Shareholders - There's Still Time to Double your Donation!
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There's still time for all Mad River Glen Shareholders to double their donations to the Preserve Our Paradise campaign, but don't delay as the match will expire soon. Every shareholder who makes a new gift of $500 or more by Green and Gold Weekend 2018
will have their gift doubled!
The campaign has gained commitments for over $150,000 in matching funds in support of this initiative, thanks to the generosity of a number of anonymous donors. To date, 66 shareholders have donated $67,000 to the match, effectively raising $134,000 including the matching funds. To donate to the Shareholder Match, visit
www.preservemadriver.com/shareholder.
Thanks to all of the generous shareholders who have supported the campaign!
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The campaign-funded excavator has been put to good use installing new culverts and improving drainage all around the mountain, including here on the Bunny.
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Summer Campaign Project Update
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Our busy summer of campaign projects continues, with several important projects underway. In June, Mad River staff installed new lift frames on the Practice Slope double, which will make future lift maintenance much more efficient and safe for our mountain staff. The old snowmaking pump hut was torn down in preparation for the new high-pressure pump which is on its way from the manufacturer. The new pump will enable us to lay down snow much quicker in the early season on the lower reaches of the main mountain, helping us get our natural snow trails open earlier. The pump will also enable eventual restoration of snowmaking to the 2,300 foot elevation level, which has been out of service for many years due to lack of adequate pressure.
Nate Martin has been busy working his way around the mountain with the new excavator, installing 16 new culverts across the mountain on many of Mad River's most well-known trails, including Canyon, Broadway, Porcupine, Bunny, and Antelope. The work will improve the mountain's ability to operate with less snow, reduce washouts during thaws, and avoid ice flows. The trail crew funded by the campaign has been busy cleaning up our glades and cutting back growth that has encroached on our trails over the years. The Aebi mower, which was purchased last year, has started annual mowing operations on our trails.
The venerable Birdcage is about to receive significant renovations, including installation of a new energy-efficient entrance, which will reduce heating costs and make for a more comfortable interior space without a frigid draft every time the door is opened. Also on the agenda is a deck similar to the Basebox, which should be a great place to visit on sunny days. The contractor is now onsite, getting ready to pour the foundations and work will get started in earnest in August.
We'll keep you posted on progress on these projects in future issues of this newsletter. Thanks to our generous donors who have made these improvements possible! We'll have even bigger projects to tackle in the next few years, including significant investment in the Birdland lift, and renovations to the Patrol Building and Basebox that will improve their operating efficiency, relieve overcrowding, and add new bathrooms, among other improvements. Your donations are still needed to make these upcoming projects a reality, so
please donate today
!
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Jason and Chuck Martin (father-son MRG employees) busy at work installing new lift frames on the Practice Slope Lift in June.
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An architect's rendering of the new entrance and deck for the Birdcage. Work will start in August and be completed for this coming ski season.
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SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN TODAY AT:
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Lu Putnam is a long-standing member of the Ski Patrol, a former member of the Board of Trustees, and was instrumental in selling shares during the founding of the Co-op.
When did you first come to the mountain? What drew you to the area and to MRG specifically?
Lu:
I first came to Mad River Glen for one day in 1949, when I was 16 and just starting to ski. Most of all I remember the super deep mud ditches in Route 17. I skied all the trails and probably fell most of the way down each. We had spent six days at Stowe previously, which was my first real skiing. My Mom did not ski, but for some reason wanted me and my sister to learn.
From then on, MRG was always on my radar but over the years I spent about five days a year at Stowe until 1965 when we came to stay with cousins at MRG. At that time I had four children and Mad River had a nursery and took babies, while Stowe did not. Wow, I was free! From then on, Mad River was and is
my
mountain. All the trails come together and I could let the kids ski on their own. I fell in love with it right away, though our weekends were crazy.
By 1969 we were building a ski house and coming up every weekend from Syracuse, where I patrolled and taught during the week at Labrador Mountain. I was skiing five days a week, and by then my husband and I were patrolling weekends at MRG. Even though our five kids are spread around the globe and USA, they still consider MRG their mountain.
As a ski patroller, how do you experience the mountain differently than a regular day skier? Has the job of ski patrolling changed?
Lu:
MRG is my family, my second home. I still patrol every day I am at the mountain although I no longer take toboggans down. Being on patrol is like being in a fraternity. Wow, what a wonderful group, what a family, always willing to help friends and fellow patrollers! Patrolling at MRG is much as it has always been, it does not change much. We are very close to one another and no one wants to retire. Over the years we have helped out MRG when finances were short and we still all do what we can for the mountain. Too bad all ski mountains are not able to be like our mountain!
The mountain has gone through its own evolution, including a big change when it became a co-op. What, in your opinion, have been the positive results of these changes.
Lu:
I think becoming a co-op has been a big positive step for preserving the mountain. I think once you become “an owner,” myself included, you then want the area to survive in a healthy way. Of course, it has had its ups and downs with climate and board changes, but overall I think it has a strong foundation. Right now, with our new General Manager [Matt Lillard], I think we are in an up phase, with lots of mountain improvements including snowmaking, better grooming, and a sense that we are moving forward. It is not an easy business. Some may think that the buildings need big improvements, but to me keeping the mountain in good shape with equipment and trails is most important, it is the mountain that makes Mad River skiing.
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A recent entry in the Stark's Nest shelter logbook by a Mad River Glen loyalist. The shelter serves as a year-round resource for hikers and skiers alike as part of the Stark Mountain Foundation's ongoing partnership with the Green Mountain Club.
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Upcoming MRG & Campaign Events
August 4
MRG Mountain Work Day, 9 am
August 11
MRG Mountain Work Day, 9 am
August 25
Endurance Society’s Sky Run, 9 am
August 29
MRG Mountain Work Day, 9 am
September 15
Board of Trustees Meeting, 8 am
September 29-30
Foliage Lift Rides, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
October 6
Stark Mountain Hill Climb Running Race, 8:30 am
October 6
Coop Town Meeting, 5 pm
October 6-7
Green & Gold Weekend, Foliage Lift Rides
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Your complete campaign resource:
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Campaign Cabinet
Chairs:
Annika Holtan, Eric Palola
Members at Large:
Lars Bruns, Bob Dillon, Jim Elkind, Meg Hourihan, Amory Hunnewell, Betsy Jondro, Karen Lloyd, Brandi Myers, John Nesbett, Pamela Nesbett, Penny Parson, Meg Schultz, Greg Scott, Debra Steines, John Tobin, Brooks Ware
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Look for our next newsletter in September!
Stay connected with the campaign on social media:
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