Industry News
Pico Mountain, located in Mendon, Vermont, is a family-friendly resort with varied terrain including classic eastern-style trails and glades. It is proud of its reputation as a big mountain with small mountain charm. Pico’s central base area features a lodge with stone fireplaces. With all trails converging into one area, it’s easy to stay connected with friends and family throughout the day. It is the mountain where the locals go to get away from the crowds at nearby Killington.
Many skiers dream of having a mountain all to themselves: no lift lines, no crowds in the lodge, and no one tracking up the fresh snow. If you are an organization or a private skier planning a special event, renting an entire ski mountain might be a great option. Pico Mountain is available for skiers and boarders to rent out and prices start at less than $9,500 for groups of up to 250 people. That is only $38 a person and gives full access to the slopes, lodge, and lifts and you have it all to yourselves.
Quick Facts and History
- First season: 1937/1938
- Base Elevation: 2,000 feet
- Summit: 3,967 feet
- Vertical Drop: 1,967 feet
- Trail count: 58 (36% advanced/expert, 46% intermediate, 18% beginner)
- Lifts: 2 high-speed quads, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 1 carpet
- Skiable Acres: 468
- Snowmaking Coverage: 75%
- Average annual snowfall: 250 inches
Pico founders Brad and Janet Mead opened a rope tow on Little Pico on Thanksgiving Day in 1937. A Charley Proctor-designed trail, Sunset Schuss, opened on a hike-up basis in early 1938, starting a long relationship with ski-touring enthusiasts that lasts to this day. By the 1939/1940 season, two rope tows were in place. Pico also invested in a high-capacity lift opening the first T-Bar in the United States in January 1941.
Pico Mountain’s rich ski racing history dates back to its origins. Throughout the 1940s, Pico hosted state and regional races. Andrea Mead Lawrence, America’s first Olympic gold medalist in Slalom and Giant Slalom, learned to race at Pico skiing the same trails that young racers train on today.
For its 25th anniversary season in 1962-63, Pico invested in its largest expansion to date. In addition to base area facility expansion, a T-Bar, new slope, and new trail were added. The area’s first double chairlift was also installed. The summit double chairlift was completed in January of 1966, and the Bonanza double chairlift was completed for the following season. The Outpost area was developed in 1969. In 1971-72, Pico installed New England’s first triple chairlift.
For its golden anniversary season of 1987-88, Pico installed its first high-speed quad, one year after the technology’s debut in New England. With the installation of the Golden Express lift, Pico was part of an elite group including Killington, Mount Snow, and Stowe. A second high-speed quad reaching the summit was installed for the 1988-89 season. Over the past three seasons, Pico has invested over $2,000,000 to upgrade its snowmaking by purchasing 25 high-efficiency HKD guns; increasing its water supply by laying pipe from Killington’s Ramshead area to its storage ponds; and building a new pump house.
Mike Solimano, President and General Manager of Killington & Pico Mountains discussed the genesis of the day rental program on The Storm’s Podcast with Stuart Winchester. Solimano recounts that management realized that they didn’t have enough people skiing mid-week to justify operating costs; this led to closing the mountain on Tuesdays/Wednesdays. “If you have money left at the end of the year you can invest in capital,” Solimano states in the Podcast.
This led to the full-day rental program to generate additional revenue. The response has been positive and Solimano says that many of the available rental days are generally booked. Costs start at $9,500 which includes a base lodge and mountain access via the Golden and Summit Express Chairlifts (both high-speed quads) for up to 250 people. Additional guests are $15 each. “You know it’s been very well received. On a mountain that size, you’re skiing by yourself and most of the groups, once they do it once, they keep coming back because they realize it’s hard to beat it,” Solimano said.
One corporate client who has taken advantage of the rental option is 360 Adventure Collective (360 AC), a non-profit trade group with more than 550 members; the group organizes 12 annual trade shows, demos, and experiences servicing over 2,600 retailers. Since 2019, they have hosted an annual two-day ski demo for members in January (they are scheduled to return in 2025). Clients from states all over New England attend this event.
“They continue to return to Pico because the location is central and easy to access for our clients, the space is ideal for an event with enough level ground at the base of the hill, and the staff is the most welcoming and enjoyable, everyone on the mountain is happy to see you there,” Stacey Gellert, Executive Director of 360 AC told SnowBrains in an email.
Kelly Bair, owner of Peak Performance Ski Shop, and her staff attend this event every year.“It is helpful for putting together orders for the coming year if you want to test skis and other equipment that might have changed,” Bair told SnowBrains in an email. Others have also rented the mountain including businesses that want to host client appreciation days. “For the price…it’s a pretty great deal,” Solimano tells Winchester. It certainly generates revenue that helps the ski area and is a great way to use the hill mid-week when it is too quiet to open for the general public.
The 2024-25 ski season is just around the corner. “Pico has the right combination of professionalism and hometown appeal. They understand the importance of creating and maintaining a ski culture to help shepherd in the next generation of skiers for the future of the industry,” Gellert wrote in an email. If you are thinking of a major event and your target group is comprised of skiers and riders, a day where you have a mountain all to yourself may be just what you are looking for.
Pico’s the best! Biggest little mountain in VT! Though to be clear, the picture of the skier skinning up is actually facing east and that was taken at dawn, not sunset (note the untracked groomer tracks too 🙂 ).