Yes, it is exactly that one, out behind the highschool.
Well, we made it around 4:50 and were dressed and on the tow for the last 30 minutes. Well, 40ish minutes – because they ran it longer just for us and the two other kids there. They were all happy to just be there and open.
I spoke with the town manager, Peter, for a good bit while the kids did a few laps without me. He was there with two other town employees/lifties running the tow. It’s been a bit of a passion project for him since taking over as the town manager a few years ago and they managed to buy the rope tow, the bottom building, and all of the other stuff needed entirely with grant and other money – no taxpayer dollars went into it. He told me that the Outdoor Sports Institute was involved with the project and does the grooming which they’re very grateful for.
It is in fact on the same site as the old ski tow from many years ago; locals have used it as a tubing hill for years since. The rope tow is a TowPro TP10 and TowPro was a big help with the install since this is all new to them. The install was actually done before winter and ready to go, but the state tramway inspection took forever to get done. The intent is to serve as a tow for both skis/snowboards and tubes as well. The primary use is clearly going to be tubes at least for now as that’s what the locals have been doing forever there. In fact, my kids were the first to ski and I was the first to snowboard the rope tow since install. Nobody else did either today, only tubers. The point is to get people outside though and I think this will be very popular on weekends for both uses if they keep it open regularly.
The hill itself has 3 trails: the one the rope is on, the middle one, and the right side. Tubing/skiing is only allowed on the right two. By my feel there’s probably about 50-75ft of elevation and the slopes are probably 300-400ish feet long. The surface was hard packed but free from hazards and packed/groomed at some point in the last few days. The tubing obviously packs the snow more but it was edgeable and we had fun for our 40 minutes. The hardest part is making it back to the tow after your run, as the base of the hill is a bit spread out. Not a big deal for us, we’re always happy to just get some runs in. And you can’t beat the price of admission: $0.
Overall, it’s great that they’re bringing the hill back. They’re learning right now and I think it’s a great addition to the town’s outdoor rec program. I can see some local kids building a few jumps/side hits or features and spending the afternoon having an absolute blast. It’s great for what it is: a small hill that’s easy for local kids to get to and attainable for parents to pay for (free). I hope that they keep the wheels rolling. They’re clearly passionate about the hill and it’s a great resource for the town to get people outside.
