_chairlifts/

Despite some inaccuracies, I agree with the list:

Kennebago Quad, Saddleback
Single Chair, Mad River Glen
Bluebird Express, Mt. Snow
Six Pack Express, Ragged
Tram, Cannon
FourRunner, Stowe
Tram, Jay Peak
Skyline, Sugarloaf
K-1 Gondola, Killington
Wildcat Express, Wildcat

What's your list? And, no, the Mt. Washington Auto Road does not count.

 

[thetrailboss]

Vague criteria for sure. Most I agree with, but some, like Ragged, make me go :blink: And the Wildcat Chair was not installed in 1987. It was 1997 IIRC.

Sugarbush did not make the list. I'd say GMX, North Ridge, or Castlerock should be up there. I'd also say that Sugarloaf's SuperQuad should be as well.

At least they did not refer to ski areas in Quebec or New York as being "classic New England areas" like they did last year. I fired off an Email suggesting that a geography lesson was in order....

 

[from_the_NEK]

Wasn't the Wildcat Express installed in 1997? The article says 1987.
Edit...TB beat me to it...

 

[hiroto]

:blink:

Single Chair, Mad River Glen

It is an iconic symbol for not just New England skiing, but nationwide. The sight of it leaves no doubt which mountain it resides on, and though the original has been retired for a few years now, the Mad River Glen Single Chair remains Vermont's most beloved lift. It is an unconventional lift at a mountain with skiers and riders who think the same way.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Interesting that all of the brand new lifts that were built this past year are on this list and not Burke's.

 

[4aprice]

Am and will always be a fan of Madonna I. A classic double chair.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[thetrailboss]

Interesting that all of the brand new lifts that were built this past year are on this list and not Burke's.

Don't you get how it works? Only advertisers get mentioned. :wink:

And I noticed the MRG comment as well. I wish that they would come to a place like AZ and have folks in the know write these articles rather than throwing together something that does not hold up.

 

[Tooth]

Sugarloaf's Spillway chair.

 

[skiersleft]

Don't know what's so special about the K1 Gondola. I would think that the Skyeship Gondola combined stage 1 and 2 are way more impressive. Even the bear mountain quad is cooler, as you have outer limits next to it.

 

[ScottySkis]

6 pack detachable couch and bubble chair at Mount Snow.

 

[planb420]

its nothing epic but I have always liked the "Overbrook" lift at Butternut

 

[Nick]

:blink:

Good catch! I didn't see that

 

[Nick]

detachable couch

That sounds like a great idea in general. What about a Lazy Boy ski lift :lol:

With cupholders

 

[amf]

In addition to the MRG single, I'd put in the Magic lift(s) and the snowbowl lift at Stratton. Altho I have not been on the bluebird at Snow, when I ski hard I like a slow lift. For some reason the stratton snowbowl has always appealed to me, unlike the sunbowl at Snow. Go figger.

 

[Madroch]

Madonna 1 at smuggs

Lookout double- Stowe

Valley house double- bush

Slow but they all have great spectator appeal.

 

[Edd]

What's my list? Im not sure but it would include no trams and the Wildcat Express would definitely be on it.

 

[Zand]

10. Beartrap Double - I'm a big fan of a 2 minute lift ride with a nice bump run underneath... nothing like spending hours lapping Beartrap on a sunny day, and there's no rest for the weary with that lift.

9. Forerunner Quad - Quick ride up 2000' of vertical and TONS of terrain.

8. Burke Poma - Lost its luster a bit with the new Quad (not the fast way up anymore), but still a classic steep surface lift.

7. Jay Tram - Love it on freezing days when the summit is good but the Freezer is unbearable. Lots of options from up there as well after a short ride.

6. Zoomer Triple - Like the Beartrap except you get 5 different runs and 2 glades off of it. Not as warm either, but usually still great runs on the front five.

5. Wildcat Quad - Crazy fast lift, 2000' of vertical, and some of the best cruisers in the east. Might be one of the few places where skiing a cruiser down takes longer than the ride up.

4. Lookout Double - Classic double, great alternative when the Forerunner is busy. Great run underneath... much more intense than Liftline and National.

3. Castlerock Double - Probably the best trail pod in the east, and a nice comfy double with widely spaced chairs to keep crowding down. Classic liftline underneath as well.

2. Madonna Double - Don't know how long the lift ride is, but feels much shorter than it really is because of how insanely steep most of the ride is. Also just one of those good old doubles... as much as I want the Sterling lift updated, this one needs to stay forever.

1. MRG Single - Pretty quick ride, best terrain in the east, it's a Single, great liftline underneath... pretty straightforward.

 

[xlr8r]

Lifts that are not on the list that I think might deserve Top 10
Northridge - Sugarbush
Super Bravo - Sugarbush
Summit - Pico
Outpost - Pico
Mid-Burke - Burke

 

[TropicTundR]

#1

The best lift in the world is the one that gets to the summit without stopping, the ones that make it without breaking down are all a close second.

 

[andyzee]

Sugarbush Slidebrook Express, can't believe no one picks this lift. Love it for the views, the rest and the fact that it takes you to an entirely different mountain than the one your coming from.