KILLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont remains the number one destination in the east for skiers and riders, according to the latest numbers from this past season.
The lifts at Killington run pretty much all year long. While this time of year, it’s the mountain bikers’ turn, many folks spend just as much time on the slopes during the winter months.
“I go here, Stratton, Sugarbush,” said Wes Mahunik, who was visiting with his buddies from New York and Chicago. He says he’s pleased to hear the latest skier and rider numbers from Ski Vermont. “You know, more people skiing, buying passes — this place is huge, so they can handle a lot of volume.”
Ski Vermont says 4.16 million people visited resorts across Vermont last winter. While that’s only up a little more than 1 percent from the previous year, it’s more than 6 percent above the 10-year average. Strong numbers despite fewer snowflakes later in the season.
“The spring kind of petered out on us,” said Killington Resort’s Josh Reed. But he says there are no complaints because consistent temperatures and regular snowfall most of the season kept the numbers up, not to mention continued pent up pandemic demand. “I think that is really what we are attributing a lot of this to. People are looking to spend in the outdoors, and what better place than Vermont?”
Ski Vermont’s Molly Mahar acknowledges that many were hoping for even stronger numbers, but that Vermont’s brand as a leader in snow sports continues to grow. “Vermont is really fortunate in that we have some really excellent ski area operators that work very hard to deliver a great experience for guests to bring them back year over year,” she said.
People like Brent Fanelli, a patroller whose job depends on a strong industry. “Yeah, I could see it all season. It just seemed like a lot of people, and I think it is. We had really good snow all year,” he said.
The lifts are spinning every weekend at Killington through the fall, but like the snow, the potential for rain will likely play a factor in whether the crowds come out to play.
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