What's New and Coming for the 2017-18 Ski Season

While the last ski season is already a close memory, mountains are already hard at work preparing for the next. Over the course of this summer and fall, we will help you keep track of the latest announced developments and changes coming to the ski mountains near you.

-ONTARIO-

Mount St-Louis Moonstone - $500,000 on snow-making upgrades and automation. $350,000 increasing Night Lighting on Saint, Promenade, and Venture trails. 3 NEW Pisten Bully groomers complete with SnowSat GPS which accurately measures snow depth on trails. Re-grading expansion of Moonstone Novice Slope and relocation of Novice Carpet. 

-QUEBEC-

Bromont - Expansion and reconfiguration of several trails (for example, Ottawa will be expanded and go from Black Diamond to Blue Square). New snowprk, with a rethinking of the configuration and layout, with the main park now on the Candiac trail to optimize its accessibility. First mountain in Quebec to use LED lighting technology, on two trails (Victoriaville and Daveluyville trails). 7 illuminated slope sides during the Nuits Blanches. New access control system for the lifts, allowing you to purchase and reload your ski pass or tickets from home and access the lifts directly.

Camp Fortune - New access control system for the lifts (RFID), allowing you to purchase and reload your ski pass or tickets from home and access the lifts directly and offering discounts on return visits. A new Pisten Bully 400 groomer was added to the fleet.

Mont Ste Marie - More than $1.5 million to be invested into infrastructure, snowmaking and a new beginner ski run on Vanier mountain. $200,000 in upgrades for the Cheval Blanc Quad chairlift. Investments into snowmaking to increase snow capacity.

Owl's Head - The sale of Owl's Head to Sommet Memphrémagog (headed by Gilles Bélanger) was announced. Improvements to mountain infrastructure with the goal of heading towards 4-season operations in the coming years. Improvements to have a more direct link between the mountain and the lake are also mentionned. 

Sommet Edelweiss - Improvments to the snowmaking system performance.

Sommet Gabriel - New gladed trail is being created.

Sommet Olympia & Sommet Morin Heights - Improvements to the chalets.

Sommet Saint-Sauveur - Expansion of the seating area on the upper level of the main chalet, and expansion of the rentals area on the lower level.

Stoneham - A new fixed-grip quad chairlift with loading carpet will replace the double chair "La Bordée" and the T-bar "Le Chinook". Ride time will decrease to 8.5 minutes from the current 11 minutes.

Tremblant - A 5-year agreement to host the FIS World Cup Aerial events at Tremblant .

Val Saint-Come - A new glade called the 342 on the 1000pied side of the mountain will open and be located just next to the Audacieuse trail. The Périlleuse glade will become a groomed trail and have snowmaking. New enchanted forest trail for children, with stuffed animals in the trees. Enlargement of the Autoroute trail for the installation of a mini snow park for learning on the side of the enchanted forest.

-MAINE-

Saddleback - The mountain was acquired by Majella Group (lead by its CEO Sebastian Monsour of Brisbane, Australia). The new ownership is making attempts to repair or replace necessary infrastructure such as lifts, to allow the mountain to hopefully re-open for the coming winter season.  

Sunday River - A new Spruce Peak Triple chairlift with loading carpet is being installed. Ride time will decrease to 8 minutes from 11.

-NEW YORK-

Belleayre Mountain - A new Doppelmayr 8 passenger gondola arrives, to bring you to the summit in comfort and with speed.

Holiday Valley - New magic carpet lift for the beginner area. 80 additional snowguns, bringing the total number of automated guns to 337. 2 new Pisten Bully 600 Groomers. Other projects include replacement of the Cindy's Warming Hut and the Mistletoe Lean To, two new connector trails, Inn at Holiday Valley renovations, a new Resort Shuttle Van and a family area in the main Lodge. 

-NEW HAMPSHIRE

Pat's Peak - Replacing their old Mueller Summit double chair with a CTEC triple chair formerly from Mount Ascutney, VT. The old double has been removed.

-VERMONT-

Burke Mountain - Replacing the Pomalift with a Leitner/Poma t-bar and widening the trail where the racing team trains. This is to be completed for the new upcoming season.

Killington - Major remodeling of Bear Mountain Base Lodge, installation of a fixed grip quad chair lift on Killington's South Ridge, and on-mountain improvements for skier flow including bridge and tunnel work.

Magic Mountain - Installing what I understand is a double chair to compliment their Black and Red double chairs. The "new" chair project actually started back in the early 2000's but never was completed. This "new" double chair is supposed to be operational by this upcoming season to allow them to open more terrain earlier and to offer more early season variety. Continuing work on their Green Double chair project. New haul cable ordered, painting chairs, rebuilding tower assemblies, and gear box refurbish. The 1982 Borvig double was the former Betwixed double from Stratton, VT.

Mount Snow - A new three-story Carinthia Lodge, totaling approximately 38,000 square feet and able to seat 500 people at any one time, it will house a full-service restaurant, a cafeteria, two bars and coffee counter. Skier services will include a ski rental shop, tune shop, lift ticket and ski school sales, retail and convenience store, bag storage service and youth activity room. Widening of the Long John Trail, by blasting through 45,000 yards of rock, along 1,600 feet of trail, just 3,800 linear feet below the summit of Mount Snow, with the goal to widen the trail in that area by 35 feet on average.

Sugarbush - Replacing the old Village Double at Lincoln Peak and the Sunshine Double at Mt. Ellen with two new fixed-grip quads. The new Village Quad and Sunshine Quad will provide better beginner experiences at both mountains. Replacement of the old ticket-scanning system at all of the base lifts with RFID (radio frequency identification) gates. Improvements to snowmaking efficiency and performance. Purchase of two new Pisten Bully groomers (one specifically designed for the terrain park).

Sugarloaf - Sugarloaf to introduce Maine's first cat-skiing operation on Burnt Mountain. The resort has purchased a new 12 passenger snow cat, which it will use in tandem with an existing 12-passenger cat to transport skiers to the top of the Androscoggin Glade from the Log Yard, located below the bottom terminal of the King Pine chairlift. Glade cutting crews have worked this summer to develop a designated cat road, and to clear a new glade on Burnt Mountain which will add 100 acres of newly-developed terrain to explore. In its first year, Burnt Mountain cat rides will be offered on weekends and vacation weeks only, from 9:00am - 3:00pm. The two passenger cats will rotate shuttling skiers and riders every 20 minutes, and guests will be able to reserve their seat online in advance. The Burnt Mountain experience is recommended for expert skiers and riders only. 

Whaleback - Supposed to finally install their t-bar this off season and upgrade their snow making system as well. They are currently in a fundraising campaign mode to raise the funds for the work to be done. The t-bar was purchased last year and was refurbished.


List and info compiled by Shane Séguin and Paul Giddings.