# Prospect Hill (Nelsap) Waltham MA 3/19/2015



## chuckstah (Mar 19, 2015)

Conditions  wet snow/corn in the sun and styrofoam like snow in the shade

I had to make a quick trip south to visit family, and decided to stop in at Prospect Hill on my way back. This hill has been on my hit list for a long time as I have not skied it since the mid 80's or so.  Limited gear in the car but enough to make it work.  It is located within a half mile of interstate 95/128 in Waltham, MA making it very accessible.  Boot packed up with the skis over my shoulder, not hard with only 240 or so vertical.  There was a foot or 2, maybe more in places of base of mostly hard pack snow, softer near the summit in the sun.  The trails are quite overgrown as this area has been closed for 25 years or so.  Passed the old mid mountain t-bar shack, than the summit shack.  There are  still night skiing lights on the lower t-bar line, but it is quite grown in.  This area gets quite a bit of foot traffic, and it affected the skiing on the narrow trails that are left.
Ended up doing 3 laps.  The first was skiers left down what was most likely an intermediate run.  Very narrow now, and tracked up with footprints, and quite challenging. Second run was down the original expert run, which is basically glade skiing at this point.  It had a lot of boot track holes which hampered skiing, but still OK.  Finally, I tried the old liftline, but ended up skiing mostly trees around it as areas were quite grown in.  I may try to get up there over this coming summer and do some minimal trimming to create a better flow. I definitely want to get back on this hill with some fresh snow.  It was a fun afternoon.  A few pics to follow.


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## chuckstah (Mar 19, 2015)

A few pics, in no particular order


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## chuckstah (Mar 19, 2015)

Couple more


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## conwayeast (Mar 19, 2015)

That's awesome! You just did this today and coverage is still good huh? I live right around the corner, might have to go check this out.


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## chuckstah (Mar 19, 2015)

conwayeast said:


> That's awesome! You just did this today and coverage is still good huh? I live right around the corner, might have to go check this out.



This was today.  Boot tracks on the narrow paths made skiing difficult. Woods are better, but need to be cleaned up a bit. Definately check it out, maybe on a slightly warmer day where the snow softens better.  Should be great on a pow day!


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## conwayeast (Mar 19, 2015)

How long did it take you to hike up? Definitely going to try this out.


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## chuckstah (Mar 19, 2015)

*edit*

10 minutes at out of shape, not getting any younger pace. I found the easiest route up right behind the basketball hoop in the field at the bottom.


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## dmw (Mar 19, 2015)

I hit it about a month ago with fresh snow. Good local fun for a day when you can't make it anywhere else. I'd be down to help clear lines in the off season.


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## chuckstah (Mar 19, 2015)

Looks nice with fresh. A little cleaning up over the summer seems in order.


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## octopus (Mar 19, 2015)

i split it to the top when the snow was deep a while ago. i'd definitely be around to help thin it out, could be really fun if we get snow.


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## makimono (Mar 19, 2015)

Nice! I used to ski there all the time in the early 80's. I'm surprised the main slope has gotten that overgrown, would've thought at the least that locals would maintain it as a sledding hill, it's still town or municipal owned?


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## chuckstah (Mar 19, 2015)

It is a town park now.


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## thetrailboss (Mar 19, 2015)

Cool.  Way to get at it.  Sad to see that it closed.


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## octopus (Mar 19, 2015)

It closed 25 years ago.


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## thetrailboss (Mar 19, 2015)

octopus said:


> It closed 25 years ago.



I know. Bummer it did. I think a ski hill is a wonderful community resource.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## loki357 (Mar 20, 2015)

looks great. maybe there should be a "don't posthole the trail" sign hung too? i've been meaning to check this out. but i keep heading to blue hill for BC turns instead. i hear Cat Rock in weston is decent too.


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## Newpylong (Mar 20, 2015)

Very nice.


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## machski (Mar 20, 2015)

My goto running area on Hanscom overnights.  Good on you for hitting it on skis!


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## doublediamond (Mar 30, 2016)

chuckstah said:


> It is a town park now.



I'm pretty sure it always was.


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## WoodCore (Mar 31, 2016)

Some activity and talk of a re-birth. 

http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/article/20160329/NEWS/160325800


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## granite (Mar 31, 2016)

The article says a minimum trail length of 6,700 feet.  I don't think so, that's well over a mile long on 350 feet of vertical?  Even so, it would be great to bring it back.


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## octopus (Apr 4, 2016)

that would be great if it reopens


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## Quietman (Apr 4, 2016)

granite said:


> The article says a minimum trail length of 6,700 feet.  I don't think so, that's well over a mile long on 350 feet of vertical?  Even so, it would be great to bring it back.



I looked at the area using Hillmap, and it shows the old ski area at .35 mile to the water tanks, and .5 mile to the top.  Not sure how you'd get a lift past the tanks unless you put a chair over one of them.  I used to do lunch hikes in the area 7 years ago.


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## Bostonian (Apr 5, 2016)

This would be fantastic.  I can remember as a little kid when my parents had their law office in Waltham we would drive by prospect hill all the time.  I know it would be a huge boon for the area, if they were able to pull it off. A few years back I did earn some turns there.   I think everyone in the city would support this venture, since waltham is very much about preserving its past.


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