Ascutney Outdoors Installing An Electric

Jun 03, 2023

By Ian Wood June 5, 2023 2:31 pm

By Ian Wood | June 5, 2023 2:31 pm ET

Back in 2016, Ascutney Mountain in Vermont was reborn. A non-profit organization reopened the Vermont ski area with a rope tow after it had been shuttered for years due to foreclosure. This rope tow was eventually accompanied by another surface lift for the tubing area, and a t-bar opened back in 2020. This summer, their rope tow is getting a major upgrade.

Ascutney Outdoors announced that the rope tow's gas-powered clutch system is being replaced by an electric-powered one. According to Ascutney Outdoors, going electric improves the "ease of use, reliability, [gives] better speed control, and [allows for] the ability to increase uphill capacity for school groups." This new system will allow them to operate both the t-bar and rope tow for skiers during peak periods. So far, they’ve done some foundational and electrical work on the project.

During the two times that I visited last season, I noticed that they were only running the t-bar and tubing lift, which made me question why that was the case. This announcement explains why, so it’ll be cool to see the drive in action during the coming years.

"With the foundation and electrical work in progress, we are very excited about the installation of our new electrically-driven rope tow drive system, which is expected to be operational for the upcoming season. It will offer a number of benefits over our old traditional gas-powered clutch system rope tow, including ease of use, reliability, better speed control, and the ability to increase uphill capacity for school groups. In addtion, we [will] be able to operate it during very busy T-bar times if necessary. A special thanks to all of the hard work thus far from Glenn, Jonathan, and Greg. More updates to follow." -Ascutney Outdoors

Image/Video Credits: Ascutney Outdoors, Ian Wood

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