The Snow Bowl Quad at Stratton will replace the Black Chair.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
The Snow Bowl Quad will not travel far when it's taken down at Stratton this month, as Magic Mountain has acquired the lift.
According to a press release issued by Magic today, the installation of the Poma fixed grip quad is expected to be a $1 million project that should be ready for the upcoming ski season. Construction will begin this summer, following the projected July 1 completion of the Green Chair, the long awaited Borvig double chairlift installation. Magic is second to only Killington in terms of number of lift projects in New England this summer.
The new lift will replace the Black Chair with a slightly higher top terminal, in order to serve all terrain. The new lift will be the primary weekend lift, while the Red Chair will remain the primary lift on weekdays.
The Black Chair was originally installed in 1962 as the Blue Chair, a Pohlig center pole double. The roughly 5,500 foot long by 1,500 vertical foot chairlift was modified in 1985 when Yan triple chairs were installed, ironically decreasing the uphill capacity of the lift. The lift has encountered numerous maintenance and inspection related issues in recent decades, resulting in it most recently operating as a double chairlift with 113 chairs.
The Snow Bowl Quad was installed new at Stratton in 1986. The Poma fixed grip lift is 4,877 feet long by 1,380 vertical feet and has 148 chairs. Stratton is replacing the lift with a new Doppelmayr high speed quad.
Located in Londonderry, Vermont, Magic Mountain was originally opened in 1960-61 by Hans Thorner. In recent decades, the area has been plagued by financial problems, including a 6 year closure during the 1990s. Since reopening in 1997-98, the ski area has seen multiple owners and operators. In November 2016, Ski Magic LLC, led by former Magic Mountain Marketing Director Geoff Hatheway, purchased the ski area and ramped up repairs and improvements to the mountain's aging infrastructure. The two new lifts will give the area its largest functional lift network in nearly 30 years.
