Industry News
In a time where lift ticket prices can soar as high as $300, it may be shocking to learn that there are ski areas that offer tickets for less than the price of a burger at a mega resort. Brattleboro Ski Hill, Vermont, which first opened in 1938, has offered day lift tickets for just $5 for the past few seasons. The ski hill is serviced by an aging Doppelmayr T-bar, first installed in 1957, and they recently announced that they need help to ensure another year of skiing.
Though last season started well—thanks in part to some snowguns donated by Stratton, Vermont—disaster struck in mid-February when the top terminal of the T-bar started visibly smoking. The lift’s electrical actuator was broken, and due to the lift’s age, the entire motor had to be replaced at a great expense. Then, near the end of the season, Brattleboro’s 25-year-old groomer experienced a “catastrophic failure,” leaving the ski hill with no grooming capabilities.
Brattleboro recently launched a GoFundMe page to raise some of the money that is desperately needed to finance a replacement groomer and other projects. The GoFundMe page reported the cost of a new snowcat to be as high as $400,000. Still, it indicated that they were exploring possible partnerships with other ski areas or considering the use of used equipment. According to the fundraiser page, the T-bar will also require an upgrade to its low-voltage electrical system within the next several years, at a cost of approximately $70,000. With so many expensive projects looming, it is commendable that Brattleboro has not announced any change to its $5 ticket price ahead of the upcoming season.
Brattleboro operates entirely on volunteers, and lift ticket sales only cover 30% of their annual expenses, according to the ski hill’s website. Volunteers earn a free lift ticket for every two hours they put in on the hill. Brattleboro’s fundraising goal is $35,000, and as of the time of publication, they have already raised $9,500.
