BARTLETT MOUNTAIN / Maple Villa Glades

Project Type: Glade
Status: Approved
Level: Federal (USFS)
Location: Intervale, NH
Ability Level: Advanced, Intermediate
Aspect: North / Northwest
Vertical Drop: 2,000 +/-
Glade Chief: Rick Jenkinson
Surveyor: Kevin Tilton, HEB Engineers
Glade Designer: Sustainable Trailworks, LLC
GBA Team: Brian Otis, Daryl Kent, Michael Levine, Rick Boyle, Colin Wroblewski, Ben Cargill, Phil Ostroski, Tyler Ray
Partners: WMNF, State of NH, Bartlett Conservation Commission,
Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, Society for Protection of NH Forests, East Branch Neighbors

MAPLE VILLA GLADE

Status. The White Mountain National Forest officially approved the Bartlett Mountain project on March 30, 2018.

Bartlett Mountain Project. This project is not only an exciting project based on its frontcountry location (just a few miles outside North Conway village) but carries a storied history with four iterations of skiing beginning with a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) ski trail known as "Maple Villa" cut in 1933. The area has also been home to the Intervale Ski Area , an EMS cross-country network, and most recently the site of the Mt. Washington Valley Ski Touring trails. The land has changed hands over the years but is now largely owned by the WMNF with smaller parcels within the proposed zone owned by the State of New Hampshire (Merriman State Park), Town of Bartlett (Pine Hill), and a private land trust - the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF). The project, with its many land owners, has several layers of complexity, including a requirement to construct a parking lot (which is discussed in greater detail below), to which GBA is partnering with Upper Saco Valley Land Trust to raise funds for acquisition and development.

Maple Villa Background. The original Maple Villa Ski Trail ran over 2,000 vertical feet and 2.5 miles in length. The trail was attractive for a variety of abilities, as the bottom third is fairly mellow, the middle pitch intermediate and from the summit there is excellent sustained steeps. The original trail's width was approximately 15-35 feet. Maple Villa was named for a hotel at the end of the original ski trail and was quite popular as the first ski trail south of Pinkham Notch in the 1930's. According to Jeff Leich, Executive Director of the New England Ski Museum. “Maple Villa was an immensely successful hand-cut trail by the CCC that captured the growing popularity of skiing in the 1930’s with the added convenience provided by the Boston snow trains”. Continued Liech “I am excited for the possible revival of Maple Villa and GBA’s efforts to reconnect with skiing’s past using modern glade development technique. This will be a fun project to watch, and then of course, ski!”

Maple Villa Glade Plan. Maple Villa Ski Glade will be inside a 410 acre glade footprint whereby GBA is authorized to cut up to 15% of that space. Although GBA is reviving the classic trail, the historic run will serve as the uphill skintrack and serve as an exit corridor from glade lines which will flow into the old trail. The concept plan for this area includes 15-20 glade lines with a total approximate vertical of 15,000 to 20,000 vertical feet, with lines ranging from 600 vertical to 1500 vertical. The glading methods required by WMNF and adopted by GBA will include modern sustainable forestry techniques, such as braided and island designs, to lessen any adverse impact on the natural habitat. The purpose is to align the glade cutting with GBA’s low-impact, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly standards.

Fun Stats:

2000 vert from summit to car including run out
1400 vert continuous off the summit on east side of brook
1100 vert continuous on the west side of brook
500 vert off pine knoll
17 runs total = 15,000 +/- total vert

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

–Winston Churchill

Parking & Fundraising. GBA is partnering with Upper Saco Valley Land Trust to acquire the 48-acre access parcel and use it as a potential site for future parking. The purchase of this 48-acre property will ensure that the historic Maple Villa Trail remain open for public use. GBA will be directly involved in constructing and managing glade skiing opportunities on the subject property and upslope on the northwest side of Bartlett Mountain. For more information or if you would like to donate please visit Upper Saco Valley Land Trust's website HERE.

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