The news this week has been a bit “heavy” for people who love local resorts. That’s why we’ve been focused on the positive by showcasing things like the upgrades to Raging Buffalo Snowboard & Ski Park. Well, we got some more good news for ya! Maple Valley in Dummerston, Vermont might be coming back online after two decades of being shuttered.
Classic New England Resort
During the 50’s and 60’s, New England was home to a boom of ski areas opening up all over New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. While many of these smaller places are long defunct, there is one ski area that might be getting a chance to be reborn – Maple Valley. This little Mom & Pop ski area was developed by local native skier and competitive ski jumper Terry Tyler with brothers Angelo, Joe and Frank Pirovane of North Haven Construction Company. Over the years, there were a few small upgrades made to the resort. Things like adding another chairlift and expanding the main lodge were great, but unlike the other big mountain resorts, Maple Valley became somewhat stagnant. Due to financial issues during the 80’s and 90’s, the resort was forced to close after the 1999-2000 season. You can learn more about its history here.
A Possibility of Year-Round Activities Gives New Interest
Around a decade after Maple Valley’s closing, a few of the defunct resorts in New England began a rebirth of a different kind – Mountain Biking. Places like Mount Ascutney transformed into mountain biking destinations which then helped bring back skiing to the mountain. With the chance to make a ski resort a year-round destination, suddenly interest began to spark around Maple Valley.
2018 – Maple Valley is SOLD!
As of May 23rd, 2018, this humble ski area was sold to Sugar Mountain Holdings for a mere $745,000. While this Connecticut-based member managed company has kept tight-lipped about their plans, we can still wonder what is to be. Will it be just be skiing or much more? Who knows! At least we do know that the new owners are willing to be partners with their neighbors. Spokesman Keane Aures has a deep family connection to southern Vermont and in his words, it’s their objective to “return the property to its prominence as a source of community pride.” So, the future for this small ski area looks bright. Here’s to them bringing back another gem to the crown of Vermont Skiing.
What Does Maple Valley Offer?
Situated on 385 acres, the property still features:
- 1,000 Vertical Feet of Skiing
- Two Double Chairlifts
- One T-Bar
- Snowmaking
Ran the ski school there in the late ’80’s. Glad to see it coming back.
I drive past this place just about every time I head up to VT. Was always depressing to look at when passing by, but this is fantastic news! If I had the money I would have turned it into party mountain!