New England's Most Accessible Ski Resort 'Close To' Adding 6-Pack Chairlift

Ella Boyd
·2 min read

Wachusett Ski Area in Princeton, Mass, has been rumored to be getting an upgrade for some time now, and news broke recently that the upgrade is a replacement for the 30-year-old Polar Express quad.

The upgrade will "nearly certainly be a six-passenger lift" according to the Telegram, which broke the news on March 14th, 2024. See the Polar Express quad on the map below.

Trail map courtesy of <a href="https://www.wachusett.com/the-mountain/about-wachusett/trail-map/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Wachusett Ski Area.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Wachusett Ski Area.</a>
Trail map courtesy of Wachusett Ski Area.

Shaun Sutner wrote that he is basing this information "on information [he has] learned from sources in a position to know, who have told [him] it will be a six-pack."

Wachusett spokesman Chris Stimpson reported that the lift will "likely be a six-pack," but that Wachusett is looking at different prices for six- and four-packs from the two lift vendors.

This upgrade would make Wachusett only the second resort in Massachusetts to have a 6-pack, and would therefore mark a major milestone in Wachusett's history.

The new lift will not be constructed until the summer of 2025.

The resort will most likely use Doppelmayr, the Austrian lift manufacturer who has already built the ski area's three existing high-speed quads. Wachusett is also discussing the upgrade with U.S. lift company Leitner-Poma.

Ski lift backlogs and the need for state approvals will delay the process, however, and prices of chairlifts are almost double what they were pre-Covid.

Regardless, this is an exciting plan for Wachusett Ski Area, and East Coast skiers will be thrilled when it is finally spinning.

Wachusett Mountain Stats/Info:

Vertical: 1000 ft.

Skiable Terrain: 110 ac.

Average Snowfall: 100 in.

Lifts: 8

Trails: 27

Snowmaking: YES

Night Skiing: YES

Stats courtesy of Wachusett Mountain.

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