Hartland Winter Trails to celebrate 50 years

By Curt Peterson

Hartland Winter Trails (HWT) has two 50th birthday events coming up — a concert with refreshments featuring Andrew and Noah Van Norstrand starting at 7:30 this Friday, Jan. 24, at Damon Hall, and a new format tiki-torch night event across from the firehouse from 2-8 p.m. on Feb. 8.

In 1974 Henry Merritt created a short, 1-kilometer cross-country ski trail on his Quechee Road property for his daughter, who had cystic fibrosis, to use for rigorous exercise that helped her condition. Gary Trachier, one of the snowball-makers at HWT, was a member of his high school Nordic ski team then, and got interested in expanding Merritt’s idea.

“This was before Nordic skiing exploded with popularity,” Trachier told the Mountain Times. “But once the ball got rolling, the trail system grew larger every year.”

Ski trails require maintenance, which volunteer friends and landowners provided. By 1985, Trachier guesses the system was 10 kilometers long, making use of landowners’ enthusiastic permission to allow trails across their properties. His sister and brother-in-law, Andrea and Theo Ambros, their parents, Roger and Clydene Trachier, and enthusiasts George and Carol Little loosely managed the trail system, responding to events, weather, landowners’ wishes, adjusting for wet spots, and opportunities for better trail routes.

Equipment has always been a challenge. Trachier remembers grooming the earliest trails with an old snowmobile and a homemade track-maker. Needs and equipment have evolved — HWT now has a John Deere Gator and a professional grooming machine, a total investment of about $23,000.

“The trails grew steadily for the first 30 years,” Trachier said. “There was no organization, no formality, just enough enthusiasm and good will to keep growing and serving more skiers.”

HWT’s list of skiers and supporters includes 500 names. There is no membership fee or charge for using the trails. Fundraising projects to buy equipment have successfully produced whatever money was needed.

Last year HWT was awarded two grants: $45,000 state VOREC grant for trail improvement, and $4,500 from the Killington Foundation (funded by proceeds from the Women’s FIS World Cup races) to buy skis and snowshoes to lend to people who want to learn how to use them.

“Later this month we hope to use this equipment for an outdoor program with Hartland Elementary School students,” Andrea Ambros said.

The last 20 years have involved fine-tuning the trails and the entity. 

“Four or five years ago we formed Hartland Winter Trails, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation,” Trachier said. “We have a board, officers and legal status.”

Friday’s concert and Tiki Torch in February will commemorate five decades of successful community recreation.

For more information, visit: hartlandwintertrails.org.