FAYSTON, Vt. (AP) – Mad River Glen has retired its single-person chairlift, a revered relic that ferried skiers to the top of General Stark Mountain for 59 years.
The last rides on the diesel-powered throwback were given Sunday. The ski area plans to replace the lift – one of the last single chair lifts in the nation – with a new electric-powered replica that also carries one person at a time.
Shareholders of the cooperative that owns the ski area decided to keep the replacement chairlift a single when they voted to spend $1.5 million on the renovation.
A quirky ceremony was held at the mountain on Sunday to mark the end of the old lift.
“It’s the end of an era and the start of a new one,” Paul Finnerty said as he waited in line to take his last ride up. “It’s an epic powder day. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Mad River marketing director Eric Friedman bought the chance for the final rides at a fund-raising auction. He and his sons took three of the final four seats and the last was given to Ken Quackenbush of Waitsfield, former longtime general manager at Mad River.
“Ken Quackenbush is going to ride the last chair into the snowy sunset,” Friedman said. But just as the crew was about to board, the lift stopped on its own, as if to protest its fate.
“C’mon, you only have to make it work for a little longer,” Friedman pleaded. The lift came back to life and as they made their way up the mountain, a ski area worker played “Taps.”
Mad River shareholders have raised more than $1 million toward the new lift, which is expected to be operating in time for fall foliage rides.
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