Green Peak Trail Clearing Continues at Waterville Valley

Green Peak Trail Clearing Continues at Waterville Valley

The large scale expansion is projected to open this winter.

Friday, September 9, 2016, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com

Working through the holiday weekend, crews at Waterville have continued to make progress on the much touted Green Peak expansion.

In recent days, Green Peak trails 52, 53, and 54 have been cleared, while an initial line has been cut up expert trail 55. While priority was reportedly given to clearing the proposed lift line, no progress has been made on the middle portion in recent days.

The lower 1,000 feet of the proposed lift line were cleared last week, while demolition of the Competition Center continued. In addition, novice trails 4 and 51 were cut, while progress was made on lower trail 57. The existing South Street and Lower Stillness trails were recently widened.

Meanwhile, with the exception of the former mid-station, the standing towers of the World Cup Triple were painted in recent days. Plans originally called for Waterville to stage the towers in a parking lot for painting, however the in place painting suggests the towers could be transferred by helicopter directly to their new locations on Green Peak. No concrete work has been conducted on the proposed Green Peak lift line thus far.

First approved by the United States Forest Service in 2013, the $2 million Green Peak project will add 10 trails spanning 45 acres. The World Cup Triple will be relocated and installed on the new peak by SkyTrans. Originally a 1986 Albertsson-Stadeli installation, the lift was rebuilt with a new drive and line equipment by Doppelmayr in 2000. The Green Peak installation is expected to be 4,380 feet long by 1,011 feet vertical.

While the trails and lift are being advertised as opening this winter, it is not known if snowmaking will be installed in time for the ski season.