East Burke, VT – Vermont’s Burke Mountain is using its ski lifts this summer for the first time to connect with the Kingdom Trails network of mountain biking routes.

At a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin officially launched the new collaboration between the ski resort and Kingdom Trails. Now among the hundred miles of cross country mountain bike trails, Kingdom Trails offers lift served mountain biking and a new downhill bike park on Burke Mountain.

Burke will open the Sherburne Express chairlift from the Base Lodge on weekends and holidays until mid-October. The chairlift access four already established, but improved and re-routed single track trails, and the new premier jump trail, Knightslayer, featuring table tops, step ups, step downs, rollers and berms. More downhill trails will be added before the end of the summer, according to Tim McGuire, general manager at Burke Mountain.

“Collaborating with Burke Mountain to offer a variety of downhill mountain bike trails for all abilities will keep us as a premier mountain bike destination,” says CJ Scott, Kingdom Trails Association Trail Manager.