Snowy terraced trail illuminated by small lights at night.
Start the jingle. Image Credit: Wachusett Mountain.

Princeton, Massachuetts — Wachusett Mountain is setting the record straight: they weren’t “goofing off” during this offseason.

This week, Wachusett Mountain detailed what projects they have been working on for the 2026-27 season. Overall, $3.67 million was spent on improvements, which would have been a really funny joke if that was the amount spent a year ago.

Polar Express

Last offseason, the Polar Express Quad was replaced by a Doppelmayr detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift. A few projects were done this offseason to make sure it works better not only for guests, but also for employees.

Near the lift maze that leads to the base terminal, the shack has been removed. This will reduce congestion when entering the lift line.

Also new is a chair parking structure that’s located next to the chairlift. When its not operating, they will be able to protect the carriers from icing, leading to quicker openings.

Additionally, the area around the top terminal was regraded, leading to an easier unloading experience.

Snowmaking & Grooming

Five Polecat fanguns were acquired and are beingplaced at some points that need more snow cover. Also on the snowmaking front, 1,200 feet of pipe was replaced around the top of the Minuteman Express chairlift.

Three new groomers were acquired. They got 2 new Prinoth Snowcats (BISON X and BISON S). Wachusett also bought a new PistenBully 400 winch cat, allowing for better grooming on steeper slopes.

Other upgrades include new carpeting in the base lodge, new ventilation in the cafeteria’s kitchen, repairs to the patio, new maintenance trucks (including a 2025 Silverado and a slightly older 1985 Honda Mini Truck), a new binding tester in the rental shop, new rental equipment, new water quality control/pump systems, a food and beverage order POS system, new Axess POS software and RFID gate controllers, a parinted trim on the lodge, an AI-video analysis system for ski racers, and a new hand mural trail map next to the coffee shop.

Overall, it looks like it’s going to be another nice season at Waaaaaa Wa Wachusett.

Wachusett Mountain trail map with ski runs and lifts in a snowy landscape.

Image/Video Credits: Wachusett Mountain

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ian Wood became passionate about the ski industry while learning to ski at Mt. Sunapee. In high school, he became a ski patroller at Proctor Ski Area. He travelled out...