Ski Sundown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ski Sundown |
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The Ski Sundown base area
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| Location | New Hartford, Connecticut, US |
| Nearest city | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Vertical | 625 ft (191 m) |
| Runs | 16 |
| Longest run | 1.6 kilometers |
| Lift system | 5 chairlifts: 1 Quad, 2 Triples, 2 Surface Lifts |
| Snowmaking | 100% |
Ski Sundown is a fun ski area located in New Hartford, Connecticut. It has 17 different trails for skiing and snowboarding. Most of these trails, 16 out of 17, are lit up for night skiing until 10:00 PM. This means you can keep skiing even after the sun goes down!
The mountain offers trails for all skill levels. Nine trails are easy, four are intermediate, and three are very difficult. There is also one extremely difficult trail for expert skiers. Ski Sundown covers about 70 acres (28 hectares) of skiable land.
Some popular trails include Tom's Treat, which is a long, winding run with a small terrain park. Another exciting trail is Gunbarrel, a steep slope where you can sometimes join free races. Ski Sundown also has two terrain parks. One is easier and found on Tom's Treat, while the other is for experts on the Stinger trail. When there's enough snow, the mountain even creates moguls (snow bumps) on Exhibition and Gunbarrel.
Contents
Exploring Ski Sundown's History
How Ski Sundown Began
The area where Ski Sundown is now first opened in 1963. It was called Satan's Ridge Ski Area back then. It started with a type of ski lift called a T-Bar. Another T-Bar was added a couple of years later in 1965.
After a while, the ski area closed down. But then, a person named Channing Murdock reopened it as Ski Sundown. He also owned another ski area nearby called Butternut Basin.
New Lifts Over the Years
Over time, Ski Sundown added many new and improved ski lifts. In 1977, a new triple chairlift was put in to reach the top of the mountain. This lift is now known as the Exhibition Triple.
Later, in 1987, another triple chairlift was added. This one is called the Triple Barrel. It replaced an older double chairlift. In 2006, a conveyor lift, like a moving sidewalk for skiers, was installed and named the Little Easy. Another longer conveyor lift, the Big Easy, was added in 2013 in the learning area.
In 2024, a big upgrade happened. The old Exhibition Triple lift was replaced with a brand new Skytrac quad chairlift. This new lift has a special conveyor system to help skiers get on. It was the first of its kind in Connecticut!
Ski Sundown by the Numbers
Ski Trails for Everyone
Ski Sundown has 17 trails spread across 70 acres (28 hectares) of skiable land. The trails are marked with different symbols to show how difficult they are:
- Easiest: About 53% of the trails are easy. These are great for beginners.
- More Difficult: About 23% of the trails are a bit harder. These are good for skiers who have some experience.
- Most Difficult: About 18% of the trails are challenging. These are for advanced skiers.- - Extremely Difficult: About 6% of the trails are very, very hard. Only expert skiers should try these.
Modern Ski Lifts
Ski Sundown has five lifts to take you up the mountain:
- Quad Chairlift: There is one quad chairlift. This new lift was installed for the 2024-2025 season. It replaced an older triple chairlift. This new quad lift can carry 600 more people per hour up the mountain. It also gets you to the top faster, cutting the ride time from 5 minutes to 4.5 minutes.
- Triple Chairlifts: There are two triple chairlifts. The Triple Barrel lift goes from the bottom to the very top of the mountain. This lets skiers reach all the different trails. The other triple lift, called the Sunnyside Express, serves three trails in the learning area that are for beginners and intermediate skiers.
- Surface Lifts: Ski Sundown has two surface lifts, which are like moving carpets. They are called the Little Easy and Big Easy magic carpets. These are perfect for beginner skiers to get up the mountain easily. The Little Easy carpet is in a small area for new skiers. The Big Easy carpet is longer and serves a few beginner trails like Little Joe, Breezeway, and Loop.
Fun Terrain Parks
Ski Sundown has two terrain parks where you can practice tricks and jumps. One park is for beginners and is located on the Tom's Treat trail. The other park is for intermediate and advanced skiers and is on the Stinger trail.
The features in the parks change throughout the season. This depends on the snow conditions and what the park crew decides to build. You might see small box rails or long S-rails. When there is enough snow, the park crew also builds a jump on the black diamond Stinger trail.
