# Maple Valley to Reopen??



## WoodCore (Jun 8, 2011)

Saw this article posted online today http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/d070b1e3d680445197ca800a28a1b719/VT--Ski-Area-Reopening/ and have also noticed increased activity around the area of late. Hope it happens as I love seeing lost ski areas rise from the dead!!


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## thetrailboss (Jun 8, 2011)

I've been following the thread on NELSAP's board, but any information posted here is very welcome.  I have heard mumblings about it reopening as a tubing operation and local ski area akin to Granite Gorge (low frills operation).  Hey, it works for me!  Hopefully another mountain off the NELSAP list!  :beer:


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## bvibert (Jun 8, 2011)

That would be awesome!


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## mlctvt (Jun 8, 2011)

I rode by bike by there a couple of weeks ago and I noticed that the lifts near the base had a nice new coat of paint. The signs and building looks spiffed up too. The base area looks much better than it did a year or two ago.


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## Glenn (Jun 8, 2011)

That's very close to our place up there; we're just on the other side of the West River. 

Some of this is a bit of a repost from what I've put up on the SJ forum.... Our neighbors up there are fulltime residents(the road we're on is a mix for full and part time) and the wife works for the town. The husband stopped by our place few months ago and saw my posts on SJ. Long story short, there had been some inquiries at town hall from the owners of MV about permits and whatnot. The current owner still owns it, but plans to have someone else manage/operate the area. The manager/operator is slated to be a business owner in Dummerston. 

All the chairs were removed from both lifts. Last I heard, they had to xray/MRI/sonar the cables to see if they could still be run. Last year, they had done some sitework in the back of the lodge; I had heard they were doing some work to the septic system. The lodge has been repainted, the signage is a bit newer and any signs from the logging operation in the parkinglot have been removed. 

This is pretty exciting since it's so close to where we are. It would be great option for us on days we're blacked out at Mt Snow...or just feel like making a few turns close to home. I really hope this works out; it could be great area to have in the local community.


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## Nick (Jun 8, 2011)

Mt Tom next?


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## threecy (Jun 8, 2011)

Nick said:


> Mt Tom next?



Mt. Tom Vermont is more likely to come back before Mt. Tom Massachusetts.


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## AdironRider (Jun 8, 2011)

Mt Tom in Mass should be able to kill it near all those colleges. Its like a Blue Hill on steroids.


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## Nick (Jun 8, 2011)

Yeah I used to go to Mt Tom all the time as a kid when I was in Connecticut. Now I just see the paragliders there in the summer occasionally.


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## thetrailboss (Jun 8, 2011)

Nick said:


> Yeah I used to go to Mt Tom all the time as a kid when I was in Connecticut. Now I just see the paragliders there in the summer occasionally.


 
It is too bad that Mount Tom closed.  Great location and very visible.  Decent size as well.


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## snowmonster (Jun 8, 2011)

It's always good to see ski areas get out of NELSAP!


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## ski_resort_observer (Jun 8, 2011)

Talked to some folks from Northhampton las t winter and they said there is little chance for Mt Tom in Mass to come back. Everything has been removed, it's privately owned now and is some sort of commercial rock quarry. Maybe someone from the area can confirm this?


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## threecy (Jun 9, 2011)

ski_resort_observer said:


> Talked to some folks from Northhampton las t winter and they said there is little chance for Mt Tom in Mass to come back. Everything has been removed, it's privately owned now and is some sort of commercial rock quarry. Maybe someone from the area can confirm this?



Everything of value was removed about a decade ago.

The bigger obstacle is that the land was split up and is now owned by multiple, non-overlapping entities.

Despite being home to 300,000 skier visits a year during its heyday, Mt. Tom is less likely than perhaps most of the other 600 NELSAP areas to ever return.


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## Nick (Jun 9, 2011)

thetrailboss said:


> It is too bad that Mount Tom closed.  Great location and very visible.  Decent size as well.



Yeah when I lived in Manchester it was our go-to mountain next to Sundown.


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## Nick (Jun 9, 2011)

snowmonster said:


> It's always good to see ski areas get out of NELSAP!



I've actually never been to the NELSAP site, I'm surprised how many areas are closed. I had no idea the numbers were that high.


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## witch hobble (Jun 9, 2011)

"Vermont's Best Kept Secret"

That was their bumper sticker's tag line back when I did some skiing there.  Still applies.


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## skidmarks (Jun 13, 2011)

Nick said:


> Yeah I used to go to Mt Tom all the time as a kid when I was in Connecticut. Now I just see the paragliders there in the summer occasionally.



We still ski Mt Tom!!!


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2011)

Here's a link to an article in the Reformer. 

I'll copy and paste as well. I think they "arcive" articles after a period of time and the link will no longer work. 



> Wednesday June 8, 2011
> DUMMERSTON -- One of southern Vermont's lost ski areas could reopen its trails soon, according to a zoning application from the resort's owner.
> 
> The Maple Valley Ski Area has remained closed for a decade, but property owner Nicholas Mercede, through the Stamford, Conn.company MVS Associates, LLC, recently applied for a conditional use permit to resume operations as a four-season recreation area.
> ...


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## Glenn (Jun 25, 2011)

Some more info. It's hard to see, but the inside of the lodge looks really good considering it hasn't been used in almost 10 years. 

http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_18326898

Fingers crossed....I'd love to make some turns there this winter.


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## vcunning (Jun 26, 2011)

Glenn said:


> Some more info. It's hard to see, but the inside of the lodge looks really good considering it hasn't been used in almost 10 years.
> 
> http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_18326898
> 
> Fingers crossed....I'd love to make some turns there this winter.



Can I join you?


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## orangegondola (Jun 26, 2011)

We have a spare lift cable up at Magic they were inquiring about purchasing at one point.  Not sure if they did.  

I would love to see it come off NELSAP and think it could be a phenominal community mountain.    I mainly wonder about its elevation in our current climate.   They are considerably lower in elevation than the "golden triangle" and will have to make significant snow.  

Best of luck to them I would certainly give it a ski.  Go big...ski small


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## Glenn (Jun 27, 2011)

vcunning said:


> Can I join you?



But of course!


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## Glenn (Jun 27, 2011)

orangegondola said:


> We have a spare lift cable up at Magic they were inquiring about purchasing at one point.  Not sure if they did.
> 
> I would love to see it come off NELSAP and think it could be a phenominal community mountain.    I mainly wonder about its elevation in our current climate.   They are considerably lower in elevation than the "golden triangle" and will have to make significant snow.
> 
> Best of luck to them I would certainly give it a ski.  Go big...ski small



That's good to know. I beleive they were going to check the cables on one of the lifts. Maybe it needed replacing afterall. 

Found another article: http://www.firsttracksonline.com/20...ine/pDno+(First+Tracks!!+Online+Ski+Magazine) 

This one says the area will need another 8-12 months to get up and running for skiing.  I'm sure a lot of that is cutting back the overgrowth and whatnot.


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## deadheadskier (Jun 27, 2011)

Anyone know how Granite Gorge does business wise?   That would seem to be a similar sized area and about the same distance from Keene as MV is from Brattleboro.


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## MrMagic (Jun 28, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> Anyone know how Granite Gorge does business wise?   That would seem to be a similar sized area and about the same distance from Keene as MV is from Brattleboro.



iv been there a few times since they have installed a chair lift. they seem to do a good business, they have a large tubing area with its own lift a big terrain park with its own handle tow, a learning area with a magic carpet. the have a number of decent trails from the summit including some low angle glades, they also have a large loop for XC skiing and snow shoeing.  

the guy that owns it or at least did owns a construction company in the keene area he seems to be doing a  good job with the area. on the times iv been there the place has been filled with people.


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## Glenn (Jul 29, 2011)

Just a brief update. Not too much has been going on there lately. I'm thinking it'll probably be the next season (2012-2013) before they open. There is a log skidder parked near the lodge. Maybe they're going to start clearning some land.


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## tree_skier (Aug 1, 2011)

They are having problems with the town and getting permits.  There are a few abutters who don't want them to reopen.  article was in the bratt reformer a couple of weeks ago.


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## AdironRider (Aug 1, 2011)

Ahhh the whole NIMBY thing. 

Retards considering their real estate would probably appreciated around 25%, maybe more. 

House in woods near nothing special in VT. 

House in woods near small local ski area in VT. 

Which would you buy?


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## bheemsoth (Aug 1, 2011)

MrMagic said:


> iv been there a few times since they have installed a chair lift. they seem to do a good business, they have a large tubing area with its own lift a big terrain park with its own handle tow, a learning area with a magic carpet. the have a number of decent trails from the summit including some low angle glades, they also have a large loop for XC skiing and snow shoeing.
> 
> the guy that owns it or at least did owns a construction company in the keene area he seems to be doing a  good job with the area. on the times iv been there the place has been filled with people.



Ditto. My family has a cabin in Sullivan, which is just up route 9 from Granite Gorge and Keene. I've never skiied there, but it always looks decently crowded. I've long been curious about it, but if I'm driving all the way from CT, it won't be to ski something smaller than Sundown.


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## thetrailboss (Aug 2, 2011)

tree_skier said:


> They are having problems with the town and getting permits. There are a few abutters who don't want them to reopen. article was in the bratt reformer a couple of weeks ago.


 
That's too bad.


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## Glenn (Aug 2, 2011)

I'll see if I can get some more info from our neighbors up there. I don't think people are worried too much about the ski area; although, it may be the lights from the night skiing. I want to say some people close by are more concerned with the concerts and other events that may take place.


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## Glenn (Aug 6, 2011)

Looks like they need a bit more time to get some proposals in order. Based on this info and what I've seen when drivng by, the probably won't open this season. But things are still movng forward, so that's good news. 

More info: http://www.reformer.com/ci_18620885?IADID=Search-www.reformer.com-www.reformer.com

C&P: 

Friday August 5, 2011 
DUMMERSTON -- Representatives with the Connecticut company hoping to reopen the Maple Valley Ski Area as a four-season resort expect to have the necessary documentation completed sometime in the autumn. 

Property owner Nicholas Mercede, who applied for a conditional use permit to resume operations at the site through the Stamford, Conn.-based MVS Associates, LLC, said his firm hopes to have a more definitive site plan to present to the Dummerston Development Review Board for its September meeting. 

MVS Associates was scheduled to attend the DRB meeting on July 26, but the company did not have the proper documentation required to proceed. They do not expect to have the proposal completed by the next meeting on Aug. 16. 

During a June meeting, the board requested more clarity in the ambitious zoning application to reopen the Maple Valley. 

"We have to get more information. We're getting all the little things cleared up, we're getting the maps all set, getting all the information ready to go to the zoning board," Mercede told the Reformer on Wednesday afternoon. "It will probably be another two weeks after [Aug. 16], at the end of August, maybe in September and I will give them all the information needed for the permits." 

Mercede presented an application earlier this summer to reopen the long-closed facility with activities extending from the winter season into fall. Plans also include a retail store and ski/bicycle repair shop, 


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as well as the mountain's ski school. 
Planners ran into some obstacles with the board with some "pie-in-the-sky" ideas -- as a DRB member called them -- including hang-gliding, zip lines, archery camps and paintball. 

During the June meeting, DRB member Lew Sorenson said the board would not address conceptual designs until many of the activities have been addressed. 

The designs for the ski resort, located six miles north of Brattleboro on Route 30, would not change the existing trails or its lounge, though it would require some structural work. 

Concerns were raised by the public about noise from the snow-making pumps and the light pollution from night skiing. MVS representatives said there are new standards and better equipment for lighting and snow-making fixtures that will reduce these issues, which were also problems when Maple Valley was last open 10 years ago. 

MVS Associates hope to have the rehabilitation work completed within a year, but that does not include inspections at the state level for the lighting, septic system and other utilities.


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## drjeff (Aug 7, 2011)

Glenn - from the way that article reads, you'd almost think that Dummerston is a major metropolis! Lol! I think that if the new owners just carved out a place or two for some of the Dummerston Development Review Board members so that they'd have a better view of the folks who sometime take advantage of VT's liberal nudity laws while taking a dip in the West River, they'd be good to go! :lol:


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## Glenn (Aug 7, 2011)

Mitz and I did a little exploring this afternoon after we went swimming in the West River. (Clothed!) 

We went down to the old Maple Valley parking lot across Rt 30. We went down to the river to scope out some swimming spots. We ended up seeing the intake for the pumphouse; pretty cool. Despite the rumors, the pump engines have mufflers; you could see them on the outside of the pumphouse. 

There's not a ton of houses arouind the area. I'm sure there are a few people who would hear the pumps, or music if there was a concert. But it's not like it would effect the entire town. It'll be interesting to see what the owners come back with for a proposal.


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## Glenn (Dec 22, 2011)

I'm thinking they'll come back with a scaled down version of an operating plan; open for skiing, and maybe a few summer events...concerts and some MTB trails. 

**rumor** has it that the town was being a bit difficult towards them. So that probably stalled things a bit. 

There has been some logging going on there. On the north side of the base area, there are two skidders and a bunch of logs. Lookslike they're heading up one of the trails to do the logging work. 

Update:

http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_19597602

Maple Valley Ski Resort in Dummerston. (Zachary P. Stephens/Reformer) Thursday December 22, 2011 
DUMMERSTON -- The development group hoping to reopen Dummerston's Maple Valley Ski Area has temporarily withdrawn its site plans to restart operations at the long-vacant resort. 

The chairman of the Dummerston Development Review Board said property owner Nicholas Mercede, who applied for a conditional use permit to resume operations at the site through the Stamford, Conn., -based MVS Associates, has pulled his ambitious application at this time. 

DRB Chairman Herb Rest said Mercede withdrew his application with the intention of resubmitting the site plan at a future date. 

Since presenting the site plan to the board earlier this summer, DRB members have not heard from MVS Associates about continuing the public hearing, which was held in June. 

Last month, Rest contacted representatives for the Maple Valley project and requested they inform the board if they were going to submit the materials. 

"If they couldn't submit the required materials within a reasonable period of time -- we'd given them six months to respond or at least begin some response -- and we heard nothing that we needed to close the issue," he added. "They have chosen at this time to withdraw the application without prejudice, meaning they can at any time come back and ask for the same things that they asked for before." 

With the original application pulled, Mercede would have to resubmit a completely new one to the board and schedule a public 


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hearing. 
Attempts by the Reformer to contact Mercede and his Vermont attorney for comment were unsuccessful. 

In early June, Mercede's company applied for a conditional use permit to resume operations at Maple Valley. His application proposed turning the 384-acre property into a four-season recreation area and possibly incorporate a retail shop and ski school within the main lodge. 

But the DRB said during a June 21 meeting his plans were not definitive enough for the ski area and asked for more complete documentation. MVS Associates planned to have a revised site plan ready sometime in the fall, but were unable to hobble together a more detailed proposal. 

Developers ran into some obstacles with some of the more big-picture goals for the property, including hang-gliding, zip-lines, archery camps and paintball. The result was board members declining to address any conceptual designs without a better plan. 

"We needed a component site plan. We needed to have some specifics concerning external lighting, noise, snow guns, snow gun noise. We needed to have some specifics on the activities, they had multiple activities that they had identified ... and some of the things the applicants didn't even understand what they were," Rest said. 

Located off Route 30 in West Dummerston just six miles north of Brattleboro, the ski area closed following the 2001 season. For most of its time in operation, the mountain operated with two double chairs and a t-bar, with a wire handle tow installed later for snow tubing.


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