Sugarbush Resort
On December 25, 1958 Damon and Sara Gadd and their partner, Jack Murphy, opened Sugarbush, having seen the incredible potential of a beautiful ridgeline that has shaped the lives of generations of skiers. Lixi Fortna, hired to help run the mountain, shared duties with Damon, Sara and Jack--from ticket selling to tending bar, the four worked long hours by candlelight. Lift tickets were just $5.50. Damon and Sara brought well-known figures to work for the resort, such as Peter Estin, Sigi Buchmayr, and Stein Eriksen. This group drew big-name guests such as the Kennedy clan, actress Kim Novak, fashion designer Oleg Cassini and his brother, Igor (a gossip columnist,) heirs and heiresses, a countess or two, and lots of models. This Jet Set crowd became the standard for the Sugarbush scene and the resort became known as "Mascara Mountain."
Today while the offerings on the mountain and Valley have grown, the incredible terrain and authentic Vermont experience that first visitors to the Sugarbush are still very much the same. Now, Sugarbush is owned and operated by the partners of Summit Ventures. A partnership of three like-minded individuals, although not natives, the three have developed a long-standing love affair with the resort and the Valley. Win Smith, Bob Ackland, and Adam Greshin have a vision for the Resort that is very much the way Damon & Sarah Gadd and Jack Murphy envisioned it nearly 45 years ago—a gathering place for outdoors enthusiasts.
Since acquiring the Resort in 2001, the Castlerock and Green Mountain Express chairlifts were replaced, the golf course irrigation system has been significantly upgraded, the Sugarbush Inn has undergone renovations, and they've dedicated themselves to making sure the experience of everyone who visits the mountain is the best it can possibly be. Now they are laying the cornerstone for Sugarbush's second half century with Lincoln Peak Village, and they invite you to join them.
