Snowmaking, Grooming and Mountain Ops for Winter 2024-25

Take a state known for its winters, equip it with some of the most powerful snowmaking systems on earth, and turn teams of expert snowmakers loose—and you’ve got a Vermont ski season.

Snowmaking has come a long way (even in the past few years), and Vermont’s snowmakers are on the leading edge of snowmaking technology with decades of experience and a constant desire to increased efficiency and make more with less. Whether it’s supplementing legendary snowfall with some manmade powder, or giving mother nature a helping hand between storms, Vermont ski areas have the power and expertise to keep everyone gliding on snow during the winter months.

Hitting the (snowy) ground running.

Killington's new ownership is wasting no time in launching into major snowmaking investments at Killington and Pico. With the announcement of $30M in capital investments over the next two years, Killington will make significant updates to its snowmaking system, many of which will be online for the 2024-25 season. Five hundred new snow guns are being installed across Killington and sister resort Pico (totaling 1,000 new low-energy HDK Tower and Fan guns by the project's completion). Four new fully-automated fan guns will also green visitors at the bottom of the area's signature run, Superstar.

The overall two-year project will consist of a low energy snowmaking investment totaling in 1,000 new low-energy HKD Tower and Fan guns, the replacement of the Superstar Express Quad to a high-speed six-pack (expected to happen summer 2025), a Skyeship Gondola revitalization including all new gondola chairs (116 in total) expected to be installed summer 2025, and a new gondola storage barn in Northbrook to be constructed in future years. Killington also has planned investment in mountain bike trail expansions.

Killington's technical grooming fleet will make use of the new snow, including the new Pinoth Bison X groomer that made its debut in 2023-24. With their ongoing updgrades to the grooming fleet, Killington is able to improve its snowmaking efficacy with real-time snow depth reading, ensuring snow goes where it’s needed while eliminating waste and saving time—all of which skiers and riders will feel on the slopes.

Snowmaker laying down first flakes on Killington

Expanded snowmaking thanks to water feed upgrades.

A local favorite and hidden gem for lessons, Pico Mountain underwent major upgrades this summer. Most notable, Pico’s pump house has expanded its snowmaking water capacity from 1600 to 2400GPM, with higher water pressure output. With the newly upsized water feed line from the snowmaking pond combined with the 25 new low-energy snow-guns and state-of-the-art pumps, Pico will be able to run guns in more places than ever before, maximizing output across the mountain.

Season starters and connector trails.

Mad River Glen's big updates include a complete overhaul of the area’s snowmaking pump coupled with a new variable drive system for the Sunnyside Double. The ski area will also debut a new mid-station, thanks to SkyTrac (slated for completion Fall 2024), which will open up more early-season terrain when there's a greater reliance on manmade snow. In the heart of winter, the new station will also offer an easier avenue to Birdland’s green and blue trails for beginner and novice skiers.

New snowmaking for cruisers and racers.

Nicknamed Sun Mountain, Bromley’s southern exposure requires special attention to snowmaking when bookending the season. This summer Bromley continued to make upgrades to its snowmaking, with a new and improved pipeline on their lower mountain. Skiers can expect more consistent conditions on return to the base area, most notably on Lower Thruway and Lower Boulevard.

Bromley also enters the season with several new snow guns, a new haul rope on East Meadow Chair, and a schedule of live music on holidays and nearly every weekend throughout the season.

More snow, less time.

One important detail of Stratton's announcement of $20M in improvements over the coming seasons was the $2M allotment going straight to its powerful snowmaking system.

Following last year’s successful implementation of 70 HKD KLIK snowmaking hydrants on Sun Tanner and Polar Bear, Stratton is installing another 160 HKD KLIK hydrants on Frank's Line, Mikes Way, West Meadow, Drifter Link and Old Log Rd. Twenty-five HKD Impulse low-energy, high-performance tower snow guns will find a permanent home on Mike’s Way this season, replacing the manual process of bringing ground guns to the trail for snowmaking. The resort also replaced snowmaking pipe on Lower Standard and 1500 feet of snowmaking pipe on the access road, assuring reliability in transporting water uphill from Stratton’s two large snowmaking reservoirs.

A new Prinoth Bison X is also being added to Stratton’s 11- machine grooming fleet, making it the fourth Prinoth snowcat purchased in the last 4 years as the resort continues to implement the newest technology and efficiency standards.

Old school vibes with new school technology.

Magic’s retro vibes are a draw for skiers across the region--that stops at the snowmaking however. The ski area is looking to earlier-season openings with the purchase of 50 new snow guns to supplement its fleet. Magic’s retro vibe stops at snowmaking however, as the ski area eyes earlier-season openings with the purchase of 50 new snow guns. Over 35 new improved-efficiency HKD fixed tower guns will blanket key high-use trails off the mid-mountain Green lift, including the main race trail. The addition of over a dozen very light, mobile snow guns ("baby" Ratniks), will also add new snowmaking cover to the expert Black Line and Witch trails under the new quad.

The land of snow and goats.

Snowmaking isn’t as common at cross-country ski areas as it is at alpine areas, but Trapp Family Outdoor Center isn’t about being common (ask visitors who’ve hiked with goats or mountain biked through the area’s highland cow herd). For this season the Trapp Family Outdoor center expects to upgrade its snowmaking equipment and fan gun to help cover more ground and expand its winter season.