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A Vermont ski lift is being retired after six decades
"We know this one will hit home for a lot of people."
It’s the end of an era at Vermont’s Pico Mountain.
The Killington resort’s fixed-grip double chairlift, the Outpost Double, is being retired after nearly 60 years of service. The lift was originally installed in 1969.
“Everyone knows this lift is a defining part of Pico’s character, and it accesses some of the most unique terrain here,” said Andy Lyman, lift maintenance manager at Pico, in a video posted on the resort’s Facebook page.
The lift stopped operating in mid-February after a main drive shaft failure, Lyman said. After a comprehensive engineering review, it was determined that running the lift, which officials called “the last of its kind in North America,” is no longer feasible.
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“Unfortunately, due to the failure and the difficulty in finding parts for this lift, the age of the lift, and what we found on the engineering review and the gearbox, it’s just time for us to let it go,” Lyman said.
Lyman said a full lift replacement will not be available for next season due to the timing of permitting requirements, so officials are exploring temporary options such as a rope tow for servicing that terrain.
“We know this one will hit home for a lot of people,” wrote Pico officials on social media. “For many of us, the Outpost Double was more than just a chairlift. It truly was part of what made Pico, Pico. We appreciate your understanding as we work through a new solution for this area.”
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The resort plans to auction off the Outpost chairs this summer.
Pico, established in 1937, is the sister property of Killington Resort, and lift tickets at Killington are also valid at Pico which is about two miles away. It has 468 skiable acres, 58 trails, and seven lifts including the Outpost Double. The mountain closed for the season on April 5.
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