Banner Elk, NC – The Red Lift at North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain is getting a face lift this winter, along with other improvements to snowmaking and grooming at the ski area near Banner Elk.nThe Red Lift, which carries guests to the top of Sugar’s Big Red slope and provides access to the slopeside Sugar Ski & Country Club, has been rebuilt this summer. A new drive station has been installed to replace the old one and new chairs will make for a more comfortable ride this winter.

Fifteen-hundred feet of new air and water snowmaking pipes have been replaced and upgraded in the Terrain Park, with a connection to the Easy Street slope. Six energy-efficient snowmaking machines have also been purchased for the upcoming winter season.

Three new Pisten Bully snow grooming machines have been purchased, one being a winch cat to groom Sugar Mountain’s steeper terrain. The three snowcats purchased will replace the ski resort’s entire grooming fleet this season.

Sugar Mountain’s event schedule will launch with the Turkey Treat, when for one low price guests can ski or ride any four sessions during the four days of the Thanksgiving weekend. 1994 Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist Diann Roffe, two-time (1994 & 1996) Olympian, Krista Schmidinger and US National Super G Champion Keely Kelleher top the list of this season’s ski clinic coaching staff during Sugar’s 17th Annual Adult Pre-Season Ski Clinic scheduled for Dec. 10-12. SugarFest will be held that weekend as well, which includes an ice skating performance by 1992 Olympic Silver medalist Paul Wylie. Live acoustic North Carolina High Country bluegrass music will feature on the Sugar Mountain calendar twice a month from December through March. On Jan. 8, 2011, Sugar will once again host a National Winter Trails Day, part of a nationwide event offering children and adults the opportunity to try snowshoeing for free, and the on-snow Easter egg hunt is scheduled for Mar. 20, 2011.