Property dispute closes some trails in Stowe, Vermont

A property dispute between the two largest cross-country ski areas in
Stowe, Vermont has resulted in the closing of some trails at the Stowe
Mountain Resort cross-country ski area.

Background: Stowe has four interconnected commercial cross-country ski
areas, all of which, for many years, have allowed skiers to ski from one
trail system to the other after buying a trail pass at any one of them.
In particular, the two largest and best of the four, Trapp Family
Lodge and Stowe Mountain Resort, have long had steady traffic back and
forth on a groomed trail (Ranch Camp trail). In 1998, the Trapp Family
Lodge purchased a piece of mostly-undeveloped land, through which some
of the Stowe Mountain Resort trails pass (as well as some other,
generally ungroomed, trails). Until recently, those trails remained
open, and Stowe Mountain Resort continued to groom (some of) them. A
couple of years ago, large signs were posted indicating where the skier
was entering "Property of Trapp Family Lodge."

Recently, however, some of the trails that were owned by the Trapp
Family Lodge but maintained by the Stowe Mountain Resort have been
closed off to skiers. Last Sunday, the lower portion of the Stowe Derby
trail (known locally as "the corkscrew") was roped off. Today, a small
but critical section at the beginning of the Timber Lane trail was roped
off. This section is critical because it was the only trail accessible
directly from the Stowe Mountain Resort touring center that was suitable
for beginners. As of today, skiers have to detour up a somewhat steep
hill (the "power line" section of the Stowe Derby trail) to reach a
connector trail that leads to the rest of the Timber Lane trail. In
addition, the Ranch Camp trail, which connects the Trapp and Stowe
Mountain Resort trail areas, has gone ungroomed, and, although it is not
roped off, there are signs saying that the trail is closed, in the
direction towards the Trapp trail system (but from the Trapp side, the
trail appears to be open, but ungroomed).

My understanding is that there has been some communication between Trapp
and Stowe Mountain Resort, but I don't know whether there is anything
close to a negotiation process in progress that might lead to a
resolution of this dispute.

Among the puzzling questions about this dispute is why the property
rights have suddenly surfaced as an issue now, where there didn't seem
to be an issue in the past. The only change in the situation that I can
perceive is that, in the summer of 2004, Trapp announced plans for a
housing subdivision on the property that they bought in 1998. (Personal
disclosu I expressed opposition to this housing subdivision, both
here and in the local newspaper, and I garnered a personal irate
voicemail message in response from Johannes von Trapp.) Those plans
have been on hold while a local conservation group has tried to arrange
a conservation deal on the property in question. Recently, that
conservation group was denied a grant from a Vermont state agency that
would have facilitated the conservation deal. I have to say, though,
that I have no idea what, if anything, those recent developments would
have to do with the even-more-recent trail closures.

Lew Lasher
Stowe, Vermont and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Additional background under Lew's 6/22/04 thread, "Trapp plans
housing development, road across XC trails in Stowe, Vermont," which
can be found at
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.s...ed786d6fef1Lew


Lasher wrote:

A property dispute between the two largest cross-country ski areas in
Stowe, Vermont has resulted in the closing of some trails at the
Stowe Mountain Resort cross-country ski area.

This little crisis appears to have blown over.

I skied today only on Trapp trails, but I spent a lot of time kibbitzing
at the Trapp cabin. Other skiers there had come up from the Stowe
Mountain Resort side, where, they said, ropes and "trail closed" signs
were being taken down, and groomers resuming their normal responsibilities.

So all you people who, in the meantime, have decided to go to Jackson,
New Hampshire - where this problem could never occur, because all the
trails are maintained by a single, non-profit, organization - can again
consider coming to Stowe.

Lew Lasher
Stowe, Vermont and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Oh, I almost forgot to add:

And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, Every One!

Lew Lasher
Stowe, Vermont and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Perhaps I was a little hasty to trot out Tiny Tim.

The clarification that I got today is that the re-opening of the trails
is just for this week, through New Year's. But perhaps negotiations can
continue during the week and resolve this for the rest of the season.

Lew Lasher
Stowe, Vermont and Cambridge, Massachusetts

The local newspaper, the Stowe Reporter, published this story this week:


Dispute closes nordic trails link

12/29/05
By Marina Knight

A dispute between Trapp Family Lodge and Stowe Mountain Resort has
closed a longstanding link between the resorts' two cross-country centers.

Except for this week. The gates are open during this big holiday week.

Last week, the Connector Trail linking miles of cross-country ski
terrain between the Stowe Mountain Resort and Trapp Family Lodge centers
was closed, as was a Trapps-owned portion of a novice trail that is a
key link in the Stowe Mountain Resort trail network.

Thousands of skiers use those trails every winter, under normal
circumstances.

Money seems to be at the center of the dispute. Trapps owns the
connecting trails and, for the first time ever, apparently wants payment
for their use.

Trapps agreed to reopen the network for the holiday week, but plans to
cordon off the terrain after Jan. 1 until an agreement is reached.

Details of the dispute have not been made public, and neither of the
parties is commenting. Trapps President Johannes vonTrapp could not be
reached and Stowe Mountain Resort officials declined comment while
negotiations continue.

But, even though officials aren't talking, everybody else is. The closed
connector trails, blocked off with orange tape, were the buzz at Stowe
Mountain Resort's cross-country center last week. One of the main routes
from the center into its trail network was blocked off, prompting
questions from customers.

All center manager Scott Dorwart and his staff could say was that Trapps
was blocking access.

"I do get that all the time," Dorwart said. "All I can say is that we're
having a little dispute with the neighboring landowner."

The two skiing centers have been connected as far back as anyone can
remember, making the area among the largest nordic trail networks in New
England. The connecting trails are on land known as the Adams Camp
property, which Trapp Family Lodge acquired in 1998. Under an agreement
that predates the Trapps acquisition by decades, Stowe Mountain Resort
maintains and grooms the Adams Camp trails.

VonTrapp recently disclosed expansive development plans for the Adams
Camp property, including a road connecting Trapps Hill and Luce Hill
roads to Stowe Mountain Resort's nordic center and the Mountain Road.

Public outcry ensued, leading to an effort by the Stowe Land Trust to
acquire the property. But a key state grant for the project was recently
denied, crippling the purchase effort, which is now in limbo.

The trails closure would also cast a shadow over the historic Stowe
Derby race from near the summit of Mt. Mansfield to Stowe village. The
race crosses both centers and uses the disputed portion of Trapps' Adams
Camp. Another route for the race to the village would be hard to find.

I don't see why Trapp would be looking for money from Mt. Mansfield XC.
I usually start at Trapp's, pay the trail pass there and then go to
the cabin and ski the upper sections of Mt. Mansfield - and they don't
get a cent. With the nicer XC center at Trapp I know many others that
do the same.

I heard third-hand today that this has been resolved (this time, for real?)

Lew Lasher
Cambridge, Massachusetts and Stowe, Vermont

Today's Stowe Reporter newspaper has this update.

Basically, Stowe Mountain Report agreed to make an undisclosed
payment to the Trapp Family Lodge to keep the trails open for
the current season (assuming that there still is a current
ski season this year).

Lew Lasher
Cambridge, Massachusetts and Stowe, Vermont

Deal opens trails link in Stowe

01/20/06
By Stowe Reporter Staff

The cross-country skiing trails linking Stowe Mountain Resort and the
Trapp Family Lodge will remain open for the duration of the winter,
under a deal between the two companies.

The trails linking Stowe's two largest nordic skiing centers were closed
briefly before Christmas, after Trapps officials demanded payment from
the Mountain Co. for their use.

Owned by Trapps, the connection between the two ski resorts has been
open at no charge to Stowe Mountain Resort and its customers, providing
access to Trapps' vast trail network. Trapps skiers also used the trails
to reach Stowe's trails in the Ranch Camp valley, the cradle of Stowe
skiing.

When no payment was immediately forthcoming from the Mountain Co.,
Trapps in December put ribbon across its trails within Stowe's center,
and grooming ceased. The trails were reopened for the busy holidays and
have remained open during the inter-company negotiations.

This week, Stowe Mountain Resort officials confirmed that the company
will pay Trapps. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the
arrangement is only for the remainder of the 2006 season, Stowe Mountain
Resort President Hank Lunde said.

The link runs over land Trapps purchased in 1998, and Trapps President
Johannes von Trapp explained Tuesday that the carrying costs on the
property are a growing financial burden.

Furthermore, he said, the cost-free link provides a back door into
Trapps' vast network of well-groomed trails at no financial benefit to
Trapps.

"I've been bearing the cost of holding that land for years, so I asked
Hank (Lunde) for payment," von Trapp said.

What will happen to the interconnected skiing network remains to be
seen, but von Trapp said he is studying the possibilities. For his part,
Lunde said, "We plan to operate in future years as best we can."

The closure of the trail links was a blow for local nordic skiers. The
two connected ski centers make the combined network among the largest in
New England, if not North America.

Stowe's nordic center at the top of Harlow Hill, just below the Inn at
the Mountain, was the birthplace of local skiing in the 1920s, '30s and
'40s and remains a special place for both nordic and backcountry skiers.
Groomed trails fan out across the Ranch Camp valley, with backcountry
tracks climbing up and down the surrounding ridges and the neighboring
alpine skiing resort.

Despite the history, the Mountain Co. nordic center has always been a
financial - and operational - footnote for the company whose focus has
been alpine skiing and snowboarding, lodging and dining on Mt. Mansfield
and Spruce Peak.

With large hotel, commercial, condo and residential development now
going in at the base of Spruce, the company has discussed laying out a
cross-country network at its new base-area golf course. What the company
will do with the existing nordic center will only come clear in the
years ahead.

Another variable would be the possible purchase of development rights on
the Adams Camp land by the Stowe town government, something that is
being considered by town officials. Use of the trails across the land
would no doubt open up.

Although officials on both sides would not discuss the future, some
Stowe nordic skiers predict some sort of special pass or fee to use the
Trapps-Stowe network.