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Located north of Woodstock, Vermont, Suicide Six is a historic small but steep ski area.
America's First Ski Lift
Lift served skiing in the United States likely dates back to the 1933-34 season, when Robert and Elizabeth Royce hired David Dodd to construct a rope tow on Clinton Gilbert's farm to serve their inn's guests. The tow opened in January of 1934.
Rhode Island native and recent Dartmouth College graduate Wallace "Bunny" Bertram soon took over operating the ski area. Bertram later joked that he didn't even have a cash register while he was in charge.
The Poma |
Suicide Six Is Born
Circa the 1936-37 season, Bertram installed a tow on Hill Number 6, reportedly purchasing the land for $3 per acre. One writer joked about the lift being a "90-mile-an-hour speedy pull-me-up." Noting that it would be suicide to ski straight down the face, and recalling a lesson in alliteration in high school, Bertram chose the name Suicide 6.
By the time the 1939-40 season rolled around, Suicide Six was noted as having one of the best race courses in the country. Accomplished racers such as Brooks Dodge, Tom Corcoran, Bill Beck, and Betsy Snite competed at the area. Suicide 6's racing credentials especially became known when the area had snow when others did not. When "green grass seem[ed] to be the style" in the winter of 1941-42, Suicide 6 continued to host the Fisk trophy race and also attracted college races that were otherwise doomed to being cancelled.
A Poma was added for 1953-54 season, giving Suicide Six a modern lift. At the time, the lift was only the second platter in Vermont. The new technology spread throughout Vermont over the subsequent few years.
Eight acres of new slopes were added for the 1956-57 season.
The new base lodge in the late 1970s/early 1980s |
The Rockefeller Era
Bertram sold the ski area to Laurance Rockefeller in 1961, later remarking to Skiing magazine, "I was damn lucky to get out of the business." Rockefeller's RockResorts, Inc. proceeded to market it with its other Woodstock ski area, Mt. Tom, until the latter closed in the late 1970s.
Wanting to have "Cadillac" skiing, Rockefeller pushed through a significant expansion in the late 1970s, starting with the installation of a new double chairlift in 1975-76. A new J-Bar was added in 1977, while a second chairlift was installed in 1978. A new 10,000 square foot, $400,000 lodge was also unveiled for the 1978-79 season, designed by Banwell, White, and Arnold and constructed with butternut and basswood harvested from resort property and heated with a wood furnace.
Shortly after being elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame, Suicide 6 founder Bunny Bertram passed away on January 29, 1981 at the age of 73. Around this time, RockResorts closed nearby Mt. Tom, as Suicide 6 now had modern facilities for novices.
In February of 1982, Suicide Six hosted the first National Snow Surfing Championship, paving the way for competitive snowboarding.
The Face in the 1990s |
As the 1980s progressed, the ski area was spun off from RockResorts, Inc. prior to the corporation being sold to CSX. After the shuffling, Suicide Six and the Woodstock Inn ended up being part of the Woodstock Resort Corporation. Meanwhile, Chuck Vanderstreet was hired to manage the recreational facilities.
With the lodge, snowmaking, and lift investments of the late 1970s and early 1980s, not many visible improvements were made or needed over the next few decades. However, as the 2010s arrived, the summit chairlift began to show its age. After having finding flaws in the aging double chairlift in back to back seasons, Suicide 6 replaced the lift with a new quad chairlift for the 2016-17 season. Meanwhile, Tim Reiter assumed the title of General Manager from Chuck Vanderstreet in 2016 with a goal of making Suicide Six a four season destination.
Looking down the Face (2018) |
Once again embracing an emerging competitive sport, Suicide Six was a venue for the FIS Telemark World Cup in January 2018. In July of that year, the quad chairlift began serving downhill mountain bikers.
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Lifts
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Maps
Year by Year History
Adult Weekend Full Day Lift Ticket; Adult Full Price Unlimited Season Pass
| 2010s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2018-19 | $72.00 |  | $634.94 | | 8.8 days | December 15 | March 24 | | | | | 2017-18 | $72.00 | | $579.00 | | 8.0 days | December 18 | March 25 | | | | | 2016-17 | $68.00 | | $549.00 | | 8.1 days | December 20 | March 19 | | | | | 2015-16 | $68.00 | | $549.00 | | 8.1 days | January 7 | March 13 | | | | | 2014-15 | $66.00 | | $579.00 | | 8.8 days | December 19 | | | | | | 2013-14 | $64.00 | | $599.00 | | 9.4 days | | | | | | | 2012-13 | $64.00 | | $675.00 | | 10.5 days | December 26 | | | | | | 2011-12 | $64.00 | | | | | December 22 | | | | | | 2010-11 | $60.00 | | $629.00 | | 10.5 days | | | | | | | 2009-10 | $59.00 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2000s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2008-09 | $57.00 | | $735.00 | | 12.9 days | | | | | | | 2007-08 | $55.00 | | $714.00 | | 13.0 days | | | | | | | 2006-07 | $52.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 2005-06 | $52.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 2004-05 | $50.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 2003-04 | $48.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 2002-03 | $46.00 | | $587.00 | | 12.8 days | | | | | | | 2001-02 | $46.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 2000-01 | $42.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1999-00 | $40.00 | | $516.00 | | 12.9 days | | | | | |
| 1990s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1998-99 | $38.00 | | $496.00 | | 13.1 days | | | | | | | 1992-93 | $29.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1991-92 | $29.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1990-91 | $28.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1989-90 | $26.00 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1980s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1988-89 | $24.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1987-88 | $22.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1986-87 | $20.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1984-85 | $18.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1982-83 | $16.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1981-82 | $15.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1980-81 | $13.50 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1970s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1978-79 | $10.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1976-77 | $8.75 | | | | | | | | | | | 1975-76 | $8.25 | | | | | | | | | | | 1974-75 | $7.25 | | $90.00 | | 12.4 days | | | | | | | 1973-74 | $6.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1969-70 | $5.50 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1960s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1968-69 | $4.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1967-68 | $4.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1964-65 | $4.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1963-64 | $4.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1962-63 | $4.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1961-62 | | | | | | December 15 | March 31 | | | | | 1959-60 | $4.00 | | | | | | | | | |
External Links
Suicide Six - official site
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Last updated: August 20, 2019
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