The iconic lift will not carry passengers next ski season.
Monday, July 14, 2025, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
The Cannon Mountain aerial tramway will carry its final passengers this fall.
In a press release issued today by the state owned and operated ski area, general manager Jace Wirth stated, "She's aged gracefully, but like all legends, she deserves a dignified retirement." The Cannon Mountain tramway has operated on a part-time basis during the ski season since 2008, as all terrain is accessible via the existing chairlift fleet.
Governor Kelly Ayotte recently signed HB25, which appropriated $27.2 million of state taxpayer funds for the tramway.
The current lift was installed by Agudio Corp. of Italy between 1978 and 1980 at a cost of $4.6 million with a reported 80-year engineered lifespan.
The only other tramway in New England is located at Jay Peak, which was installed in 1966 and refurbished in 2016 for $4.9 million.
Former Governor Chris Sununu urged the state to look into a gondola solution. Proponents of a tramway cited the cachet of the lift, the option of reusing certain components, and its ability to operate in higher winds, while advocates for a gondola cited a significantly higher uphill capacity (700 persons per hour for the Cannon tram install vs. 2,800 persons per hour for the Killington K1 gondola install), an assumed lower cost of installation and maintenance (compared to a new tramway), and better availability of parts.
