STOWE, VT—Land clearing began June 9th for a new home off Dish Lane in the Robinson Springs neighborhood in Stowe. The home is being built on land that adjoins two parcels conserved by the Stowe Land Trust, as well as the town-owned Sterling Forest. There are several popular recreation trails on the property that are enjoyed by the public. The trails, popular with hikers, bikers and skiers, include a section of the Catamount Trail that connects Sterling Forest to the Edson Hill area, the Sterling Run Trail, and a section of the “Peak-A-View Trail”. Peak-a-View offers hikers and mountain bikers views of Mount Mansfield and Sky Top ridge, as well as a glimpse into the Sterling Forest Basin.
The Catamount Trail at Billings Road and the Sterling Run Trail will be closed for the next 4 weeks while the house site and driveway are being cleared. Once construction of the driveway is complete, the trails will be re-opened for the remainder of the summer, utilizing part of the newly constructed driveway. The new landowners, the Nissenbaum family, plan to work with the Stowe Land Trust, the Catamount Trail Association and the Stowe Mountain Bike Club next year to reroute the trail away from the driveway, and keep the trail open for public use: "We are pleased and honored to continue to host the Catamount trail on the property. Until it is rerouted, we would ask that people take special care on the few hundred feet that will run on the driveway. There will be quite a few vehicles running up and down during construction."
Amy Kelsey, Executive Director of the Catamount Trail Association, is grateful for the collaboration with the Nissenbaum family to keep the trail open: “The Catamount Trail exists thanks to the generosity of over 200 landowners across Vermont who host skiers on their property each winter. A single property transfer such as this has the potential to compromise the integrity of the entire 300-mile backcountry ski trail. We feel very fortunate that the Nissenbaum family is supportive of the CTA’s mission and look forward to working with them to maintain and improve the trail.”
Trail managers are asking the public to please respect all trail closures, to protect the safety of the users and of those working at the site.
Stowe Land Trust is a member-supported, non-profit land conservation organization dedicated to the conservation of scenic, recreational, and productive farm and forest lands for the benefit of the greater Stowe community. Since 1987, SLT has conserved nearly 3,500 acres of land in Stowe, Waterbury and Morrisville, including five properties that SLT owns and manages for recreation. By permanently protecting land, SLT strives to enhance community and ecological values including high quality recreation, scenic views, a rural working landscape, and a local economy supported by the area's natural resources.
The Catamount Trail (CT) is a 300-mile public-access, winter-use only, ski trail that runs the length of Vermont from Massachusetts to Canada. It is a backcountry ski trail that has been in the making since 1984 and was fully linked together in 2008. The Catamount Trail Association is a non-profit, member-driven organization that develops, manages, and conserves the CT. The CTA builds partnerships to support the Trail, and fosters awareness and stewardship of Vermont's diverse landscapes through promotion and use of the Trail. The organization also advocates for backcountry and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing for the quality of life, recreational, health, economic and educational benefits they provide.