Haystack Mountain Ski Area

Infobox ski area
name = Haystack Mountain Ski Area(closed)
picture = Haystack-2006-0625a.jpg
caption = The upper base area
location = Wilmington, Vermont, US
nearest_city =
lat_degrees =
lat_minutes =
lat_seconds =
lat_direction =
long_degrees =
long_minutes =
long_seconds =
long_direction =
vertical =
number_trails = 45
longest_run =
liftsystem = 6
fast_quadchar =
quadchair =
triplechair = 3
doublechair =
snowmaking =
external_link = [http://www.haystackclub.com/ Haystack Club] |

Haystack Mountain Ski Area was a mid sized alpine ski area located northeast of Haystack Mountain in Wilmington, Vermont.

Early operations

The ski area featured two unique areas, complete with lodges and chairlifts. The upper mountain, serviced originally by the Oh No double chairlift (a Mueller installed in 1965), featured over one thousand vertical feet of trails for intermediates and experts. The lower mountain, serviced by multiple lifts (including a Mueller double chairlift), featured shorter trails for beginners. For many years, a transfer chairlift connected the lower and upper areas.

In the mid 1980s a significant expansion took place, resulting in the installation of three new triple chairlifts, including a CTEC chairlift serving a new expert complex called "The Witches."

Mount Snow merger

In 1991, S-K-I Ltd., owners of nearby Mount Snow, purchased Haystack and soon began promoting the two ski areas as one. Though they were never connected by alpine ski trails or lifts, (there is a nordic trail along the ridge between the two), trail counts and snow reports were often combined.

In 1996 S-K-I Ltd. merged with LBO Resort Enterprises, forming the American Skiing Company. The American Skiing Company (ASC) would soon hit financial troubles, resulting in the scaling back of operations at Haystack. By the end of its ownership of Haystack, ASC limited operations to weekend and holiday periods.

Sale and closure

On March 30, 2005, the American Skiing Company announced it had sold Haystack Mountain Ski Area for $5,000,000 to a group of local businessmen. [ [http://www.skivermont.com/central/pressroom.php?tid=1484 Mount Snow Announces Agreement to Sell Haystack :: Vermont Ski Areas Association ] ] The Haystack Club concept was created as a result, with the plans to open an upscale private ski area. The owners have not operated the ski area since the sale and it is unknown if or when it will reopen.

References

External links

* [http://www.haystackclub.com/ Haystack Club] - Attempting to reopen Haystack as an upscale private ski area
* [http://www.mountsnow.com/ Mount Snow]