Sugarbush History -- The Gadd Years

December 25, 1958 -- Damon and Sara Gadd, along with Jack Murphy opened the Sugarbush Resort for public skiing at $5.50 for a day ticket. In its first days, the entire resort was run by four key personnel: Damon and Sara Gadd, Jack Murphy, and Lixi Fortna. The ski area quickly became known as "Mascara Mountain" due to the number of celebrity figures who chose to ski at Sugarbush. Some such figures were Oleg and Igor Cassini, Kim Novak, the Kennedies, and many more. These early days saw many prominent figures on the slopes, and Sugarbush became an elite, premier resort, perhaps even the best in the east.