With today's ski plans cancelled we decided to take a hike on the Mattabesett Trail from RT 66 along Beseck Mountain over to Powder Ridge Ski Area. I've never skied Powder Ridge.It closed back in spring of 2006 after 46 years in business. The town of Middlefield purchased the area for 2.5 million last year and is looking for partners to bring the area back to life. Read, Powder Ridge Committee's Request for Quote for more information on what the town was looking for. From what I've read the Town did get two bids and one was awarded.
According to the NELSAP site Powder Ridge will be be back. I'm not so sure of that.
I was amazed how left to seed this area was!!! All of the trails seem deeply overgrown and none of the four lifts look maintained. They talk of upgrades to the infrastructure however I don't see much that is salvageable.From reading news articles over the past few years you got the idea that some basic maintenance was being done on this place.
They talk of opening Powder Ridge in the near future, however I think Middlefield's window of opportunity has long passed by. It's going to take deep pockets to get this place running again. It would be nice if they could at least remove the "no trespassing signs" and mow the slopes a bit. With some help from Mother Nature we could at least enjoy what's left of this soon to be lost ski area.
Part of me wants to believe that Middlefield has found a "Sugar Daddy" that wants to pour millions into restoring Powder Ridge into what it once was. Got my fingers crossed but realistically we all know it's never going to happen.
I'd love to ski Powder Ridge's historic slopes this winter,my only hope is I won't be trespassing!
--Skidmarks
*http://www.nelsap.org/ct/ct.html New England Lost Ski Area Project
"Connecticut, although a small state, did have quite a few ski areas at one point in time. Many of these areas were quite small with a few rope tows."
Current Lost Count: 60
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