Exploring the ABANDONED Maple Valley Ski Area (Dummerston, VT)
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- J-MASS INSTAGRAM: @jmassofficial
Right off the side of Route 30 in the small town of Dummerston, Vermont sits the remains of a once-thriving ski resort known as Maple Valley Ski Area. The ski resort first opened in 1963, operating for the 1963-1964 ski season. For the next couple decades, operations for the Maple Valley Ski Resort were business as usual--although, by the late 1980s and 1990s, the cracks began to show as the ski resort soon fell into stagnation, and financial issues arose. Maple Valley Ski Area closed for the first time in 1996 following the 1995-1996 ski season, and was brought under new ownership; however, it would reopen yet again in 1999 for the 1999-2000 ski season. Unfortunately, this would officially become the ski resort's last ski season, and in the year 2000, it would close down permanently. While the Maple Valley Ski Area is still under private ownership, it has been completely abandoned and unused for over 23 years now.
Recently, there have been talks to convert this property into an operational business yet again, with the prospect of converting it into a brewery and/or event venue seeming likely. While there are still many more legal processes to go through, it is possible that the property of the former ski resort will come back to life once again. As a result, when I explored the property for this video, I was unable to enter the ski lodge building itself as it is private property, and I wished to respect this. Instead, in this video, I show off the former Maple Valley Ski Area property from the exterior, including its many remnants, from the sign out front, to the ski lifts out back. Many of the old ski trails can still be seen on the mountain behind the ski lodge, and there is even an old map out front showing off the trail names and their difficulty levels. While it was a shame that I could not enter inside the buildings, it was still fun to explore this forgotten piece of Vermont's skiing history, and to see what was left behind! If you guys liked this video, make sure to stay tuned for more exploration videos all across New England!
www.newenglandskihistory.com/...
00:00 "J-MASS Explores New England" Intro
00:20 Introduction to the Maple Valley Ski Area
02:33 The Sign and Ski Lodge
06:34 Ski Lifts
08:45 Back of the Ski Lodge
10:39 Outro
College racing used to have their final race of the season every year from 89-93. The trails were very fun and it was a great time for us college racers back a long time ago.
We used to travel up from Long Island every year in the 70s into the 80s when I was little. It was a sweet little spot. Had this crazy trench jump in the middle of one trail. It was scary awesome!🤘
I litreraly drove by this the day before you posted this. I wanted to explore real bad, thanks for the video.
I skid here when it was active, not much but a few times. still sad to pass it otw to Stratton and see it abandoned. ty for video.
Just stumbled across your channel and wanted to applaud you on the video! Really enjoyed this
Thank you so much!
This ski resort was owned by my ancestors the Taft family who lived there for generations, one of the first families to settle in the US, they immigrated from Yorkshire England in 1630. My great grandfather sold this property. It still breaks my heart, the history on that land.
Wow, fascinating history! Thank you for sharing this with me, it shines a new light on the rich past of this land!
@@j-mass Your very welcome :)
Awesome video dude! Such a dope spot
Thanks man! It was a really interesting spot to explore!
I thought you did not want to trespass
That Act 250 that the state has, killed the skiing industry in VT. While other ski areas around the country have expanded, VT ski areas have had very little expansion since the 1960's. Nearby Magic Mountain has an abandoned ski area on the otherside of the mountain but the state won't let them connect and expand. Sugarbush Ski Area wanted to connect the two mountains and the state would not let them because they said that there were bears in the area. Killington wanted to connect to Pico and the state stopped them. Killington had backside ski area that was privately owned and the state refused to allow them to develop, so Killington had to donate the land to the state to avoid paying taxes on it. Same thing happened to Bolton Valley Ski Area, they had to donate their unused land to the state.
Your information is incorrect. Magic Mountain ski resort is thriving .and act 250 had nothing to do with why maple valley closed.
@@supremlyfoxylass Magic has had a checkered past with being open and different owners. On the back of Magic is a ski area that cannot open without the state's approval, which if opened, would make Magic more marketable compared to Stratton and Bromely. Maple is so small that it is not appealing to most skiers. It cannot expand due to Act 250 approvals. Maybe you should read the news more?
@@LifeProducersofNewJerseyLLC I live here and am well aware of what’s going on in my community thanks.
@@supremlyfoxylass Learn to read the news it would be good for you. I myself ski in VT and went to college there and worked in a VT ski area. But I learn this stuff from reading the news, I dont talk off the top of my head.
@@LifeProducersofNewJerseyLLC you lived here a few years big deal….. so that makes you so knowledgeable. 😂🤦🏻♀️
I wondered about this place still being in business. Being from Keene it was a nice ride to go hit the slopes years ago. I haven't been on skis in years now. We'd go to Bromley, Magic, Okemo, Whaleback, Temple and Crotched and Pats Peak regularly. Sadly a bunch have closed down.
My grandfather, who worked for Brattleboro Sand and Gravel, poured the concrete for the ski lifts there.
Wow, interesting piece of history! Thanks for sharing!
I learned how to ski there. Broke my leg the last time I was there, a long time ago, 40+ years, wow, I'm old.
7:30 skiers don't usually come down the chair lift....they come down on their skis....kinda how skiing works (had to bust you balls on that),
LOL oops, minor slip-up on my end! Thanks for clarifying that, you’re right 😂
Looks to me like that second lift was not missing it’s chairs it’s a surface lift, called a T-bar or a J-Bar. 🤘
Oh interesting, thanks for the info!
a large majority of northeast ski resorts are a complete depression session... none of these mountains have gotten real snow since the early 2000's.
There used to be night skiing for the school kids.
My stepdad was a lift op there. People in Brattleboro referred to the place as Mud Valley...
Wow, interesting stuff!
Wish you could’ve gotten inside
I went there as my second (attempted) exploration, but the main building was totally barricaded and I didn’t think to go film the other buildings
Yeah, they really take security seriously over there! I’d have loved to go inside the ski lodge and explore all those rooms.
Fun fact: that diagonal window on the opening clip looks like a ‘witches window’ which are found a lot on old buildings in that area. I believe they were shaped like that so witches couldn’t fly i.
Wow, that’s interesting-I never knew that!
Ride up ski down
Why ta hell do you say something is "dope" all the time, it makes you sound like a dope. That lift was manufactured by a company named Hall, it is a double chair , the drive system used a large ring gear to allow for high torque and low RPM.
What if you went there when you were a baby when it was still open and just don’t remember it (maybe not but it’s just a theory)
Should be turned into a subdivision or strip mall.
We don’t allow that crap in Vermont
@@supremlyfoxylass good, PA is nothing but warehouses
Great ski area but this video is so very cringy.
That’s Route 30 not a highway. A rich developer in Connecticut owns it and nothings happening with it. You sound like a big dope saying “ dope” come up with a better word
Vermont Route 30 is a state highway, running between Brattleboro and Middlebury… it’s a highway, just not an interstate.
@@j-mass and highways have a speed limit of 40 in some areas.. it was once a dirt road called the river road.
Pass this place all the time and think it’s a shame it’s not open.