Human-Powered Skiing in the Borderlands
a Chapter of the Catamount Trail Association
The section that will be most impacted is downhill from the Legal Trail, which is the town-owned right-of-way that crosses the mountain north to south about one-third of the way up the slope. It's the trail that is used by snowmobiles in winter. The entire section downhill from that road and across the width of the former ski area has been designated as a harvest zone, meaning all our uptracks and all our ski slopes cross the work area. We don’t expect the top two-thirds of the former ski area to be significantly impacted, although some logging equipment may cross through that region to travel between harvest zones. The track to the true summit could also be impacted.
Logging Winter 2024
A long-planned timber harvest is finally occurring at Dutch Hill starting this winter. Skiers, riders, sledders, snowshoers and others will still be allowed to use the terrain, but as always, it’s use at your own risk. The logging operations throw some additional risks into the equation, so be alert and be safe out there.
Areas where the loggers haven’t done any work will still be skiable. But where they have felled trees or done other forestry work, you will have to pick your way very carefully. Be alert for tree tops and other woody debris on the ground that could be covered by subsequent snowstorms. Snow conditions may hide traps that could catch your ski tips or whack you in the shins or even worse. And please, just stay away from sections where the loggers are actively working. If you hear equipment – stay clear! They may be using chainsaws. They may be using large machines to fell trees and to haul the logs out. They certainly won’t hear you and may not see you. It’s your responsibility to stay out of their way.
You might see logging equipment like this harvester (left) or this feller buncher (below) at Dutch Hill this winter.
