On November 22nd, 2019, Lincoln Peak will be opening up for skiers/snowboarders to enjoy the snow! Sugarbush Resort consists of two connected mountains, Lincoln Peak, and Mount Ellen. Generally, Mt. Ellen opens up a little later in the season. 

Lincoln Peak opened up a week earlier last season, with numerous Harwood students joining others on the opening day. This season is expected to be better than ever. Some heavy snowstorms have already hit the Mad River Valley getting kids super excited for the season. 

Harwood Junior, and frequent Sugarbush skier Charlotte Mays can’t wait for the weekend. “I grew up skiing Sugarbush, and I will ski there till I can’t ski anymore. A lot is expected out of this season since the mountain has been bought by Alterra meaning there will be some changes, which does not make the locals too happy,” she said. 

Sugarbush Mountain has been purchased by Alterra Mountain Company is Denver, Colorado. As of now, no one knows what to expect when it comes to changes, but many are assuming that there will be some notable changes as a result of the new owners. 

Another student of Harwood, Junior Aidan Flint, is more excited for the opening of Mt Ellen. “I’d say North (Mt. Ellen) has better skiing overall, along with WAY less tourists than Lincoln Peak making the skiing experience for locals much better. Less crowds, more snow!” he said.

Lincoln Peak has a higher population of skiers yearly because it is a large physical resort with a hotel, and restaurants. Mt. Ellen is more known for simply the mountain, not the facility. 

Senior Theron Williams is a skier at Mad River Glen, another very popular mountain in the area. However, he says that skiing at Sugarbush has been a gift from HUHS. Harwood gives out all-mountain passes to students with a specific CSA (Cumulative Score Average) or higher. “I’ve grown up skiing Mad River and am more home there, but I would never bash on the skiing Sugarbush has. It’s a wonderful mountain with a lot to offer. I’m excited to see what alterra brings to the community” said Williams. 

Sugarbush’s website has a snow report updated daily! According to the site: “Welcome to Winter 2019-2020! We’ve received 3″ from the latest storm, bringing us to 20″ so far and flakes are still falling at the summit. As temps drop later, we’ll fire the guns again”. 

The Valley House and the Gate House lift are scheduled to be open this weekend. Take a look at their online webcams of the snowfall (link below), and get excited for the 2019-2020 season! 

Live webcam:

https://www.sugarbush.com/mountain/webcams/