Ski Ward Plans a New T-Bar, but Its Location Is the Bigger Change
Ski Ward plans to replace its aging T-bar next offseason on a different alignment, aiming to improve access to eastern trails and free up base-area space.
Ski Ward plans to replace its longtime T-bar next offseason, with the new lift moving to the eastern side of the Massachusetts hill. The proposed alignment would improve access to the Snow Day and East Bowl trails while removal of the existing lift would open space in the base area.
Mikey Lacroix described the plan in an interview with Kevin's Rope Tow during the hill's Fall Fest weekend. NewEnglandSkiIndustry reported the interview October 27, following an October 26 report from Unofficial Networks. Both accounts describe a future replacement, rather than a new lift available for the approaching 2026-27 winter.
Changing the route back uphill
The existing Mueller T-bar dates to the 1965-66 season. Replacing an aging surface lift is one part of the story; moving it changes how people circulate around the hill. Unofficial Networks places the new alignment at the existing Mighty Mite handle tow site and reports that it would connect the base and summit.
The practical aim is easier access from the eastern terrain. The current layout can leave skiers skating back toward the main lifts after using that side of the mountain. A lift in a different position could make those runs easier to repeat, rather than simply updating the machinery along the old route.
NewEnglandSkiIndustry reports that removing the old T-bar would also create more base-area room. The reports do not provide a verified project cost or a precise commissioning date. For now, the appropriate planning horizon is the next offseason, with the final operating timetable still to come.
A local project with a different purpose
Ski Ward has drawn attention for making October skiing possible with all-weather snowmaking, but this proposal addresses another part of the experience: getting people around the hill once the winter trail network is in use. An early snow patch and a future top-to-bottom lift serve different needs, and one should not be mistaken for evidence that the other is ready.
For returning families, the thing to watch is the eventual combination of alignment, base access and opening schedule. The proposed route offers a clear reason for the replacement without requiring assumptions about faster lift speeds, shorter queues or additional capacity that have not been announced.
Read NewEnglandSkiIndustry's account of the management interview for the reported plan. Our Ski Ward guide provides mountain context while the operator develops the next stage of the project.