GREENWOOD — Mt. Abram has submitted plans to the Department of Environmental Protection for the largest trail expansion seen on the mountain since the late 1970s, according to a news release from the ski area.
The permitting process is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, in time for the fall construction season.
“Since the summer of 2013, we have been aggressively focusing on ways to improve the ski and snowboard experience, making sure the mountain is keeping up with the evolution in the way people ski and snowboard the mountain,” General Manager Dave Scanlon said in the release.
“Last summer’s snowmaking expansion ensured that we can put snow on the mountain quickly and efficiently, while this summer’s focus has been on improving the way skiers navigate and utilize the mountain,” he wrote.
Scanlon said the main catalyst for the trail expansion project was the establishment of a dedicated ski racing venue, “that will alleviate weekend traffic and congestion caused by race training around the main mountain, the base lodge and the loading area of the Wayback Chair Lift.”
He said creation of a dedicated race trail will allow Mt. Abram to offer more rented hill training space for high school and middle school race teams, will allow the area to grow its Mt. Abram Race Training Program, and not compromise the quality of skiing for season-pass holders and day ticket skiers.
The second new trail is the expansion of the ski run Egomania, located beneath the Skyline Chair Lift on the West Side, according to the release.
“The purpose of this trail is to have enough area to expand our beginner terrain park without encroaching upon the other uses of this slope,” Scanlon said.
Mt. Abram also plans to establish a new advanced/expert trail on the mountain’s upper west side; build a connector trail for the bottoms of several trails; improve intermediate access into Round About; and build an advanced trail between Rocky’s Run and Round About. An expansion of the Dudley Terrain Park is also planned.
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