The Inside Track - Director's Diary

Welcome to the 2011/12 Season

Hello all Nordic enthusiasts!

The ski season is fast approaching and we are all gearing up for another great Waterville Valley winter! In this first post of the year, I'd like to speak about some changes at the Nordic Center as well as discuss the trail system and gear.

First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Leah Wilson and I will be taking over many of the Director duties for the season. My past experiences are varied, but a common theme has been my passion to get people excited about being active: a trend I will strive to continue this year at the Nordic Center. I've been in the ski and cycling industries since I was a teenager and was a competitive cyclist through college. For the last twelve years I've worked primarily in therapeutic and alternative education and non-profit business and prior to that, I was a back country and cycling guide. My wonderful daughter's arrival two years ago has been a major lifestyle change for me but I still do my best to cycle, ski, run and climb whenever I can. My introduction to the Waterville Valley Nordic Center was as the patroller last year. I am a licensed EMS provider and have years of wilderness medicine experience. I'm excited to be returning now as Director.

With all that said, let me assure you that one thing remains unchanged at the Nordic Center: the expert staff that have taught and skied with you through the years are returning and as anxious to get out on the trails as you are. At last count, their combined experience totaled 822 years of skiing and they are looking forward to sharing all that knowledge and know-how with you both out on the snow and in the shop.

Now a note about the trail system. As with many areas of New England, the valley was greatly impacted by hurricane Irene this summer. Many limbs and trees came down and the river swelled to levels unseen in many years. Though we've cleared the limbs and windfall from the trails and done much filling, the greatest damage was the complete wash out of the Mad River Bridge and the bridge below Village Trail. Initially engineers said that the bridge was repairable. As work progressed it became clear that the bridge would not be able to be reset and is now a huge project for next summer. As were not able to replace this crucial connection in time for this season, but we will continue working hard to provide alternate South-North connecting routes in order to minimize the road crossings as much as possible and ensure a great trail system this year as in past years. Village trail will be closed to skiers, though still a fine place to snowshoe and walk your dog. Intensive work was done on Criterion and Snows Mountain, replacing many culverts and stabilizing several bridges. Additionally we have new state-of-art Pisten Bully grooming machine.

Last but not least, this year's gear is in. We have a great selection of the latest Atomic and Salomon skis and boots as well as the superior soft goods from Swix, Salomon, and Sporthill. All will be out and our knowledgeable shop staff is ready to help you get suited and geared up for ski.

For folks who prefer to rent, we have a fresh run of rental skate & classic skis as well.

Also new this year, the Nordic Center now shares space with 1829 featuring The Northface, Timberland, and Oakley.

See you out there soon!

Leah Wilson
Nordic Director