The Middlebury College Snowbowl is a ski area in Hancock, Vermont, east of Middlebury in the

Green Mountains The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada. The part of the same range that is i ...

. The site has been owned and operated by Middlebury College since its first trails were cut in 1934. The Snowbowl has 17 trails and 3 lifts, offering access to more than of terrain. In 2006, it became the first

carbon-neutral Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the "p ...

ski area in the United States.

History

One of the second oldest ski areas in Vermont, the Snowbowl has hosted intercollegiate competitions since the 1930s. The original lodge—a traditional log cabin—was built in 1938 and remains the oldest standing base lodge in the nation. A modern lodge, Neil Starr Shelter, a gift of insurance magnate and Stowe Mountain Resort owner

Cornelius Vander Starr Cornelius Vander Starr (October 15, 1892 – December 20, 1968), sometimes known as Neil Starr, was an American businessman and founder of C.V. Starr & Co. (later known as Starr Companies) in Shanghai, China, which became AIG. AIG grew from an ...

, was completed in 1962 and completely renovated and expanded in 2004. Along with the

Dartmouth Skiway The Dartmouth Skiway is a ski area in the northeastern United States, in Lyme, New Hampshire. Located about twenty minutes northeast of Dartmouth College, it has thirty trails from easiest (green circle) to most difficult (black diamond) on over ...

, the Snowbowl is one of two remaining college-owned ski areas in the eastern United States.

The Mountain

Located on the north slope of Worth Mountain, the Snowbowl rises near Middlebury Gap on land willed to Middlebury College by

Joseph Battell Joseph Battell (July 15, 1839 – February 23, 1915) was a publisher and philanthropist from Middlebury, Vermont. Battell is credited with preserving Vermont forest land including the land for Camel's Hump State Park. The Joseph Batte ...

in 1915. The property is surrounded by the

Joseph Battell Wilderness The Joseph Battell Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas in the Green Mountain National Forest in the U.S. state of Vermont. The wilderness area, created by the New England Wilderness Act of 2006, is named in honor of Joseph Battell (1839& ...

, land once owned by the College but now part of the

Green Mountain National Forest Green Mountain National Forest is a national forest located in Vermont, a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest typical of the New England/Acadian forests ecoregion. The forest supports a variety of wildlife, including beaver, moose, coyote, bl ...

. The mountain features 600+ skiable acres, 100 acres of trails and 500 acres of skiable woods.''Snowbowl Middlebury'' https://www.middleburysnowbowl.com Retrieved 11/02/2022 Averaging of natural snowfall annually, additional

snowmaking Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun", also known as a "snow cannon". Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliabilit ...

covers nearly half of all trails, including most terrain served by the Worth Mountain and Sheehan chairlifts. The Snowbowl's eastern face, colloquially known as "the backside", relies mainly on natural snow and is accessed by the Bailey Falls triple chairlift. In December 2016, a Sun Kid Conveyor was added, for the mountain's youngest skiers. The Snowbowl is home to the Middlebury College Alpine Ski Team. A volunteer

ski patrol Ski patrols are organizations that provide medical, rescue, and hazard prevention services to the injured in ski area boundaries, or sometimes beyond into backcountry settings. Many have technical-medical certifications, such as Outdoor Emergen ...

, staffed primarily by students, provides on-mountain medical services. Members are certified as Outdoor Emergency Care technicians and trained in first aid, chairlift evacuation, and toboggan handling. The mountain has also provided a base for local ski racers and supports the local Middlebury Ski Club.

Sustainability

Middlebury College Snowbowl carries on Middlebury College's commitment to creating a more sustainable world by implementing efficiency and electrification projects in all of their operations. For the Snowbowl, this has included switching to more efficient snow guns, an electric compressor, and installing more efficient lighting in the lodge. The Snowbowl also installed EV chargers during early 2022. The Snowbowl endeavors to electrify their vehicle fleet with electric snowmobiles and passenger cars. In the future, they are pursuing projects related to composting and renewable energy.

References

External links

Middlebury College Snowbowl

Middlebury College Alpine Ski Team

First Tracks Report (online magazine)
{{Middlebury College, state=autocollapse Ski areas and resorts in Vermont Middlebury College Buildings and structures in Addison County, Vermont Tourist attractions in Addison County, Vermont Vermont culture