Magic Mountain ski resort in Londonderry, Vermont, has come up with a novel way to promote uphill skinning — they reward those who earn their turns on their slopes with a voucher of a single, free ride up the lifts. Oh that more resorts would adopt at least an open mind toward uphill skinning. It would be even better if they adopted Magic Mountain’s policy.

Magic Mountain issued the following press release February 2nd, 2015:

The best uphill policy in the ski business just got better! Magic Mountain is excited to announce a first of its kind – an expansion of our uphill skiing policy – which already sets the industry standard. Effective immediately, any uphill skier or splitboarder who successfully climbs the 1,700 vertical feet to our summit will receive a complimentary token good for a single lift ride (limit one per day, valid only same day). Simply announce to the lift operator at the base that you intend to climb up, climb to the summit and our summit lift operator will give you a Free Turns token, which can be redeemed by the previously notified lift attendant for a free ride back up on the chairlift! Magic Mountain is an industry leader when it comes to supporting uphill skiing. Magic introduced one of the first official (and least restrictive) policies in 2008 and continues that tradition with today’s Hike One Ride One policy. We believe this program embodies our mountain’s community-driven values and supports our mission of offering affordable, classic Vermont skiing, snowboarding and outdoor recreation.

Only bummer I see in this policy is how far away Magic Mountain is from my door. Getting a healthy 1700-foot skinning workout is easy for those in shape, but even for those who are, 1700 vertical feet isn’t trivial either. Let’s hope it encourages the next generation to put electronic distractions away and earn some turns.

© 2015