Stoked to start

The preseason day drew 1,235 people, said Michael Colbourn, vice president of sales, marketing and communications for the resort.

They were greeted with a snow base that ranged from 6 to 20 inches on most of the trails that had been prepped for the day.

“It looked like midwinter,” said Jeff Wise, marketing and communications director. “Everyone seemed to be in a great mood.”

Upgrades made since last winter include a complete refurbishment of the gondola — in which people ride up the mountain in an enclosed cabin suspended from a cable.

“They basically took every cabin, stripped it down to the frame and rebuilt it. It feels like a new lift,” Colbourn said.

The $2.2 million gondola overhaul includes new outside racks that can hold now snowboards as well as skis, so “the only thing you see inside is people,” he said.

Even if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate this winter, there will be plenty of snow on the trails.

The resort has completed a three-year, $9.8 million snowmaking expansion. It includes almost 20 miles of new snowmaking pipes, new tower guns and snow fan towers, and a new 3,000 gallon-per-minute booster pump house on Mount Mansfield.

Additionally, a new Meadows quad chairlift replaces the old Alpine and Easy Street double lifts. The new lift will allow seamless access to the majority of the resort’s learning terrain.

A new children’s Adventure Center is under construction, but a temporary oversized, tent-like structure has been set up to accommodate the learning programs. It’s big enough to install a large climbing wall for kids to enjoy in between lessons.

The resort has also added new amenities, including a retail store, and The Pantry, a general store with a coffee bar.

All those projects, along with others that are under way, are designed to help the resort retain its reputation as the Ski Capital of the East while generating new business.

About 90 percent of the resort’s visitors live within an eight-hour drive, with the majority coming from New York and the Boston area, along with a large number of Canadians, according to Colbourn.

At the same time, international visitors are a critical part of the mix, with most staying an average of seven to 10 days compared to three days for domestic visitors.

Passes and technology

Season pass sales have met projections and surpassed them in some cases, according to Colbourn.

The resort generally makes 25 percent of its season sales before opening day.

A new season pass offering a 20 percent discount for Lamoille and Washington County residents has been especially popular, he said.

“Hundreds and hundreds of people took advantage of this discount,” Colbourn said.

Technology is expected to play a huge role in sales of both season passes and day passes. Last season, 50 percent of all transactions happened digitally, well exceeding industry averages, according to Colbourn.

The resort’s Direct to Lift program allows prior season pass holders to reactivate their Evolution Stowe Card online, so they can simply show up and start skiing. Its ByPass program allows guests with Evolution Cards to buy a day pass without standing in line at the ticket counter. Their credit cards are charged a discounted rate the first time they show up at a lift that day.

Stowe’s Resort Charge Program allows guests to use their Evolution Cards to buy food and retail items, so they don’t have to carry their wallets or fish through pockets for cash. Their purchases are charged to a preregistered credit card.

Social media continue to play a huge role in the resort’s marketing strategy. The resort posts frequent updates, photos and videos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram highlighting the latest ski and ride conditions, and it encourages guests to post photos of themselves on the trails using hashtags — #whystowe and #StoweMt.

“We’re seeing testimonial photos and testimonies about why people love Stowe,” Wise said.

Roughly 99 percent of the social media comments are positive, according to Colbourn.

“Social media is a conversation with a very engaged guest,” Colbourn said.

Parking

Skiers and riders will want to arrive early to snag a good parking spot this winter.

Because of ongoing construction, there’s no parking at Spruce Peak this winter, except for guests at Stowe Mountain Lodge and Stowe Mountain Club members.

Everyone else will have to park in the Mount Mansfield lots, which have about 2,200 spaces. However, getting from the Mansfield side to Spruce Peak should be quick and easy. The resort has added five cabins to its Over Easy lift, which connects Mansfield and Spruce, bringing the total number to 21 and increasing passenger capacity for the two-and-a-half minute ride to Spruce Peak.

The resort has also built a bridge to make it easy to get from the Over Easy to the Adventure Center.

The resort has revamped its website to help people figure out where they can park. About 90 percent of visitors visit the website before arrival, Colbourn said.

The website has an interactive map that guests can use to determine the best place to park, based on where they plan to spend their time at the resort.

Paper maps of the new parking layout will also be available at local restaurants, shops, and hotels.

Future improvements

The resort isn’t resting on its laurels. Its expansion and improvements will continue through next year, with construction winding down in time for the 2015-16 winter season.

• A new zip line will start at the top of the gondola and skip down the mountain in a few sections. It’s expected to become a major summer and fall attraction when it opens next spring.

• At the center of the project is a new outdoor ice rink that will double as a community plaza and green in the summer.

• A large new building will house the Stowe Mountain Club Alpine Clubhouse on one side, and a children’s Adventure Center with a ski/ride school, year-round day care facilities and an activities center on the other.

• The expansion will include an underground parking garage for club members.