Uphill Travel

Uphill travel is only permitted once each respective mountain has opened for the season for daily operations. Uphill travel is not permitted before the season begins. Uphill travelers can find out the status of uphill travel routes by checking the trail report early and often and should know what trails are open and closed before ascending.

Get Your Free Uphill Travel Pass

Uphill and Downhill travel routes may open and close at any time for reasons including but not limited to: Winching Operations, Grooming Operations, Weather Conditions, Trail Conditions, High Skier/Rider Traffic days with fresh snow (e.g., weekends and holidays).

Uphill or Downhill travel on closed terrain will result in loss of uphill travel and skiing and riding privileges, potentially for the season. Uphill and downhill travel may only occur on trails listed as open on the trail report.

Location	Time	Uphill Route	Downhill Routes
Mt. Ellen	Mountain Open for operations for Season 5PM - 8AM	Follow the yellow uphill travel route signs starting at Sunny Q	Cruiser, Lower Cruiser, Encore, Hammerhead, Cliffs, Lower FIS, Tumbler, Straight Shot, Which Way, and North Star. (when listed as open) During Winching Operations on Cliffs downhill travel will not be permitted on Cliffs, Hammerhead, and Tumbler. Travel not permitted on Northway, Walt's, Semi Tough, Brambles, Inverness, Crackerjack, Lower Crackerjack, Sugar Run, Graduation, and Riemergass
Mt. Ellen	Mountain Open for Operations 8AM - 4PM	Follow the yellow uphill travel route signs starting at Sunny Q	All Open Terrain serviced by GMX
Lincoln Peak	Mountain Open for Operations for the season 4AM - 7AM (off the hill by 7AM)	Racer's Edge, Lower Snowball, Snowball (when listed as open)	All Open Terrain serviced by the Valley House Quad except Reverse Traverse. Travel not permitted above Valley House Quad.
Lincoln Peak	Mountain Open for Operations for the season 5PM - 10PM	Easy Rider, Lower Pushover, Birch Run (when listed as open)	All Open Terrain Serviced by North Lynx and Gatehouse Lifts except Castlerock Connection and Slowpoke

Uphill Travel at Lincoln Peak

Once Lincoln Peak is open for operations uphill travel will be permitted between the hours of 5PM to 10PM on the following trails:

Easy Rider to Lower Pushover to Pushover to Birch Run.
Downhill routes open between 5pm and 10pm are all trails serviced by the North Lynx and Gatehouse lifts, with the exception of Slowpoke(Terrain Park) and Castlerock Connection

Between the hours of 4AM to 7AM (must be off the hill by 7AM) uphill travel is permitted on the following trails:

Racer’s Edge to Lower Snowball to Snowball to the top of the Valley House Chair.
Uphill travel is not permitted above the Valley House Chair at Lincoln Peak.
Downhill routes from 4AM-7PM include all open trails serviced by the Valley House lift (Twist, Moonshine, Mall, Steins, Snowball, Lower Snowball, Spring Fling, Racer’s Edge and Cat’s Meow) (Travel on Reverse Traverse is not permitted).
Downhill routes must be listed as open on the trail report.
Downhill travel on closed trails will result in a loss of uphill travel privileges as well as skiing and riding privileges.
All uphill and downhill travelers should be clear of the mountain at 7am at Lincoln Peak.
Due to plowing, parking for hiking and skinning is provided at Lincoln Peak in the heli lot, to the climber’s right of The Schoolhouse.

Uphill Travel at Mt.Ellen

Once Mt. Ellen is open for operations uphill travel is permitted during all hours on the following route:

Following the yellow uphill travel route signs through the woods from the bottom of the Sunshine Quad to the top of the Green Mountain Express Quad.
Downhill Routes during non-operating hours (4PM-8AM) at Mt. Ellen are as follows: When listed as open: Lower FIS, Tumbler, Cliffs, Hammerhead, Encore, Cruiser, Lower Cruiser,Straight Shot, Which Way, and North Star.
If Winching Operations are scheduled on Cliffs, Hammerhead, Cliffs and Tumbler will be closed.
Downhill routes during operating hours at Mt. Ellen (8AM-4PM) are as follows: All open trails serviced by the Green Mountain Express Quad.
Downhill routes must be listed as open on the Sugarbush Trail Report.
Downhill or Uphill travel on closed trails will result in a loss of uphill travel and skiing and riding privileges, potentially for the entire season.
Uphill Travel is prohibited after operating hours (4PM-8AM) above GMX and on Crackerjack, Lower Crackerjack, Remeirgasse, NorthStar, Which Way, Northway, North Ridge Expressway, Graduation, Sugar Run and all Inverness trails.
Due to plowing, parking for hiking and skinning is provided at Mt. Ellen in the lower lot next to the Sunshine Quad.
The skinning route at Mt. Ellen is in the woods and is not considered a trail nor is it considered part of the Lower FIS trail. It is permissible to travel uphill on the Mt. Ellen uphill route if Lower FIS is closed but you are not permitted to ski down Lower FIS when it’s closed.
Mt. Ellen uphill travelers need to be extra cautious for the presence of snow vehicles (Groomers, snowmobiles, the Winch Cat) as operations are conducted all night long throughout the ski area.

There will be times when skinning and hiking is closed due to weather conditions, trail conditions and operational conditions (such as grooming, anticipated high traffic days such as weekends and holidays or winching on trails adjacent to downhill routes).It is your responsibility to know before you go. Certain uphill travel during operating hours may be authorized under special circumstances (i.e., lift mechanical failure, weather hold, or special events).

Uphill travel during operating hours (such as when upper lifts are on wind hold) on designated trails outside of the normal Mt. Ellen route requires a day ticket or season pass and is only permitted when specifically authorized by the Resort (these routes are only open when the weather and conditions permit).

Uphill travelers must adhere to the following rules:

Mountain operations take place AT ALL TIMES. This includes grooming, snowmaking, transportation of materials and personnel, and other activities. STAY AWAY from all resort operations and machinery. Operators' vision in machinery can be obstructed by blowing snow, even from the machine. Winch Cat grooming operations may be done on all trails at any time. Winch Cat grooming operations can happen sometimes 1000-3000 feet away from the anchor point access making it close to impossible to detect. Please be aware that these rules are put in place to protect both the guest and the operator.
Headlights are required from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour after sunrise.
Hikers/Skinners must hold a valid “Uphill Travel Pass” available at no cost through the Sugarbush E-store.
Hike and skin in a single-file line, on the side of the trail.
Hike and skin on designated uphill routes going up.
Dogs are not allowed.
In the event of an emergency call 911.
Be aware uphill travelers who sustain injuries during non-operating hours may be subject to extended rescue times. Charges may be incurred for individuals in need of rescue after operating hours.
No uphill or downhill travel with children in backpacks is permitted.