Bigger Better

Note

For capital improvements made at Eastern resorts included in the SKI Reader Resort Survey, see the October issue, or visit skimag.com.

Black Mountain, Maine

Thanks to a gift from the Libra Foundation, this little-known community hill in Rumford gets a new lift to the top of the ridge that increases its vertical from 470 feet to 1,100 feet. Plans include new trails, snowmaking increases,lights for nightskiing and a new novice/intermediate terrain area.

Catamount, N.Y.

Two new novice trails, one of them nearly a mile long, make Catamount more beginner-friendly. Upper Promenade, serviced by Lift 5 (now called The Meadows), gives Catamount what it claims is the longest continuous run in the Berkshires. The terrain park has been relocated and expanded, and a new “mini-park” incorporates gentler elements.

Cranmore Mountain, N.H.

The Darkside Terrain Park has been relocated to the newly widened Zip’s trail and now has lights for night riding.

Crotched Mountain, N.H.

After reopening last season with all new lifts and base lodge, resurgent Crotched adds a top-to-bottom terrain park.

Edelweiss, Que.

A high-speed quad replaces the ancient double at Edelweiss, and three new moving carpets have been added, including one at the tubing park.

Greek Peak, N.Y.

The terrain park doubles in size, and the base area features 12 new condominiums.

Jay Peak, Vt.

The Village double chair services a new 3,000-foot beginner’s trail that winds down to the middle of emerging Jay Peak Village, where a 56-unit condo complex has been added. Jay, already famous for its snow-choked glades, has thinned the trees on another 15 acres.

Jiminy Peak, Mass.

Jiminy has added four new trails, including two that make it easier to navigate the summit (without skating) and two that improve flow to the base area. The area also christens a new terrain park, called Coyote Ridge. Coming next year: more nightskiing terrain.

Pats Peak, N.H.

Pats Peak now boasts 100 percent coverage after increasing its snowmaking. The mountain also adds lights on the Blast trail, a new carpet lift for beginners, a family-friendly glade, more parking and wireless Internet access in both of its lodges.

Saddleback, Maine

In his first year, an energetic new owner has added five trails and replaced the base-to-summit T-bar with a quad that nudges the vertical from 1,835 to 2,000. At the bottom, skiers will find a new three-story lodge. The four-mile access road has been paved, and snowmaking has increased from 50 to 80 percent coverage, with a fourfold increase in pumping power. A new hotel is planned for 2006.

Ski Butternut, Mass.

A new quad replaces the Highline double chair, increasing uphill capacity by 800 skiers per hour.

Snowshoe Mountain, W. Va.

A new lodging complex adds 62 units to the summit village of this “upside-down” Intrawest resort. Many of them will be available to rent.

Wintergreen, Va.

The Highland Express, a new high-speed six-pack, replaces the Highland triple, slicing the ride time by more than six minutes, and three new expert trails have been added.

Woodbury Ski Area, Conn.

A new beginner area offers four trails, two carpet lifts, snowmaking and lights. Tubing has been expanded by 50 percent, and the Nordic area now has snowmaking and lights as well.

NOVEMBER 2004