Lyme Center, NH
Mountain: Dartmouth Skiway
Resort Name: Dartmouth Skiway
Description of the Mountain: Dartmouth is just one of a handful of colleges and universities that owns its own ski area. Located in Lyme, New Hampshire, about 15 minutes north of the Dartmouth College campus, the Dartmouth Skiway is home to the 2007 NCAA championship Dartmouth Ski Team. With four lifts and 31 trails (including a snowboard park), it is a cherished ski resource for the entire Upper Valley community.
Dartmouth Skiway is focused on family – and challenging all members of it. The McLane Family Lodge provides a wonderful atmosphere to help make this ski area truly family friendly, fun, and affordable. The soaring, timber-framed structure houses Volkl rental skis, Dalbello boots, and Marker bindings, as well as an experienced ski and snowboard school with highly competent instructors for any level skier or rider. A full-service food court provides a delicious and healthy respite from the rigors of your outdoor activities. Plus, the Skiway has upgraded and added to its snowmaking firepower with more than $700,000 of improvements in the past three years. Dartmouth Skiway has terrain mild enough for beginners and challenging enough for the seasoned veteran. Terrain features exist for those with the desire to get airborne and glade skiing for other adventurers. Ride or ski in a classic New England setting where there’s superb grooming and the small-town, friendly atmosphere to keep you coming back. Skiers & snowboarders five years old and younger ski or ride for free.
The Skiway has been host to NCAA championships and scores of racers who went on to compete in international and Olympic competition. Indeed, the College has been represented by athletes and coaches at every Winter Olympics. “Dartmouth holds a significant place in the history of American skiing, with the Skiway as a prominent site in that history,” says Skiway General Manager Doug Holler.
History: On December 15, 1956, Polly Case straddled a small disc attached to a cable – a "poma lift" – and rode to the top of Holt's Ledge in Lyme Center, becoming the first patron of the College's then-brand-new ski area. Case was awarded the honor of the first ride up the mountain for suggesting the name of the ski area: the Dartmouth Skiway.
Since it opened on December 15, 1956, the Skiway has seen a number of significant changes since the old poma lift on Holt’s Ledge, including snowmaking, which now covers 70 percent of the Skiway's 104 skiable acres. A Mueller T-Bar was added for the 1960-61 season. The Peter Brundage Lodge was expanded as well. The Hall chairlift was installed on the Winslow side for the 1967-68 season. A J-Bar was added to the Winslow side for the 1988-89 season and the installation of the Winslow Mountain quad chair in 1993. A significant upgrade to the Holt's Ledge chairlift in 2006 whereupon the drive terminal double chairlift was replaced by Doppelmayr/CTEC and installation of nearly 1,400 feet of permanent safety netting on the giant slalom course in 2007.
The most dramatic change in recent years was construction of the McLane Family Lodge in time for the 2000-2001 season. The two-story, 16,000-square-foot facility, built on the site of the Skiway's original Brundage Lodge, increased that space four times over, and features a spacious meeting room, a large ski team locker room, an expanded rental shop, a retail store, a more efficient dining area, and larger bathrooms.
Linda and Andy McLane of Weston, Massachusetts, led the funding for the project with a gift to name the lodge after their family of Dartmouth alumni and skiers, which includes their cousin Charles B. McLane '41, who fought in the 10th Mountain Division during World War II. Andy McLane is a 1969 Dartmouth graduate and a 1973 graduate of the Amos Tuck School of Business. He is senior managing director of TA Associates, a private equity investment firm with offices in Boston and Menlo Park, California. Linda is trustee, campaign chair, and co-chair of the long-range planning committee at Walnut Hill School and was co-president of St. Paul School Parents Association.
Trails: 31
URL: http://skiway.dartmouth.edu
Address: 39 Grafton Turnpike, Lyme Center, NH 03769
Phone number: General Information: (603) 795-2143 | Fax: (603) 795-2421 | Email: dartmouth.skiway@dartmouth.edu
Dates of Season: Mid December to end of March *
*weather dependent
FACTS:
Trails & Terrain:
Terrain: 104 acres
Snowmaking: 70% of terrain with over 15 snow guns
Lifts: 4 – Winslow Mountain Quad, Holt’s Ledge Double, J-Bar Beginner Lift and Conveyor Lift, giving the Skiway an uphill capacity of 3,300 skiers per hour
Terrain Difficulty: 25% Beginner, 50% Intermediate, 25% Expert
Longest Run: 1.25 miles (Papoose)
Terrain Parks: A terrain park is located on the Winslow side
Snowfall & Temperatures:
Average Snowfall: 100 inches annually
Average High Temperature: 29.3 degrees Fahrenheit
Average Low Temperature: 10 degrees Fahrenheit
Elevation:
Summit Elevation: 1,943 feet/592 meters
Base Elevation: 975 feet/297 meters
Vertical Drop: 968 feet/295 meters
HOW TO GET THERE:
Automobiles:
From Interstate 91: Turn east from Exit 14 on route 113 and travel 1.4 miles to the intersection of U.S. Route 5. Turn right (south) for 100 yards, then turn left across bridge to Lyme, N.H. Proceed 1.8 miles into Lyme N.H., continuing on the left side of the Town Common, go right at the fork in the road at the white church. Drive 3 1/4 miles to the Skiway.
From Boston Area: Take Interstate 89 North to White River Junction and get on Interstate 91 North. Turn right (east) from Exit 14 (Thetford) and travel 1.4 miles to the intersection of U.S. Route 5. Turn right (south) for 100 yards, then turn left across bridge to Lyme, N.H. Proceed 1.8 miles into Lyme N.H., continuing on the left side of the Town Common, go right at the fork in the road at the white church and continue 3.25 miles on Dorchester Road to the Skiway.
From Interstate 91: Turn east from Exit 14 (Thetford) and travel 1.4 miles to the intersection of U.S. Route 5. Turn right (south) for 100 yards, then turn left across bridge to Lyme, N.H. Proceed 1.8 miles into Lyme N.H., continuing on the left side of the Town Common, go right at the fork in the road at the white church and continue 3.25 miles on Dorchester Road to the Skiway.
From Campus: Head North on Route 10 for 11 miles into the town of Lyme. Continue around the common and Turn right at the fork in the road at the white church. Continue 3.25 miles on Dorchester Road to the Skiway.