 Moonlight Ski and Steffen Tribute Scheduled for February 24Please join us on Saturday, February 24, for a tribute to Tom and Nancy Steffen. We will also have a Moonlight Ski and dinner that night if 30 or more folks sign up. We will dedicate a plaque to be placed outside “Nancy’s Nook” in their honor at about 12:45. At 1pm we will hold a 3K community classic mass start race. Registration is free and those interested should report to Nancy’s Nook to sign up and get a bib beginning at 11am. All participants get a purple ribbon, courtesy of Tom and Nancy’s son Jeff who will be joining us. Race starts at 1pm. At 1:30- we will hold a classic ski “stroll” to the lollipop tree. Participants will be invited to carry a lollipop and put it in a tree out by the coat rack. Purple ribbon for all of these folks too! To sign up for the Moonlight Ski- email info@prospectmountain.com. Cost is $40 and you can pay in the lodge with cash or a credit card. Menu includes Steve’s award winning lasagna- both meat and vegetarian- salad, and desert. Bring your own adult beverage if you are inclined. Social hour begins at 5pm. Ski to a bonfire in the beautiful moonlight (we hope) after dinner. This day should be fun for all- just the way Tom and Nancy would have wanted it. Regards, PMA Board |
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| We are looking forward to a festive MLK weekend on the mountain so come on up! Lodge restaurant and ticket office retail store fully operational. We do have a high school race on Saturday (10:30-1:00) and a youth race on Sunday (10:00-1:00). We will still have plenty of trails open for recreational skiers so the racers will not be in your way. |
 Happy Birthday SteveAbout 30 of the Prospect faithful came to the lodge on January 2 to surprise Steve Whitham on his 70th birthday. Here is Steve and PMA board member Amie Witten-Smith admiring the cake Amie kindly made for the occasion. Steve is beginning his 44th year of working at Prospect. |
  Snowmaking Comes to ProspectAfter two years of planning and applying for permits- PMA is proud to announce that our small snowmaking system is ready for operation. The second photo is a shot of our own Steve Whitham (the abominable snowman) enjoying the test run we completed on Thursday, December 14. Special thanks to all who donated to us to make this possible. Unfortunately, the weather presently is too warm and wet for us to begin using it on our loop in earnest. We hope to begin soon. Keep checking the website. The loop goes on either side of the lodge up and over Andy’s cut off and then down to the stadium area over to the base of Smoothbore. Many thanks to Dave Dethier, Brad Deboer, Jack Miller, Jim Goodine, Scott McEnaney, Ken Butcher, Brad Hayden, and our very capable staff of Steve Whitham, Mike White, Oisin Muldowney, Bruce Smith, and Al Santopietro for all the heavy lifting that was necessary to complete the project. We hope to see everybody on the mountain soon. |
   PROSPECT MOUNTAIN ANNOUNCES “LEARN TO SKI” PROGRAM FOR LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSThe Prospect Mountain Association is pleased to again offer a Nordic ski instructional program for elementary school students beginning January 10. This year five schools will be participating: Bennington Elementary, Monument, Pownal, Woodford, and Shaftsbury. The sessions will be held on Wednesday afternoons from 1-3pm. Instruction and equipment will be provided free of charge thanks in part to the generous grant support Prospect has received from the Bennington Sports Foundation and the Killington World Cup Foundation. Prospect board member Amie Witten-Smith commented “PMA is delighted to be able to give young people a chance to experience Nordic skiing- many of them for the first time. It is an important part of our mission to support the community in this way. |
| ProspectHERS ski instruction program offered again in January Donna Smyth, owner of Wildfire Yoga and Fitness, will again be offering three ski instruction sessions at Prospect beginning January 4th. More information and registration instructions can be found on the attached notice. 2024 ProspectHERS Nordic Ski Program |
 Nancy Steffen- A RemembranceA Prospect legend- Nancy Steffen- passed away recently at the age of 88. She and her late husband Tom were active at Prospect for over 40 years. The green bench we have on the deck outside the lodge memorializes them both. We hope that everyone will take a few moments to sit on this bench and reflect on the many memories we all have of these two. Tom and Nancy were involved in orchestrating many events at Prospect – especially races. Tom was a setup and takedown machine. Nancy often served as race secretary and handled registration and dealing with parents and coaches which can be challenging. She did this well in to her seventies. Of course, her crowning achievement was coaching the 5 and 6 year old “Lolli poppers” in the Bill Koch League. Anyone who has done this for 40 years deserves a special place in heaven. Always patient- but very effective inspiring the young skiers to take the next step up. We will miss them both, and may they remain in our hearts and minds forever. |
  Prospect Work Day Rousing SuccessMany volunteers showed up on Oct 28 to assist us with some pre-season projects. Pictured here is Jack Miller who along with Jim Goodine made great progress on our small pump house that will be next to the pond. The group shot shows our excellent volunteer team who did cleaning, wood stacking, and trail work which will set us up nicely for the new season ahead. Many thanks to all who helped. |
 MIKE WHITE JOINS PROSPECT STAFFPictured here next to smiling Steve Whitham is PMA’s new full time employee- Mike White. Mike and his family have been strong supporters of Prospect for many years, and he brings to us a multitude of talents including carpentry as evidenced here. Mike was a very competitive skier at Mt. Anthony Union High and St. Lawrence University. The PMA board is sure you will enjoy knowing Mike and working with him. |
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  Pre-Season pass discounts now available. Winter is right around the corner.Click on the Ticket Prices/Passes tab above to print our PDF pass form to mail or use your charge card. See you all on the mountain |
   
Our off season has been very busy which this year and has featured construction work. Pictured above is the hard working crew (left to right) of Oisin Muldowney, Scott McEnaney, Steve Whitham, Jim Goodine, Dave Newell, and Mike White. Dave Dethier and Al Santopietro were also part of the team.
The project is repairing our garage collapsed roof and building an addition which will serve as the pumphouse for our new snowmaking system. If all goes well we hope to have the system installed beginning next month and operational this season covering about 1.2K of trails. This was all made possible by the generous support of many of our passholders and friends who contributed to our Striding Forward campaign last year. Keep an eye out for our season pass email invitation which will go out right after Labor Day. |
| Prospect Mountain Association receives grant from the Killington World Cup Foundation
The PMA board is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $10,000 grant for the purpose of purchasing youth ski equipment that will be used in our elementary school program. |
 
PMA HONORED BY THE VERMONT HOUSING AND CONSERVATION BOARDThe Vermont Housing and Conservation Board recently presented their Outstanding Partnership Award to the Prospect Mountain Association and the Vermont Land Trust as part of their 35th anniversary celebration held on June 15th at Shelburne Farms. Pictured above is Karen Freeman from the VHCB presenting the award to (left to right) Donald Campbell from the VLT and Amie Smith and Dave Newell representing the PMA board. |
 The PMA board would like to express our sincere thanks to all of our season pass holders, volunteers, and everyone who enjoyed our trails this season. It turned out to be our best season since we assumed ownership of Prospect in 2018.Pictured above is smiling Steve Whitham and Piper Campbell showing off our new Vermont Land Trust sign which they delivered to us recently. Donald Campbell and the VLT were instrumental in assisting us with our efforts to acquire Prospect along with the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. Special thanks to our very hard working regular staff which in addition to Steve included Bruce and Jen Smith, Oisin Muldowney, Al Santopietro, and Mike White. We also appreciate the efforts of several Mt Anthony students as well. We have a busy off season planned and will provide updates on our progress later in the summer. Best to all this spring, summer, and fall- and we hope to see everybody on the mountain when we open next winter. Best Regards, PMA Board   |
 Bennington and Prospect’s Peter Graves HonoredPeter Graves, a former MAU skier coached by Bucky Broomhall and world renowned skiing journalist and announcer, was recently inducted in to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Big Sky Montana. Peter grew up skiing at Prospect and helped advise the owner of Prospect in 1982, Joe Parks, to install the first cross country trails at Prospect. Peter skied for Fort Lewis College after high school and began his broadcasting career in 1977. He has announced and served as a commentator for the American Birkebeiner, numerous World Cup events, and the Olympic games in 1980,1984, and 1988. He was also the cross country ski coach at Harvard from 2002-2008. Peter’s love of Nordic skiing is infectious and his vast knowledge base about the sport is among the best in the world. The entire Prospect Community is pleased to offer Peter the heartiest of congratulations. |
 Three Cheers for LukeOur own MAU skier, Luke Rizio, just got back from Fairbanks Alaska where he placed in the top 10 three times at the Junior National XC Skiing competition. He was named an All American. Luke also won both individual races at the Vermont State championships this year leading the Patriot boys to their second consecutive state title |
  The Newfoundland Club of New England had a lively two day competition at Prospect that featured these beautiful, very well behaved, dogs. The event included some parading, sled pulling, and agility drills. Our skiers had a great time watching them. |
 MAU Patriots State ChampionsThe MAU XC Ski team just finished an impressive Vermont State championship competition at the Rikert Trail Center in Ripton, Vt. The boys captured their second consecutive state title with senior Luke Rizio winning the individual classic race. The girls finished a strong second. Congrats to all of the kids and coach Robbie Short. PMA is proud to provide the training venue for these athletes at Prospect. |
 Mt. Greylock boys win Mass State championships, girls third. Quinn McDermott won the boys individual race.Congrats to all the kids and coach Hillary Greene. We are proud to have these athletes train and race at Prospect. |
RECIPROCAL PASS BENEFIT FOR SEASON PASS HOLDERSProspect is again enrolled in the Ski Vermont Reciprocal program for the 2022-23 season. This entitles our season pass holders to one free trail pass that can be used at a number of other trail centers in Vermont. A complete list of those locations can be found at skivermont.com |
 The BKL lids had a great practice on Tuesday, January 10. Afterwards they enjoyed tasting a gingerbread house made by Andy Newell and Erika Flowers during the holidays. This will certainly make them ski much faster.Special thanks to all the parents and coaches who help with this program. |
| The recent snow dusting and colder weather has us all in the mood for the upcoming winter and sliding around on our new and improved trails. Pictured below are some exciting new swag that will be in the ticket office. On the left is a zip up poly shirt that we have in navy and black. On the right, one of three new colors of our long sleeve T- shirt. The other two are grey and teal. Above are some new Skida hat designs and our wildly popular trucker hat that now comes in navy and grey. The second photo is our general manager, Steve Whitham, with Nordic enthusiast Brett Bedard and our snappy new plow truck we just purchased from Bedard Brothers. Steve is so excited about the truck that he almost smiled in this photo. We hope to see you all on the mountain soon. Regards, PMA Board
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 Pictured above are some student volunteers who are participating in the Overland Summer program based in western Massachusetts. These fine young folks helped us clear some of our snowshoe trails and build the bridge pictured above under the guidance of PMA board member Dave Dethier on July 1. Two other sessions are planned for July 15 and August 2. Their help was much appreciated. |
 The PMA board is pleased to announce the “Striding Forward” capital campaign which is designed to support some exciting new initiatives on the mountain. We think these projects will be transformative for Prospect, and help secure our future as one of the premier Nordic skiing trail centers in all of New England.
Attached is our case statement for the campaign. Our total goal is $675,000. The three main areas of emphasis are trail expansion, phase one of a snowmaking system, and some lodge improvements. We are off to a great start. If you have already made a pledge, please accept our sincere thanks. In addition- as is explained on the last page- we have received a foundation grant for $100,000, and we have a very generous offer from a leadership donor to match what we raise 2 for 1 when we hit $175K. So- our goal of $675,000 is within reach. Please consider making a donation if you have not done so already. You can donate on our Support page. If you are interested in doing a three year pledge- or donating appreciated stock- email Dave Newell at david@prospectmountain.com. Many of you will also receive this brochure in the mail along with a stamped return envelope. We are always amazed at the strong support Prospect enjoys from hundreds of pass holders and volunteers. We know we can count on everyone again to help us reach this goal. Our Best Regards, Striding Forward Campaign Committee |
 A good time was had by all At the Prospect Sprints last Sunday. 30 skiers competed which included athletes from the Mt. Anthony ski team, Stratton Mountain School, and Williams College.The course, designed by PMA board member Dave Dethier, was challenging but well received by all who participated. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped us run the event, and to Prospect general manager Steve Whitham for his world class grooming. |
Happy 90th birthday to Bucky Broomhall. He does not look a day of it!Bucky has been involved with Prospect for 50+ years as the coach of the MAU ski team and the founder of what is now the Bill Koch Ski League. He provided tremendous coaching advice and expert waxing services to countless numbers of young skiers during this time. Our waxing room is named after him. |
 Many thanks to the 20 plus volunteers who showed up to help with some trail work and sign installation on Saturday the 24th. Here is a shot of some of these good looking folks.
Don’t forget there is still time to get the September discount on the season passes. They can be charged right on the website. We hope to see everybody on the mountain sliding around in late November (are we dreaming!) |
 This past week Prospect lost one of its legendary volunteers- The Reverend Tom Steffen.
Tom and his wife Nancy Jean were involved with Prospect for 50 years. We recently named our first building on the right as you enter the ski area “Nancy’s Nook” in honor of her tireless commitment working with our youngest Bill Koch skiers- the Lollipoppers. Pictured above is a photo from an event we held in February of 2019 when we presented Tom and Nancy with a bench inscribed with a plaque honoring their many years of service to our trail center. This bench proudly adorns the back deck of the lodge, and was often used this winter by tired skiers who wanted to rest a bit in the sun with a takeout grilled cheese. As I am sure most of you know, we do have a trail named after them which parallels Woodpecker to the south. Donny Wassick remembers Tom driving him and other kids to downhill ski races when he was in high school. Robin Outwater recalls Tom as a member of the Prospect ski patrol who’s booming voice reminded him and his renegade friends to get back in bounds on the alpine trails. Nancy joined Bucky Broomhall in 1970 to help coach the kids in the newly formed Torger Tokel League which was founded by Bucky. The name was changed to the Bill Koch Youth Ski League after Bill won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics. Nancy’s calling was to inspire the Lollipoppers who often needed quite a bit of encouragement just to get up the bunny hill. Tom officiated at countless races at Prospect, both downhill and cross country. The early days of downhill racing featured the use of a top to bottom telephone line. The starter would yell “go” in to the receiver prompting Tom on the other end to start his watch at the finish line. For the cross country races- Tom was not shy about reminding the technical delegates how we did things at Prospect. We know that Tom’s energetic spirit will be with us on the trails as we ski, and in the lodge as we are relaxing with one of Steve’s giant cookies. We are looking forward to seeing you all this season- and to share more memories about Tom and Nancy. Regards, |
| Prospect Mountain has updated their official Dog Policy |
| New Children’s Book in the Works Prospect supporter and Nordic skiing enthusiast Dorothy Wallace-Senft is planning to self-publish a children’s book entitled “the Search for Dragon Proof Snow.” The Promotional Video for the book will include a drawing of Prospect as well as a few clips of our trail center. If you are interested in helping Dorothy with this project, here is a Kickstarter link below. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dragonproofsnow/the-search-for-dragon-proof-snow |
   More Great Shirts at Prospect The heathered grey long sleeve T is now available at the ticket office along with a beautiful new design featuring an image of the lodge. The new shirt was designed and donated by Sara Reynolds and her daughter, Julia. It is truly stunning, and is made of an ultra-comfortable performance fabric. $20 each. Here is a message from Sara Reynolds about the shirts: ” Middle daughter Julia Seyferth is the artist who created the shirt design. Her art tends to be more along the line of naturalist illustration but she had done some graphic design for Sun Valley Ski Education and she knows and loves Prospect well. It has been 30 years since she met Prospect as a one year old in a backpack on my back. Sending along a couple of photos of her and others enjoying Prospect, in about 2001 with family and in 2008 celebrating a State Championship win with her teammates.
I think she captured some of what I love most about Prospect. Skiing of course with the inviting tracks that wind up and around the lodge. Nature with snow covered firs and the ravens up high (love those birds and it’s unusual for me NOT to hear or see a pair when up there). And the lodge, which I think everyone who loves Prospect is missing this year, complete with wood pile, Prospect logo, and smoke rising from the fireplace….I hope others enjoy this Prospect art and buy lots of shirts!” |
| Check out this article writen about Prospect Mountain by David Sobel of SentinelSource.com |
| Download the Proposal for the “Greening” of Prospect Mountain. Thank you to the Environmental Studies students of Williams College for their hard work. |
| Prospect Mountain Snowmaking Report (2020) |
| Learn about Prospect Mountain’s new Wax Policy. Do you know what’s in your wax? |
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Many thanks to the 20+ volunteers who came on Saturday September 26th to get us ready for the season.
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| To all Friends of Prospect:
On behalf of the Prospect board and staff, please accept out sincere thanks for the great support and enthusiasm all of you provided for us this year. It was certainly a challenging season weather-wise. However, Steve and our talented crew did a fabulous job keeping us going. We will sorely miss Elsie next year who is off to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in Philosophy. Regards, |
Steve Whitham was also doing “Steve things” as only he can do as evidenced by his custom designed t- shirt.
