Stratton’s 60th Anniversary
With three lifts, eight trails and 22 inches of fresh snow, Stratton Mountain Resort officially opened for skiing on December 29, 1961. Now in its 60th season, Stratton is home to 11 lifts, including New England’s first high-speed six-passengers, 99 trails, glades, and terrain parks. The seasons have brought thousands of inches of snow and too many memorable moments to count.
What a journey it’s been. Season 60 at Stratton will be a time to share new stories, celebrate milestones, and enjoy the party on December 29, just one of the events on the calendar. Throughout the season, there will be social media trivia contests, limited-edition commemorative puzzles, 60th anniversary logo items and a unique limited-edition poster plus a wall calendar featuring the photography of Hubert Schriebl and a timeline of Stratton history.
Stratton Mountain Mobile App
Download the all new Stratton Mobile App for resort information on the go. Navigate from your lodging to the Village with maps and live walking directions. Order food on the go, or from the gondola, with mobile ordering available at select restaurants. Purchase activity tickets like snow tubing and ice skating. Track your runs, total vertical descent or link up with your friends on the mountain with real time ski tracking and more, all available at the tips of your mittens.
MOOver Public Transit System
Stratton Mountain Resort is proud to announce a new way of getting to the mountain this winter. Stratton has partnered with the MOOver, southern Vermont’s fare free public transit system serving Windham and southern Windsor counties. This route will run to and from Manchester and Stratton Mountain Resort, making 4 to 8 round trips daily, varying weekdays to weekends. This sought-after route will provide Stratton Mountain employees and the general public with mountain access seven days a week. The MOOver bus service will begin November 15, 2021, and service this route through April 1, 2022.
“We are very grateful for Stratton’s generous support of public transit. This will be a great service for all Stratton employees and many people in the area to enjoy, creating an escape to the mountains and more accessibility for everyone in the local community.”
-Randy Schoonmaker, MOOver CEO
All of the MOOver’s buses are spotted black and white to look like Holstein cows and are free to ride. The MOOver bus also connects to three other bus companies to provide transportation to Rutland, Bennington, and Albany, New York. This southern Vermont transit system adds incredible value and freedom for both employees looking to get out on a day off, or the general public in need of a ride.
Share Winter Foundation
Alterra Mountain Company commits to creating a more diverse and inclusive winter sports community and has joined forces with Share Winter Foundation to support their mission to improve the lives, health, and fitness of youth through winter sports. The two industry partners will unite in their joint commitment to equitably evolving and expanding the industry. This unique, multi-year collaboration includes a donation to Share Winter of nearly $4 million in the form of cash and in-kind services, including lessons, lift tickets, equipment rentals, and meal vouchers. Through this donation, thousands of youth participating in Share Winter’s partner programs will receive up to four Learn to Ski & Ride programs at 14 of Alterra Mountain Company’s North American destinations throughout winter 21/22, resulting in more than 13,000 on snow visits.
In partnership with Share Winter, Stratton is excited to be hosting the SHRED Foundation and Youth Enrichment Services (YES) this winter! Congratulations to these Share Winter Grantees, we can’t wait to ski and ride with you at Stratton.
“With this game changing partnership, Alterra Mountain Company is breaking down some of the greatest barriers to entry in skiing and riding. The opportunity presented by this partnership is phenomenal, but the energy and support we’ve felt from Alterra Mountain Company and its emnmployees takes this collaboration to the next level. This is how real change happens.”
– Constance Beverly, CEO, Share Winter Foundation
Stratton’s Solar Power Purchase Agreement
Stratton Mountain Resort has entered a power purchase agreement to be the sole recipient of solar energy produced by Sea Oak Capital’s 500-kilowatt AC solar array in Wallingford, Vermont. Located 40 miles north of Stratton Mountain, the newly completed solar array has the ability to generate approximately 1,000,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually. This places Stratton Mountain among the leaders of Vermont ski areas in regard to solar energy production in the state.
This solar power purchase agreement adds to the role of environmental leadership across all areas of our business. It is our priority and responsibility to be stewards of the natural environment in which we live, work, and play by incorporating a sustainable point of view into every business decision. Our sustainable point of view is based on the intent to reduce our footprint by actively pursuing innovative solutions, particularly in the areas of resources (land, water, air), energy, and waste management. This initiative is called Fresh Tracks and it aims to implement change resort-wide, while educating and empowering our colleagues, community, and guests.
Prinoth Bison X Snowcat
Another snowcat has been added to the fleet. Stratton’s second Prinoth Bison X. The new cat will be used for all frontline grooming needs including specialized Terrain Park shaping and grooming for this coming season. With the “Snow How” snow depth tracking system, these new cats are efficient when managing snowpack, maintaining trails all season long, and building specific terrain park features. The addition to Stratton’s already powerful grooming fleet is why it ranks Top 5 for Grooming on the 2022 SKI Magazine Resort Guide.
“The Prinoth Bison X is equipped with CLEAN MOTION. This is a pioneering philosophy, which is not only synonymous with low energy consumption and sustainable environmental protection but also creates vehicles boasting efficiency and excellent performance. The BISON X is guaranteed to impress thanks to its exceptional thrust, excellent maneuverability, unrestricted vision, and outstanding comfort. A fully electronic engine management system guarantees lower fuel consumption and reduced maintenance costs. We make sure to keep exhaust emissions low and use resources sensibly, as well as ensuring high economic efficiency and a long service life. After all, our vehicles are used day in, day out wherever outstanding technology needs to be combined with a high degree of environmental responsibility.”
-Prinoth
Play Safe, Play Smart
For the most up-to-date Mountain Operations protocols and policies, please visit our Play Safe, Play Smart page.
Mountain Sports School
According to the National Ski Areas Association, last season saw the fifth most skier & snowboarder visits to US resorts, since they began keeping a tally in the 1978/1979 season. In a pandemic affected season, there was a huge emphasis on getting outside, and getting to the mountain. With this large amount of skiers and riders, comes a large demand for learning. Equipment and lessons are the two biggest keys to success on the mountain. Stratton’s Learn To Ski and Learn to Ride packages are here to help everyone discover their new love for winter. Included in these packages are an instructor-led lesson, gear rentals, including a helmet, a lift ticket and even the Learning Zone Guarantee, a promise that new skiers and riders will be able to confidently navigate the Learning Zone by the end of the first lesson, otherwise, Stratton will invite participants back for another complimentary lesson.
The Stratton Mountain Sports School is proud to offer a new selection of specialty camps. These camps are designed to focus on various aspects of skiing and snowboarding, in groups and settings that allow for the most progression, and the best of times. Cruising the Groomers focuses on turn shape and maintaining speed while carving. Frontside Backside focuses on skiing and riding ungroomed terrain including bumps, glades, and natural features. Also included in these camps are women’s specific, and men’s specific midweek and weekend camps, promoting comradery and conversation within the workshops. View the full list of SMSS Specialty Camps.
Stratton X-Ventures is a series of guided trips to destinations in Colorado, Utah and California with top Stratton Mountain Sports School instructors and local destination Mountain Guides for 4 days of small group exploration. X-Ventures has trips planned to the following Ikon Pass destinations; Steamboat, CO, Winter Park, CO, Deer Valley, UT, Palisade Tahoe, CA and Mammoth, CA.
Employment
In preparation for the 2021/2022 season, Stratton Mountain Resort has invested in employee housing and public transportation beyond the resort’s property. Through this investment, Stratton has added 150 employee housing beds, and with the addition of the MOOver service, runs buses between Stratton Mountain and Manchester daily for employees and the local community.
While the minimum wage was raised to $15 per hour for year-round staff 18 months ago, it is now the starting wage for seasonal employees at Stratton Mountain Resort. Along with discounts, wellness incentives, paid parental leave, a popular perk is the complimentary season pass to Stratton Mountain and all Alterra Mountain Company destinations throughout North America.
Activities & Events
Stratton is pleased to return to some of our favorite activities this winter season. Please view our Events Calendar for the most up to date information, dates, and to sign up for these activities. Among the many happenings around the resort, you’ll find activities like:
Kids Night Out – Nordic Sunrise Hikes – Thanksgiving Dinner at Table 43.1 – NYE Firework Hike – NYE Buffet
Stratton Nordic Center Updates
The Stratton Nordic Center, located at the Sun Bowl, has purchased a new Nordic trail groomer, the Ginza, for specialized and more frequent Nordic Center trail grooming. With the boom of outdoor activity last winter, the Nordic Center serves as an escape for all to cross-country ski, snowshoe, and fat biking adventures. The Stratton Nordic Center has also partnered with the Bill Koch League and Catamount Trail Association to get local youth and locals more time in nature and exploring the Nordic Center. The Nordic Center will also have 3 PSIA Certified instructors on staff, for those looking for a guided adventure, or help perfecting their XC skiing technique.
Mountain Ops Improvements
- 23 new high efficiency HKD Snowmaker’s snow guns have been added to the resort’s snowmaking system. Eight of these were brought in through a partnership with Efficiency Vermont.
- The Stratton Village has been spruced up with fresh paint including two buildings, the clocktower, new panels on lampposts for the 60th Season.
- Painting has also taken place on the American Express lift, the interior of the base lodge, Grizzly’s deck railing, exterior of the Energy Center and the exterior of Mid Mountain Lodge.
- The Stratton Mountain Club deck has been rebuilt, and a large insulation project has been completed at the Club with Efficiency Vermont.
- The parking deck outside The Landmark Hotel has gone through renovations.
- A new pump has been put in the Stratton Golf Course Lake to increase snowmaking efficiency
For all other media inquiries and questions, please contact Andrew Kimiecik at akimiecik@stratton.com
After 60 seasons, Stratton has left A Legacy of Environmental Leadership.
Posted by Andrew Kimiecik, November 12, 2021