Unseasonable weather delayed Sugarbush’s opening day from November 21 to November 30 and the resort opened its day ticket sales – in limited quantities on Monday, November 23.
Day tickets will be available for use at the resort starting on December 4, leaving passholders access to Lincoln Peak prior to that. Tickets can only be purchased online and can be purchased in advance and same day.
Sugarbush passholders have been emailed information about the attestation form that they need to sign to confirm that they meet the Vermont’s travel guidelines which call for a 14-day quarantine in or out of state or a seven-day quarantine followed by negative COVID tests. People who purchase day tickets will fill out that attestation form as part of the purchase. Once purchased, lift tickets can be redeemed at the ticket kiosks located in front of The Farmhouse at Lincoln Peak and on the deck of the ticket office at Mt. Ellen. Guests will simply scan their receipt into the kiosk to get their SugarXpress Card. Guests who already have a SugarXpress Card will have the option to reload tickets onto it during the purchasing process.
Sugarbush communications manager John Bleh said that as passholders return their attestation forms their passes will be greenlighted within the resort’s RFID system in real time. He said passes won’t be active until attestation forms are received and said the resort is working on placing an RFID reader in the courtyard at Lincoln Peak to check whether their pass is active before heading to the lifts.
Additionally, as The Valley Reporter goes to press on November 24, Sugarbush representative Margo Wade is meeting with the Warren Select Board seeking permission to place temporary lighted messaging signs on the Sugarbush Access Road alerting the public to COVID information including masking, attestations and quarantine requirements. The temporary signs require select board approval. Sugarbush is seeking similar approval from the Fayston Select Board for signage at the bottom of the Mount Ellen Access Road.
At Mad River Glen, the projected opening date remains December 12 with the Practice Slope open and hopefully more, depending on the weather, according to general manager Matt Lillard. Mad River Glen is not currently selling day passes, but it will begin to do so the first week of December.
Mad River Glen has reached out to its passholders via email on the need to complete the attestation form. Mad River Glen passholders can receive refunds for their pass purchase until December 20. As of November 23, passholders contacted about the attestation forms and potential refunds indicated that:
- 10% opted for refund of pass/es.
- 75% are either permanent residents or have or will have moved to Vermont for the season.
- 13% plan to comply with the travel restrictions.
“Keep in mind that these refund stats are per form and each form can have one person or a whole family on it,” Lillard said.
That same letter to passholders, they were told that more information on operational plans will be available next week. Current operational plans can be found here: www.madriverglen.com/covid-19/ and will be updated in the coming days.
“We encourage everyone to become familiar with the plans and make your decision accordingly. This season is sure to be very different but we will not waver from our commitment to provide skiing in the safest environment possible. Please understand that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious virus that can lead to severe illness and death. It is everyone's responsibility to act in accordance with the policies of the state of Vermont and Mad River Glen,” Lillard wrote in the passholder email.
