Alterra-owned Sugarbush Resort intends to replace its oldest chairlift next year, subject to state approval. The North Ridge Express, which began life lower on Mt. Ellen as the Green Mountain Express, would be removed in spring 2027 and swapped for a Doppelmayr UNI-G detachable quad. The project is expected to cost $10 million, including $2 million of site preparation and utilities work. The new lift would transport 2,400 skiers per hour and follow the same alignment as the existing lift. Alterra first eyed replacing North Ridge in 2023 but the project was tabled in favor of other priorities.
Poma constructed the current lift in 1990 as Sugarbush’s first detachable chair. American Skiing Company then moved Green Mountain Express to North Ridge in 1995. NRX currently ranks 7th oldest detachable in New England and has suffered frequent downtime of late, most recently a result of communication line damage. Sugarbush notes the new lift will improve operational reliability and the overall guest experience at Mt. Ellen. North Ridge Express 2.0 is expected to open in time for the 2027-28 ski season.
Lift Blog 
somehow Wa She Shu still sticking around at Palisades to this day. After this how many other competition terminal Pomas will be left. Wa She Shu I think is the very last of the ones with the slotted vents on both front and back, Beaver Run and North Ride are the 1990 facelift
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Those are the only 3 competitions left in North America, the only others ever built as far as I’m concerned are American Eagle at Copper and Louis Express at MSLM in Ontario
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There are also 2 more pancake style competition lifts in Mt Ste Marie
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Louis Express at MSLM was originally built the same style as the two detachables at Mt. Ste. Marie, but was retrofitted two years later with the full competition terminal skins.
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Red Pine gondola at Park City is a competition one too. And very unreliable.
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Red Pine is a challenger model, very common in the 90s. Some of them are unreliable, but most work beautifully.
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The Shu spend many years as a reliever lift. Surely only running 2 days per week for many years increased it’s lifespan.
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I wonder if they will bring back the plans for Tamarack at Stratton for that time frame?
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glad i was able to get over there and ride it this season, I really like these terminals.
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Any word on what it’s getting replaced with? Maybe they can salvage the old chair and give it to a resort in need??
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It’s getting replaced by a Doppelmayr 4-CLD. I’m not sure if it will be salvageable or not, it’s 36 years old, which is a bit old, but then again Banff Sunshine just relocated the original Angel Express, which was built in 1988 to Castle. But, as the article said, it’s pretty unreliable and has had a bunch of downtime recently. Who knows, maybe Leitner-Poma can do the same thing they did to Flat Top Flyer at Powderhorn, refurbish it heavily and give it some new equipment.
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It’s highly unlikely this lift is going anywhere except the scrap pile. It was heavily modified by Doppelmayr when it was moved in 1995. No one really wants to touch this with a 39 foot pole which is why it’s so unreliable.
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Honestly, it would make a lot of sense for Mont Ste. Marie to pick it up just for spare parts. They’re still running those two aging 1989 Competition detachables, and NR is basically the last competition model on the east coast. Having access to those parts could really help keep the Vanier Express and Cheval Blanc Express going longer. Plus, it’s only about a five-hour trip—kind of a no-brainer.
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