Sugarbush's Green Mountain Express Might Be Done for the Season
A key lift on the Mt. Ellen side of Sugarbush’s slopes, the Green Mountain Express, may not reopen this season because of an electrical failure that seems to have been worse than anticipated.
The Vermont ski resort previously announced that the Green Mountain Express, which climbs from the base area to the mid-mountain, was closed after a “main fuse on the drive” blew.
However, further inspection showed that the “capacitor bank that regulates power within the drive failed,” Sugarbush said.
That problem, the resort added, is “not your normal ‘wear’ failure,” and the needed part is not readily stocked nearby. To remedy the issue, Sugarbush is sourcing a new drive module from Europe and “air freighting it as fast as we can,” the resort said.
“It’s unclear if the part will arrive before the end of Mt. Ellen’s season but if it does we hope to be able to spin that lift again this spring,” Sugarbush said.
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Sugarbush, like Park City and Whistler Blackcomb, features two separate mountains. Mt. Ellen is slated to close on March 29, while the other, larger side, Lincoln Peak, will stay open longer. The resort offers passes that have varying access to the two peaks.
While the Green Mountain Express is down, another Mt. Ellen lift that had a technical hiccup, the upper mountain North Ridge, is back online after the resort remedied an electrical problem on the communications line that was damaged by high winds.
The Slide Brook Express, which connects Mt. Ellen and Lincoln Peak, remains closed for the foreseeable future because of a lack of snow. If there isn’t enough snow below it, Sugarbush’s teams can’t use the evacuation roads.
More snow (and maybe rain) could arrive at Sugarbush this weekend, though, just in time for the resort’s 4th Annual Pride Weekend, which includes “skiing, dancing, drag, and more.”
Per OpenSnow, the largest snow totals are expected on Monday, with more flurries throughout the coming week.
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