WARREN, Vt. (WCAX) – A chairlift with a unique place in ski culture history is spinning once again in Vermont.
Friday, skiers and riders took advantage of the spring-like conditions to shred some soft snow and line up for a one-of-a-kind ski lift.
“It makes it one of the biggest resorts in the Northeast because we can connect these two mountains,” said John Bleh of the Sugarbush Resort.
The Slide Brook Express is the longest detachable quad chairlift in the world. It was built in the mid-1990s and connects Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen and Lincoln Peak.
“To be able to connect these two peaks where we ride is pretty special and a way to navigate between these two mountains is a pretty big bonus,” said John Murphy of Huntington.
The 2-mile-long lift traverses up and down the Green Mountains, offering a scenic view of the Mad River Valley.
“It feels special and immersive,” said Xiuyuan Ge of Middlebury.
The lift’s operations in recent years have been touch-and-go. The pandemic, spotty snowfall and a shortage of lift mechanics meant mountain staff had to focus resources on other lifts and trails.
And for Slide Brook to spin, the entire 2-mile-long base has to be covered in snow for a potential emergency evacuation.
“Thankfully, it was a snowy January and we were able to finally get the lift spinning earlier this month to let people experience it,” Bleh said.
Further north in the Green Mountains, another ski resort has investigated a similar idea.
Smugglers’ Notch, the last independent ski resort in Vermont, has been looking into creating a gondola between Smugglers’ Notch and Stowe Mountain resorts in an effort to stay financially sustainable. But those plans have been put on hold.
Meanwhile, Slide Brook will celebrate 30 years in 2025.
“Given the opportunity, would we build it again? I don’t know the answer to that,” Bleh said. “But I think it was a major undertaking and it’s something that people love and we love we have it.”
A ski lift with a world-class reputation spinning once more.
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