Cannon aims to grow
Adding Mittersill would double size
A land swap involving 335 acres of mountainous territory in New Hampshire is approaching its final regulatory hurdle, potentially clearing the way for long-closed Mittersill ski area to reopen under the state's control as part of adjacent Cannon Mountain resort.
The deal would nearly double Cannon's skiable acreage, and it could happen as soon as mid-January, according to John DeVivo, general manager of both the state-owned ski area and Franconia Notch State Park.
"At this point we're very cautiously optimistic," DeVivo said. "We're trying to contain our excitement, but it feels like we're in the homestretch."
The swap would transfer a 100-acre parcel near the summit of Mittersill from the White Mountain National Forest to the state of New Hampshire. In exchange, the Forest Service would take ownership of the 235-acre Sentinel Mountain State Forest in Piermont, which is near the Connecticut River in Grafton County and contains a quarter-mile section of the Appalachian Trail.
Although not a particularly large or glitzy hill, Mittersill's lore is steeped in New Hampshire ski history. Its rumored return has been debated for decades in Franconia, ranging from those who would welcome development to opposition from rebel skiers who hike up to ski down and don't want overcrowding to ruin their off-piste experience.
"I'm always happy to see a ski area that was lost have a new purpose," said Jeremy Davis, founder of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project (www.nelsap.org). "But you have people who'd like it to remain backcountry, to keep it the way it is. Some people get attached to their secret stash, their secret runs. So I can definitely see that point of view."
DeVivo emphasized that Mittersill will not be overrun by modernity if the deal goes through.
"I can't overstress the fact that it's going to remain rough," DeVivo said, adding that no development will occur beyond whatever matches Mittersill's 1989 topographical footprint. "Once we do clear-cutting or full-blown grooming, you can't go back."
According to DeVivo, negotiations began in earnest about 18 months ago, evolving into a memorandum of understanding among the Forest Service, the Fish and Game Department, the Department of Resources and Economic Development, and the Audubon Society.
The swap gathered its most significant momentum when the federal government issued a "finding of no significant impact" report Nov. 17. DeVivo said that triggered a final 45-day public commentary period, "and we've been told anecdotally is that the positive comments outweigh the negative by a margin of 30 to 1."
If there are no snags in this final appeals process, DeVivo said he expects paperwork to be passed by the second week of January, "and the next day we would start running a shuttle" to accommodate Cannon customers who want to take a few runs at Mittersill.
The current Cannon trail map clearly defines the Mittersill area, although the old trails are marked "No Authorized Access." But it is relatively easy to hike from the intermediate Taft trail over to the Mittersill side, and plenty of people do.
"We don't have the manpower or the inclination to chase them down," DeVivo said.
Davis has hiked from Taft to Mittersill before. "It was a cross-your-fingers-to-get-down-it kind of trail," he said. "It was just very eerie to see this abandoned chairlift and the unloading area falling apart."
But the payoff was pristine, untracked snow and the chance to experience something man-made "returning back to nature," said Davis.
Many of the upper Cannon and Mittersill trails were cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. According to Davis, skiers from Austria developed the Mittersill side as a separate resort, complete with T-bars and a full-service hotel. The area gradually expanded, but its most modern on-hill amenity was a double chair added in the 1960s. Mittersill's last full season is generally thought to be 1979, but Davis said there is evidence that the lifts ran sporadically until 1985.
DeVivo said Mittersill will keep its rustic feel if Cannon gains control. In fact, any Mittersill land-clearing above 2,500 feet will be prohibited, because that part of the mountain is considered the protected habitat of the Bicknell's Thrush.
However, because Cannon is run by the state, DeVivo has already had to file capital requests for 2010. He said he has budgeted "a touch over $3 million" to restore the Mittersill double chair, and he envisions a best-case scenario in which restoration could begin as soon as the ski season ends in the spring. 