Vermont's Pico Resort cuts operating schedule

Officials from Powdr Corp. and SP Land, the two new owners of Vermont’s Killington and Pico resorts, announced Thursday that Pico’s lifts will spin five days per week next season, down from the previous seven-day operation.
OFFICIALS FROM Powdr Corp. and SP Land, the two new owners of Vermont’s Killington and Pico resorts, announced Thursday that Pico’s lifts will spin five days per week next season, down from the previous seven-day operation.
    “Pico Mountain has a unique ambiance and heritage rooted in ski racing, family recreation and the birth of skiing in North America,” said Dave Rathbun of Killington/Pico sales and marketing. “It was a tough decision to reduce the operating days, but one that needed to be made to set Pico up for future success.”
    For the 2007-08 ski and snowboard season, Pico Mountain will operate Thursday through Monday, with the exception of Dec. 24-28; Dec. 31–Jan. 4; and Feb. 18-22, 2008, when the resort will operate seven days a week. Pass holders may present their Pico Mountain pass at Killington on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to receive 50 percent off window ticket rates, with the exception of Dec. 25-26; Jan. 1-2; and Feb. 19-20. Operating hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Pico Mountain is scheduled to operate for the 2007-08 season Saturday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, March 30, weather and conditions permitting.
    As one of the first ski resorts in Vermont, Pico Mountain opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1937, with a 1,200-foot rope tow and a base hut at Little Pico. Today, Pico consists of more than 200 acres of terrain served by six lifts, including two express quad chairs. More than 70 percent of the terrain is also covered by snowmaking.
    This summer $3 million is being invested to improve the on-mountain experience between Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, including snowmaking pipe replacement, additional low-energy snowmaking equipment and base lodge upgrades. At Pico Mountain specifically, major snowmaking infrastructure is being replaced that will increase operational efficiency, especially on the upper sections of the mountain.