Mount Southington Ski Area is located in

Plantsville, Connecticut Plantsville is a neighborhood in the town of Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut. It is centered at the merger between South Main Street (road from the Milldale section) and West Main Street (road from the Marion section). As of the 2000 Ce ...

, United States, on Mount Vernon Road.

Mountain information

The mountain has a skiing season from December to mid- March. However, in some years winter rainfall ends the season early. The runs are open 9am-10pm (Sat-Sun) and 10am-10pm (Mon-Fri). There are fourteen trails: six Green Circle, four Blue Square, and two Black Diamond. Seven lifts serve the mountain: two double

chairs A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

(1-Summit, 1-Beginner Hill), two triple chairs (Summit), one

rope tow A surface lift is a type of cable transport for snow sports in which skiers and snowboarders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once prevalent, they have been overtaken in popularity by higher-capacity and higher-co ...

(Children's Learning Area), and two Magic Carpets (Beginner Area and Children's Learning Area).

History

Mount Southington was the site of a

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

farm until the 1960s when Dr. Harold Richman, the Palmisano family, and other investors purchased the farm and developed a ski area at the site after Richman was inspired by ski areas in Vermont. The mountain opened for skiing on December 10, 1964 and gradually expanded with more trails and lifts.https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/Connecticut/mtsouthington.php Mount Southington formerly had a J-bar in the beginner area until 2001, when it was replaced by a double chair. The mountain also once had two

T-bar A surface lift is a type of cable transport for snow sports in which skiers and snowboarders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once prevalent, they have been overtaken in popularity by higher-capacity and higher-co ...

s on the Stardust Trail, which were removed back in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The mountain's two remaining T-bars, lift #4 and lift #5, were removed after the conclusion of the 2008-2009 ski season. They are being replaced with a new Partek Triple Chairlift. The new chair runs on a similar path as the old T-bars, but slightly re-angled because the chairlift goes to the top of the mountain, unlike the previous mid-mountain T-bars.

External links

Ski Mount Southington official site

References

Ski areas and resorts in Connecticut Tourist attractions in Hartford County, Connecticut Landforms of Hartford County, Connecticut Buildings and structures in Hartford County, Connecticut Southington, Connecticut {{Connecticut-sports-venue-stub