Backcountry Challenge #4 | Dutch Hill (DHASH)
Vermont Splitboard Month challenge number four takes you to southern Vermont’s Dutch Hill
The Dutch Hill ski area went out of business in the mid-1980's. In its day, the skiing was great at Dutch Hill, in the middle of an amazing snow belt and with some of the steepest pitches (for short stretches) on the East Coast. When the Forest Service began exploring ways to make public recreation available in this part of the Green Mountain National Forest, backcountry ski enthusiasts banded together to form DHASH, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization to collaborate with the Forest Service on the effort. Thus the old ski area is why we exist, but our vision goes beyond the former ski area's boundaries. We want DHASH to include a wide variety of winter-loving, outdoor-recreating, sliding-on-the-snow-under-their-own-power people, from those who love point-to-point cross-country ski trails to those who want to do laps up and down a challenging glade, and everyone in between. DHASH is a Chapter of the Catamount Trail Association. Our goal is to help skiers enjoy winter in our area, and to work with landowners and managers to make more non-commercial skiing opportunities available. We are organizing volunteer work parties to create and maintain ski trails, glades, and slopes. DHASH was formed in the fall of 2016, and our first project is working with the U.S. Forest Service's Green Mountain National Forest to improve skiing options at the former Dutch Hill ski area in Readsboro, VT. Thus our name: Dutch Hill Alliance of Skiers and Hikers, or DHASH.
Challenge RULES:
Resources and Details:
1 - UNDERSTAND YOUR ZONE: Study the *zone and policies, Vermont COVID-19 Travel Guidelines, and consider a donation or membership to support DHASH!
*Please park on the same side of the highway as the kiosk. Do not park on the other side, in the neighborhood parking lot where the school bus turns around and neighbors park to get their mail.
2 - DOWNLOAD your GPX file to your preferred navigation app.
3 - MAKE A PLAN: Save the Dutch Hill map offline (they recently added GeoPDFs too!), study your GPX route with your COVID19 safe crew, and ensure you are confident in backcountry ethics and backcountry safety.
ROUTE DETAILS
Parking is clearly marked with a trailhead kiosk on the side of the road. DO NOT PARK ACROSS THE STREET, THIS IS PRIVATE AND YOU WILL BE TOWED. Begin up the skin track looker's left ascending the former t-bar line bearing left up MEADOWS EXTENSION. This will bring you up to the ridge as it turns right (South/Southwest) along DYKE. Follow this to the old lift line. Just past the upper landing area is a viewpoint looking to the West above WINDMILL trail - this is your Weekly Challenge Photo Opp. Once you get your photo, turn around and follow your tracks to the top of DYKE. Depending on snow depth, you may want to descend the uptrack (DYKE to MEWDOWS EXTENSION to DUTH MEADOW) as this is the easiest terrain an contains fewer hazards to navigate. If the snow is good, transition and descend DYKE top to bottom. At the bottom, use your momentum to turn rider's right back toward the skin track. Transition, then ascend the same route for another lap. This time (if the snow depth is healthy), take a stab at the infamous LIFT LINE (if the snow depth is extremely strong and you are an expert rider) or DYKE to UPPER YANKEE DOODLE (all the way to CONNECTOR for easier/safer terrain) to YANKEE DOODLE back to the base. Each lap is only 0.9mi so get after it as much as you want. Bring the cooler, pop up chairs, and a grill to get the COVID19 friendly socially distanced après game flowing.
5 - Mandatory Photo Spot
Take a breather, take in the view, and capture a photo at this location to be eligible for the weekly giveaway. Make it fun or take a landscape shot, just be sure to capture the landmark to prove you made it out!
Dutch Hill Summit
4 - SUBMIT your completion form to be entered to win weekly prizes and raffle entries for the grand prize
It is Critically important to our small mountain communities that all participants are strictly following Vermont COVID-19 Travel Guidelines.
We trust and appreciate you all for being a part of the solution and continuing to keep the amazing stewardship we have and wholesome humans that make it happen. Be grateful. Offer Respect. Quarantine appropriately. Keep your distance. Mask up when appropriate. Stay stoked.
Thanks for exploring Vermont by Splitboard! Follow along for more conversation about splitboarding in Vermont.
