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Magic Mountain Ski Area

Coordinates: 43°11′34″N 72°45′36″W / 43.19278°N 72.76000°W / 43.19278; -72.76000
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Magic Mountain Ski Area
Magic Mountain
Magic Mountain
Magic Mountain Ski Area is located in Vermont
Magic Mountain Ski Area
Magic Mountain Ski Area
Location in Vermont
Magic Mountain Ski Area is located in the United States
Magic Mountain Ski Area
Magic Mountain Ski Area
Magic Mountain Ski Area (the United States)
LocationLondonderry, Windham County, Vermont, United States
Nearest major cityLondonderry
Coordinates43°11′34″N 72°45′36″W / 43.19278°N 72.76000°W / 43.19278; -72.76000
Vertical1,500 ft (460 m)
Top elevation2,850 ft (870 m)
Base elevation1,350 ft (410 m)
Skiable area205 acres (83 ha)
Trails39
Longest run1.6 mi (2.6 km)
Lift system6 total
1 fixed-grip quad chair,
2 fixed-grip double chairs,
1 carpet,
2 handle tows
Lift capacity3,000 passengers/hr
Snowfall145 inches (12.1 ft; 3.7 m)
Snowmaking50%
Night skiingYes terrain park
Websitewww.magicmtn.com

Magic Mountain is a ski resort located on Glebe Mountain in Londonderry, Vermont. It features a 1,500-foot vertical drop. The summit is at 2,850 feet and the base at 1,350 feet.

Magic has a long history, dating from the 1960s when ski instructor and film-maker Hans Thorner founded the area as its terrain reminded him of his native Swiss Alps. Part of Vermont's original "Golden Triangle" of ski areas all within 10 miles of each other (Stratton Mountain Resort and Bromley Mountain the other two large areas), Magic thrived in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.

Eventually, Magic was purchased by Boston Concessions, which also owned Bromley in the mid-1980s. After a downturn in the real-estate market starting in the late 1980s, Bromley decided to close Magic in 1991. The multi-year closure in the 1990s ended in 1997 and Magic reopened to the public and regained a small, but passionate following among ski enthusiasts because of its classic, challenging terrain.

However, the ski area also struggled through multiple owners, operators, and aging infrastructure during the 2000s, even as it continued to slowly expand its customer base. With limited capital reserves and in danger of not opening in 2015 and 2016, the ownership group decided to look for a buyer.

A group led by a local Magic skier then raised enough capital to purchase the property and invest over $2 million in significant snowmaking, lift, bar, and lodge improvements. This group, SKI MAGIC LLC, successfully closed on the purchase of Magic in November 2016 and reopened the ski area in late December. SKI MAGIC continues to operate Magic and invest in these critical infrastructure enhancements to improve and sustain the ski area.

History

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In 1960, Hans Thorner opened Magic with a T-Bar on the lower half of Magic, followed by a 5,000-foot double chair in 1962. The 5400' "Red Chair" double was added in 1971 while trail expansion continued and snow-making was added.

In 1985, Magic Mountain was purchased by Bromley owernship (Boston Concessions) and dramatically increased its skiable terrain, by purchasing and connecting the former Timber Ridge Ski Area. Located on the eastern slope of Glebe Mountain, that area became known as Timber Ridge at Magic.

In 1987, Magic Mountain added a new mid-mountain Poma triple chairlift, serving novice and intermediate terrain.

In 1991, Bromley closed Magic Mountain and Timber Ridge after poor ski seasons and real-estate downturn. With the exception of the summit Heron-Poma double chairlift (Red) and the Pohlig-Yan triple chairlift (Black), all lifts were removed during liquidation.

In 1997, Magic was re-opened by private investors led by a dentist from New Jersey. Magic Mountain Management LLC became the property owner by 2001 led by John Nelson, Rob Lyszczarz and Tom Barker.

In 2003, construction was started on a proposed Borvig double chairlift (from Stratton) that would follow the same line as the former Poma triple chairlift. SKI MAGIC LLC completed the installation of this lift in December 2018.

In 2009, Jim Sullivan, Magic Mountain's operator/manager from 2006-2014 (operating lease from Magic Mountain Management LLC) announced he was looking into a cooperative ownership structure to ensure the future operation, maintenance, and development of the ski area. While some money was raised, ultimately this plan did not work out, and Magic Mountain Management LLC decided to end the Sullivan operating lease in 2014 and transferred the lease to its own Tom Barker under his new company Magic Mountain Resorts, LLC. Barker operated the ski area for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 ski seasons.

Base lodge at Magic Mountain, ca. 2008

In November 2016, after a poor winter and operating results, Magic Mountain Management LLC sold the ski area property to SKI MAGIC LLC, led by Geoff Hatheway.

In August 2017, SKI MAGIC LLC obtained a Vermont ACT 250 permit for upgrades to snow-making, lifts and lodge. A new magic carpet style lift and beginner/learn-to-ski area, new snow-making pipe, new mid-mountain double chair, and expanded snowmaking pond are key projects in the works for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons. A new-to-Magic fixed-grip Poma Quad (from Stratton) was planned for the 2019/20 season, replacing the old Black Triple Chair lift, to significantly expand Magic's uphill capacity. However it remained unfinished for several seasons, until finally opening on Feb 22, 2024 to much fanfare. [1]

The mountain

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The mountain, although not as high as its neighbor's 2,850', has comparable vertical feet of skiing (1,500'), and it can boast of steeper trails (up to 45° at the top of Master Magician). It also has the most extensive tree-skiing/glade network in southern Vermont.

Trails

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Magic has 39 trails covering over 135 acres (0.55 km2) of skiable terrain.

Easier More Difficult Most Difficult Experts Only
33rd & 3rd Bailout Broomstick Black Line
Betwixt Carumba Heart of Magician Black Magic
Enchanted Forest Link Potter Green Line
Hocus Pocus Lower Wizard Sorcerer Magician
Kinderspiel Medium Talisman Pitch Black
Little Dipper Mystery Terrain Park Red Line
Lower Magic Carpet Phoenix Disappearing Act (g) Slide of Hans
Lower Magician Show Off Séance (g) Witch
Lower Redline Thorner's Corner The Hallows (g) Goniff Glade (g)
Trudy's Run Trick The Wardrobe (g
Upper Magic Carpet Up Your Sleeve Twilight Zone (g)
Wand Upper Wizard Voodoo (g)
Vertigo Warlock (g)
White Out White Tiger (g)
Pixie Dust (g)
White Kitten (g)
  • (g) – gladed trail with trees

Lifts

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Lift Name Length Vertical Type Make Year Installed
Black Line Quad 1,456 ft Fixed Quad Poma 2020
Green Chair Fixed Double Borvig 2018
Red Chair 5,350 ft 1,500 ft Fixed Double Heron-Poma 1971

Past Lifts

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Lift Name Length Vertical Type Make Year Installed Year Removed Notes
Black Chair 4,800 ft 1,575 ft Fixed Triple Yan-Pohlig 1961 2019 Originally a double lift named Blue Chair, retrofitted to be a triple in 1985
Green Chair 1,140 ft 180 ft Fixed Double Hall 1964 1991 Sold to Mount Tom
Showoff T-Bar 2,100 ft 833 ft T-Bar Hall 1960 1987 Replaced by Sun Corner Triple
Sun Corner Triple 3,516 ft 833 ft Fixed Triple Poma 1987 1995 Sold to Berkshire East Ski Resort. Alignment used by current Green Chair

References

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  1. ^ "Magic Mountain celebrates faster chairlift". 4 March 2024.
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