The leaves are dropping and so are the temperatures. Believe it or not, you’re bound to be cruising down your favorite trail in less than a months time. We are stoked and not just because the season is right around the corner; there is a whole lot of new and exciting stuff going on at Stratton this winter that we cannot wait for all of you to experience and enjoy. Keep reading to find out what’s new at Stratton Mountain for the 23/24 Winter Season.
Expansive Learning Zone
If you’re looking to take a ski or snowboard lesson this winter, Stratton is the place to do it. There are currently three new, state-of-the-art covered surface lifts (carpets) being installed, including a 160’ covered surface lift that will be placed right in front of the Junior Mountain Sports School allowing for quicker and easier access to snow. These lift additions will bring the total to five surface (carpet) lifts in the Main Base Area for this upcoming winter season.
But that’s not all. The slopes within the Learning Zone are being regraded, giving new levels of tiered progression for new skiers and snowboarders to start, learn, progress, and graduate from. Our Learning Zone expansion and regrade will help contribute to your success on the slopes at a quicker rate, getting you on a Gondola ride to the Summit in no time.
RFID Gates
Our new RFID gates have arrived and will be ready for Opening Day. For those who aren’t familiar, implementing RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology into our day-day operations will allow guests to load our lifts without the time consuming process of having their lift ticket or season pass scanned manually.
This season guests will load lift tickets onto a Mountain Pass. Once you have your Mountain Pass, Stratton Pass or Ikon Pass you can head directly to the lifts and skip the ticket line. RFID gates will scan your passes automatically through the left side of your jacket or pants. And just like that, you’re on your way up.
RFID scanning is beneficial for a number of reasons, and we’re extremely excited to be offering it to all of you this upcoming winter season. Stratton Mountain Season Passes, Mountain Passes (Daily Lift Tickets) and Ikon Passes will be compatible with these RFID gates at all Main Base Area lifts and carpets as well as Sunrise Express, Ursa Express and Snow Bowl Express.
Ski Butlers Equipment Rental
Renting Ski and Snowboard gear has never been easier with Ski Butlers – the new and convenient rental service at Stratton that brings your equipment directly to your accommodations. Yes, you read that correctly – they deliver your skis or snowboards, boots, poles, and more, right to your doorstep. Imagine the joy of waking up on your first morning in the mountains, and your gear is ready and waiting for you. Their dedicated team of experts takes the time to get to know your preferences and skill level, ensuring that the equipment you receive is a perfect fit. With Ski Butlers, you’re not just getting any gear; you’re getting high-quality gear delivered to you, tailored to you.
Upper Standard Coffee Company
New to the Stratton Village this season is Upper Standard Coffee Company located right next to Bar 802. There’s nothing like a warm cup of joe or a sweet hot coco on a cold Vermont day at the resort. Upper Standard Coffee Company is your one stop shop for hot and cold, fresh-brewed coffee, Belgian Liège Waffles made on site, pastries, ice cream and more. See you there this winter.
Fresh Terrain Park Locations
Take a spin through the new Stratton Parks locations for Winter 23/24. The primary terrain parks will be located on Betwixt, Beeline, East Byrnes Side and Tyrolienne. These parks will range from an extra small progression park on Tyrolienne, to the medium/large park on East Byrnes Side, complete with a halfpipe. Big Ben will take on a new look as the mountain’s designated boardercross trail.
CLIMB • Stratton Rocks and Boulders
We are excited to be offering our first ever indoor Rock Climbing experience here at Stratton Mountain. Located in the Village two doors down from Bar 802 and across from the Real Estate Office, our new rock climbing gym is extremely accessible for those visiting the resort. Phase 1 (yes, there is more to come) features 15 auto-belay routes that reach 25 feet in height along with a mellow bouldering section giving plenty of room for you and your friends or family to get after it on the wall. Time slots are 60 minutes long which allows you plenty of time to hit each route and then some. Before you begin climbing, one of our trained CLIMB Employees will walk you through the whole process from start to finish.
Coca-Cola Tube Park
The newly constructed Coca-Cola Snack Shack will make its debut this winter at the base of the Coca-Cola Tube Park, serving pizza, pretzels, snacks, and of course, Coca-Cola refreshments out of the Sun Bowl. The Snack Shack will enhance options and experiences for tube riders, parents, skiers, snowboarders, and those wanting to trek over from the Nordic Center. The Coca-Cola Tube Park will also receive a covered surface lift to increase uphill rider capacity and add additional tubing lanes for more friends in the lanes, allowing for more runs, and more laughs with each session.
Other New Additions
A new Prinoth Bison X is being added to Stratton’s grooming fleet to lay down the best lines in southern Vermont. “This versatile all-rounder is a customer favorite for a reason. The working compact footprint provides optimal maneuverability, and the Caterpillar C9.3 engine gives the BISON the power to shape slopes, snow parks, fun slopes, or even cross-country courses.” – Prinoth.com.
Stop by the Sun Bowl to take advantage of the new Wintersteiger ski and snowboard tuning machine, which will be added in the Sun Bowl Rental Shop to maximize performance of Stratton’s rental equipment, and for quick tunes for anyone who wants to get light services like a timely hot wax, or an edge sharpen before beginning the day.
Stratton is investing in HKD’s KLIK Manual hydrant technology, an add on to existing HKD tower guns. Taken from HKD’s website “The HKD KLIK manual hydrant is a game changer for snowmakers. In a 12-hour snowmaking window, HKD KLIK manual hydrants can boost snowmaking production by as much as 100%, when compared to using traditional hydrants and hoses. This significant improvement is achieved by eliminating the time-consuming step of hooking up, and unhooking, air and water hoses at each hydrant. Start time per gun can be as quick as 1 Minute instead of 5 to 10 min.”
Published by Harley Smith