WHAT: Today, Attitash Mountain announced that its much-anticipated Mountaineer lift will celebrate its Grand Opening Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
Replacing the Summit Triple, the Mountaineer is a high-speed, detachable four-passenger lift that provides significantly faster access to signature terrain off the summit of Attitash. Named to honor the historic railway that travels through the Mount Washington Valley, The Mountaineer is a high-speed 4-passenger Leitner-Poma chairlift that will reduce ride time to the Attitash summit by more than half, increase uphill capacity and improve the flow of the Attitash base area.
In the past two years, nine resorts in Vail Resorts’ East region have received or will receive a total of 16 Epic Lift Upgrades: Hunter, Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Boston Mills and Brandywine. This also includes two back-to-back upgrades at Attitash over the past two seasons with the replacement of the old 1974 Borvig Double-Double in the 2021/22 season.
“This project has been a herculean effort from the moment we officially announced our intent to replace the lift in June of 2022,” said Brandon Swartz, General Manager. “There are not enough words to express the gratitude that I have for everyone that has been involved with this project, from planning to execution, our team has been incredible in making this project reality, and I can’t wait to share in this experience with you all, our guests, and the community.”
Two of the first four people to ride the Mountaineer will be Attitash Mountain employees who have made unique contributions to the resort and who have been critical to the lift upgrade process. These employees are:
Deirdre Riley, Sr. Mountain Operations Manager: Skiing at Attitash has been in Deirdre’s DNA. She learned to ski in the Attitash and Wildcat ski and ride school programs as a child. Deirdre began her career in the ski industry at Stowe, and then followed her passion out west to Park City and Crested Butte before joining the Attitash Mountain family in 2020. She has worked in many different roles within Mountain Operations, Health and Safety, and Lift Operations.
Preston Kelsey, Competition and Scanning Supervisor: Preston played a key role in the Mountaineer lift installation Project Manager by coordinating efforts between the contractors and the Attitash team. His tireless efforts, leadership, and dedication has been integral to the success of this project. Preston came to Attitash from Vail Mountain and brought a wealth of knowledge on racing and events, which helped to strengthen the relationship between Attitash, the community, and the local race teams.
WHEN: The Mountaineer lift will start spinning at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7. Hours of operation will be Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., and weekends and holidays 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Beginning Friday, Jan. 12 Attitash will close at 4:00 p.m daily.
The Cheers to the Mountaineer Celebration will take place on Saturday, Jan. 13 and will be an all-day celebration of the highly anticipated Mountaineer. Festivities start at 8:00 a.m. and will continue throughout the day with music, giveaways, and special surprises. Roy “The Skiing DJ” Prescott will make a special appearance and will be broadcasting live in the Attitash base area between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: 775 US-302, Bartlett, NH. For Parking and Arrival tips, please visit attitash.com.
MORE INFORMATION: For more Attitash Mountain story ideas check out the Attitash Mountain Winter 2023/24 Tip Sheet. For real-time alerts, guests should download the new My Epic app. For more information and a closer look at resort happenings at Attitash, check out attitash.com or follow Attitash on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter