Sugarloaf to spend $1.3 million on lift upgrades

Sugarloaf will install a new, state-of-the-art terminal at the bottom of the King Pine chairlift this summer, part of more than $1.3 million in upgrades to the resort’s lift infrastructure, the company announced Thursday. Of that amount, $800,000 will be spent to replace a chair lift that malfunctioned and rolled backward last winter, injuring seven skiers.

The new terminal will replace the entire load-terminal at King Pine, including the tensioning system, braking systems, anti-rollback systems, electronics and gearbox. It will be designed and manufactured by Doppelmayr, and will feature a redesigned gearbox as well as the latest braking and anti-rollback technology.

“The new King Pine terminal will dramatically improve the lift experience for our guests, and is part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring our lift infrastructure is reliable and safe,”Sugarloaf General Manager Karl Strand said in a press release. “The towers and chairs will remain the same, but King Pine will, in essence, be a completely new lift.”

Construction on the new King Pine terminal is scheduled to begin in early July and the lift is expected to open in December.

Sugarloaf plans to invest another $500,000 in upgrades scheduled for the Timberline, Double Runner, West Mountain, Skidway, Sawduster and Snubber lifts. The work on these lifts will upgrade all braking and anti-rollback systems to newer technologies.

Other off-season projects include improvements to its snowmaking system, building upgrades and a new Burton Signature Store, located in the former home of the Base Lair Arcade.

The offseason projects are a continuation of the ongoing Sugarloaf 2020 Road Map, which outlines the resort’s 10-year vision for development.

In the five years since the plan was introduced, the resort has seen numerous upgrades and improvements, including expansion on to more than 500 acres of new terrain, a new quad chairlift, massive upgrades to its snowmaking system, a new irrigation system for the Sugarloaf Golf Club, a custom 30-person outdoor hot tub at the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, new restaurants and food options, and upgraded facilities throughout the resort.