Mad River Glen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mad River Glen
The Single Chair at Mad River Glen (prior to rehabilitation)
Location	Fayston, Vermont
Coordinates	44°12′03″N 72°55′28″W / 44.20083°N 72.92444°W / 44.20083; -72.92444
Vertical	2037 ft - (621 m)
Top elevation	3637 ft - (1108 m)
Base elevation	1600 ft - (487 m)
Runs	60
Lift system	4 chairlifts (3 doubles, 1 single) - 1 surface lift
Terrain parks	Yes
Snowfall	250 in. - (635 cm)
Snowmaking	15%
Night skiing	no

Mad River Glen is a special ski area located in Fayston, Vermont. It sits in the beautiful Mad River Valley, surrounded by the Green Mountains. While it's not the biggest ski area, it has a vertical drop of 2,037 feet (621 m). This makes it one of the top ski spots in New England for its height! Ski magazine even said its slopes are the most challenging on the East Coast of the United States.

This ski area gets a lot of snow, averaging over 250 inches (640 cm) each year. Mad River Glen is famous for its traditional New England skiing style. This means it focuses on keeping natural snow on narrow trails with very little grooming. It's also one of only two places in the country that still uses a single chairlift. Another unique rule here is that snowboarding is not allowed.

Mad River Glen is also special because it's owned by a cooperative. This means that skiers can buy shares and become part-owners. They get to attend meetings and vote on important decisions about how the ski area is run. It's like a big community working together!

The Story of Mad River Glen

Mad River Glen was started in 1947 by a man named Roland Palmedo. He led a group of people, including some from the famous Rockefeller family, to create this unique place. Palmedo wanted a ski area just for dedicated skiers, without too many shops or fancy extras.

The first "Single Chair" lift was finished and opened in 1948. At that time, five trails were also ready: Catamount, Chute, Fall Line, Porcupine, and Grand Canyon. A small building at the bottom, still called the "basebox," was also built. Over the years, three double chairlifts and a rope tow for kids were added, along with many new trails.

In 1972, Truxton Pratt bought the ski area. After he passed away in 1975, his wife, Betsy, took over. The ski area stayed pretty much the same until 1995. That's when Betsy sold it to a group of skiers who formed a cooperative. This group wanted to own and manage the ski area together. On December 5, 1995, the Mad River Glen Cooperative was officially created. Today, it's the only cooperatively owned ski area in America! By April 1998, the cooperative had sold enough shares to fully buy the mountain.

In 2012, Mad River Glen was recognized as a historic district. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

How Mad River Glen is Managed

The cooperative holds elections every year for a board of trustees. These trustees are in charge of how the ski area is run and its business. They also hire a general manager to handle the daily operations.

Matt Lillard became the general manager in 2017. He had worked at other ski areas before, like Okemo and Magic Mountain.

Mad River Glen is one of only two ski areas in the country that uses a chairlift for just one person at a time. The other single chairlift is at Mt. Eyak in Cordova, Alaska.

Mountain Weather and Snowfall

Mad River Glen is located high up in the Green Mountains. This high elevation means it gets cooler air and more snow than nearby areas. The highest part of the Green Mountains gets snow from big storms that cover all of New England. But it also gets extra "backlash" snow after storms have passed.

Strong winds from the northwest pick up moisture from Lake Champlain. These winds are then forced to rise quickly over the Green Mountains. This process, called "orographic enhancement," creates even more snowfall. It's why Mad River Glen often gets three times more snow than many lower areas in northern New England. A local weather expert, Josh Fox, even writes a blog called the Single Chair Weather Blog. He tracks the weather for Mad River Glen during the winter.

Ski Trails and Lifts

Mad River Glen has 60 trails with many different difficulty levels. If you're a beginner, you can find easy trails in the Birdland area. For more challenging slopes, with bumps (moguls) and trees (glades), you'll head higher up the mountain. Many trails have been kept just as they were when skiers first cut them decades ago. They often have natural features like rocks and logs hidden under the snow.

Single chair seen from above

Mad River Glen also has four chairlifts. The most famous is Mad River's special "Single Chair." It's one of only two active single chairlifts left in America.

Why Snowboarding is Not Allowed

Mad River Glen is one of only three ski areas in the U.S. that completely bans snowboarding. The other two are Utah's Deer Valley and Alta. This rule has caused a lot of discussion, especially among snowboarders.

Interestingly, Mad River Glen was one of the first places in the U.S. to allow snowboarding, back in the 1986–87 season. But this policy only lasted until the 1992–93 season. There were problems with snowboarders getting off the old single chairlift because of a flat area at the bottom. So, the owner at the time decided to only allow snowboarders on the Sunnyside Double and the practice area chair. After a lot of debate, the previous owner, Betsy Pratt, decided to ban snowboards completely.

Four years later, the mountain was sold to the Mad River Glen Cooperative. The co-op let its members vote on the snowboarding ban. More than 75% of the members voted to keep the ban. To change this rule, two-thirds of the members would need to vote to overturn it. This makes it unlikely that the ban will be lifted anytime soon.

Telemark Skiing

Mad River Glen is a popular spot for telemark skiers. Many people who visit the mountain enjoy this unique style of skiing.

Kent Thomas Nature Center

The Kent Thomas Nature Center has displays that teach you about the mountain's plants, animals, and rocks. The center is open all year. It also offers nature programs led by trained naturalists.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Vermont
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Chittenden County, Vermont