Stratton Mountain has invested $15 million in capital expenditures ahead of the 2025-2026 season, from employee housing renovations down in Manchester, to a Gondola wind fence extension at the summit. Let’s winter.
Snowmaking
As much as everyone loves a good nor’easter, machine-made snow is the name of the game here in southern Vermont. It’s what gets you out there early in the season, and what keeps you on the slopes through the slushy spring. Stratton Mountain continues to invest in snowmaking for the 25-26 winter season, this year putting nearly $3M towards the cause.
On the mountain, whether you’re hanging out on the chair or cruising down your favorite run, be on the lookout for 265 brand new, high-efficiency HKD snow guns that can be found on a number of popular trails including Upper Tamarack, Upper Standard, Upper Kidderbrook and Big Ben.
Behind the scenes, Stratton has upgraded snowmaking software that seamlessly controls pumps and motors, and several new underground snowmaking pipes that will improve snowmaking capabilities across the mountain, namely in the Sun Bowl area.
“It has been a very busy summer for our snowmaking crew. We have replaced over 5,000 feet of aging pipelines, totally replaced our monitoring and control system, and upgraded our oldest tower guns with the newest and most efficient HKD tower guns. These upgrades will make our system more reliable and efficient, especially in the above 20-degree temperature window. We can’t wait to test out these upgrades and are ready and waiting for consistent cold temperatures.” – Senior Mountain Operations Manager, Kevin Booth
Employee Housing
A strong team of employees is everything at a ski resort. With that in mind, Stratton invested upwards of $4M into its employee housing properties. After years of relying on costly and limited winter seasonal rentals, Stratton has shifted their strategy and began investing directly in housing solutions.
Today, Stratton owns properties in Stratton, Londonderry, and Manchester, providing comfortable, affordable housing for approximately 350 employees.
While winter housing was the initial priority, Stratton has expanded to support other local businesses by offering summer housing for their seasonal staff – a model they plan to continue. Owning these properties allows Stratton Mountain to offer utility-inclusive, affordable rents year-round.
Stratton’s new offsite employee housing properties required significant upgrades, including improving roofs, electrical systems, heating, interior and exterior paint, appliances, and furnishings. These updates have made the buildings more energy-efficient, safe, and comfortable, while demonstrating our long-term commitment to the community and its employees.
Stratton also fully funds the MOOver transportation line from November through April, which provides free transportation through Manchester up to the resort. This service is open to all Stratton employees, as well as the general public.
Base Area
Starting in the Village courtyard, Stratton continues to enhance and improve one of their most popular dining outlets with an exciting addition. This season, Benedict’s will be outfitted with a newly restructured outdoor patio, all covered from the elements with a post and beam roof making for an optimal après-ski venue. This is the first step in improving the courtyard with the next being an upgrade of the courtyard pavers and adding a snowmelt system, ideally ahead of next season.
“Watching the new patio at Benedict’s take shape fills me with pride and anticipation for what’s ahead. It’s a testament to Alterra Mountain Company’s continued investment in our people and places, and to the Stratton team’s unwavering focus on delivering the best possible guest experience.” – Food and Beverage Director, Kasey Mann
Right next door to Benedict’s is Village Rentals, where guests can find a variety of equipment to lease for their time on the slopes. Stratton purchased 750 new sets of Rossignol rental skis, 8 of which are uphill touring skis for those who want to test out earning their turn. Alongside the ski fleet, there are 25 new Burton rental snowboards and 100 new helmets.
As you make your way up the steps and into the Main Base Area, stroll over towards the Gondola and you will see the latest 60-foot ski and snowboard storage space located directly next to Waffle Cabin. This structure will serve the general public, as well as those who use the Ski Butlers Slopeside Valet, Quiver and other equipment storage services.
Lifts
Following last year’s Ursa Express lift modernization, Stratton doubled-down and followed the same procedure for their main-vein American Express chair lift located in the Main Base Area. The project involved updating components of the lift to newer modernized components, including but not limited to; the control system, tower circuit, hydraulic brake unit, hydraulic tension unit, cyclo spacing unit and drive machinery, plus other internal components of the lifts. Updating these components will not change the external appearance of the lifts but carry them into the future, allowing for better serviceability and reliability, availability of parts, quicker maintenance times, and overall smoother operations.
On top (or bottom rather) of the internal updates, two new bottom-terminal lift stations have been erected at both American Express and Ursa Express. These structures are vital in ensuring that our lift operators have a place to keep warm and run the chair lifts effectively and efficiently.
At the summit, Stratton Mountain has invested in 200 feet of additional wind fencing spanning across 12 posts standing roughly 30 feet high. This extension of the wind fence will help mitigate gusts at southern Vermont’s highest peak.
Further capital expenditures include the repaving of the access road as well as the implementation of a number of essential drainage culverts and new guard rails; this is year three of the four-year project.
The Nordic Center has undergone off-season maintenance transforming 5 kilometers of the trail system by re-grading terrain with wood chips to provide a smoother surface and more enjoyable cross-country experience.