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Haystack
Wilmington, Vermont
| Overview |
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Haystack: Upper Mountain | The Witches | South Witches | Deerfield Ridge
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| The Witches - 1987 - Abandoned |
The Witches complex in the 2004-2005 Mt. Snow trail map |
Operating in the shadow of Mt. Snow for decades, one thing Haystack had lacked much of was expert terrain. After the main mountain infrastructure was upgraded, a new complex was planned.
In 1987, a brand new 2,350 foot long C-TEC triple chairlift was installed, climbing 685 vertical feet from above the Flying Dutchman trail to the top of the new peak. In addition, 11 new trails would eventually open, many of them short connectors. Two glades would be added in the 1990s.
Possibly due in part to the costs incurred with this expansion, Haystack ski area would end up going bankrupt at the turn of the decade. The ski area would subsequently be leased, then purchased, by the parent company of Mt. Snow, eventually ending up as part of American Skiing Company.
The last season of operation under the American Skiing Company was 2004-2005, after which Haystack was sold. As of 2010, the Witches complex has not operated since the sale.
The Witches complex in the 1993-1994 Mt. Snow trail map
The Witches Triple (2006)
The Witches Triple (2006)
The Witches complex as seen from the main mountain (2006)
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| South Witches - Cancelled |
A proposed southern part of the Witches complex in a 1989 plan |
Two years after the Witches complex opened, a map of a proposed connection between Mt. Snow and Haystack was generated. In addition to the Deerfield Ridge Link to Mt. Snow, another new pod was displayed on the Haystack side.
Located to the south of the Witches area, the proposed complex was to have its own lift with a larger vertical drop than the Witches Triple. Serviced by the lift were to be a half dozen new trails.
It is unknown how far this proposal went, but the trails were never cut, nor was the lift likely ordered.
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| Deerfield Ridge - Cancelled |
The proposed Deerfield Ridge Link in a 1989 plan |
As part of a grand Mt. Snow and Haystack expansion proposal, a connection between the areas was planned in the 1980s. A 1989 proposal map displayed two new lifts and nearly a dozen new trails being constructed toward Mt. Snow by the Haystack Associates (with additional trails and lifts to be constructed by Mt. Snow), much of it in Green Mountain National Forest land.
It is not known how far this proposal went, however the trails and lifts were never constructed. Haystack would go bankrupt and be taken over by Mt. Snow starting in 1991.
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| Resources |
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Haystack - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com
Haystack Mountain - FranklinSites.com Hiking Guide
Haystack Mountain Ski Area - New England Lost Ski Areas Project
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| Feedback |
Do you have any additional information about Haystack?
Last updated: February 2, 2011
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