Ascutney Mountain Resort

Ascutney Mountain
Location	Brownsville, Vermont, US
Nearest city	Windsor, Vermont, US
Top elevation	2520 ft (768 m)
Base elevation	720 ft (219 m)
Skiable area	200 acres (.81 km²)
Runs	57
Longest run	2.5 mi (4 km)
Lift system	5 chairs, 1 surface lifts
Terrain parks	1
Snowfall	16.7 ft (5.1 m)
Web site	Ascutney Mountain

Ascutney Mountain was a ski area located on the western side of Mount Ascutney in Brownsville, Vermont. It opened in the winter of 1946 under the ownership of Catharine Cushman. Most recently, it was owned from 1993 until summer 2010 by Steven and Susan Plausteiner.

History

The Mt. Ascutney Ski Club cut the first trail at Ascutney in 1938. Skiers initially had to hike up the mountain to be able to ski down the trail, now known as Screaming Eagle. In 1946, Catharine Cushman, with the help of others, began to develop real estate on the mountain, in essence opening Ascutney as a ski area. It wasn't until the second year, 1947, that two rope tows were installed to take skiers up the mountain. The first groomer was bought in 1947, while snowmaking was installed ten years later, when the ski area was owned by John Howland. Kurt Albert is the only man to ski 24 straight hours at Ascutney to raise money for charity in 2001.

More recently, when Summit Ventures owned Ascutney, they invested $80 million into operating the resort, but had to file for bankruptcy in 1990. After three years of closure, Steven and Susan Plausteiner from New York City, bought Ascutney for over one million dollars. Improvements under the Plausteiners include snowmaking coverage being expanded to 95% of the skiable area and installation of a high-speed detachable quad chairlift in 2000 from the bottom of the mountain to a new, higher peak.

2010 closure

In the early summer of 2010, rumors spread of Ascutney's imminent closure. As the summer months went on, changes to the website concerning season passes, and the upcoming 2010-2011 season were never updated. Rumors spread of severe debt and financial troubles on the part of the current owners, the Plausteiners. As of October 2010, the State of Vermont has admitted that Ascutney Mountain had not yet filed for lift inspections, with the inspection deadline on November 1, 2010. Currently, the mountain is in foreclosure, and the lifts will not be spinning come winter time. Despite the closure of the ski operations, the resort at the base of the mountain, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Ascutney Mountain Resort, continues to operate. Holiday Inn Club Vacations has no ownership ties to the ski operation. Until ski operations return to Ascutney Mountain, guests of Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Ascutney Mountain Resort are encouraged to visit nearby ski areas such as Mount Sunapee in Newbury, New Hampshire, Arrowhead in Claremont, New Hampshire, and Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, Vermont. The high speed quad, known as the "North Peak Express," is currently for sale, with various local operations looking into purchasing it. In a February 2012 announcement from Crotched Mountain, it has purchased the quad chair and plans to install it in the Spring of 2012.

Mountain statistics at 2010 closure

• Vertical drop: 1,800 ft

Trails

• Skiable area: 200 acres (0.81 km²)
  • Glades: 50 acres (0.20 km²)
• 57 trails
  • 14 novice - 24.5%
  • 22 intermediate - 38.5%
  • 21 advanced and expert - 37%
• Longest trail - 2.5 miles (4 km)

Lifts

• 6 total
  • 1 high-speed detachable quad chair
  • 3 triple chairs
  • 1 double chair
  • 1 surface lift

External links

• Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Ascutney Mountain Resort
• Ascutney Mountain History - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com
• Re-Open the Ascutney Ski Mountain in Brownsville, Vermont - SaveAscutney.com