Rain is falling, fields are being cleared for our spring sports teams, and Spring Term classes are underway, but the snow surface at the Proctor Ski Area remains rock solid late into March. During a quiet moment when traffic on Route 11 has stilled, you can still hear the thwacking of gates across the valley at the Proctor Ski Area as Proctor’s, Dartmouth College’s, and Boston College’s ski teams sneak in a few last training days at the Proctor Ski Area.
As we prepare to shut down the ski area for the season, we take a moment to thank those who helped us have one of the most successful alpine, Nordic, and jumping seasons at the Proctor Ski Area in its long history. So much has happened over the last four months since we first heard Garry, Mac, and Steele fire up the snow guns in early November. During an incredibly challenging natural snow season, the Proctor Ski Area hosted 18 alpine races, including 12 races between December 31 and February 1 and the Lakes Region Alpine Championships. We saw 2,900 athletes compete in alpine races at Proctor this season, including visiting athletes from Norway, Chile, Canada, and across the United States. These athletes ranged from US Ski Team members with World Cup starts to those competing in their first alpine race of their life.
The Proctor Ski Area hosted the New England Preparatory School Nordic Championships, countless training sessions for local high school Nordic teams (Kearsarge Regional High School, Concord High School, and more) and the Andover Outing Club, and saw snow on our trails and jumps earlier than almost any other venue in New England. Early in the season, Proctor was training and racing when other mountains in New Hampshire and Vermont had to postpone or cancel events. Time after time, race after race, visiting coaches and athletes had unbelievably positive experiences training and racing at the Proctor Ski Area. From the conditions to the efficiency of race organization to the friendliness of the ski area staff, this winter saw the Proctor Ski Area shine brightly as the finest privately owned and operated on-snow venue in the region.
The positive experience thousands of athletes and families had at the Proctor Ski Area this winter does not simply happen. It is a product of the commitment, dedication, and talent of the Proctor Ski Area crew led by Garry George ‘78, Mac MacDuffie, and Steele Henderson. From the moment the drone of the snow guns and compressors cut through the November air to these final days of grooming an unexpected 20 inches of heavy, wet March snow, Garry and his team steward the ski area as if it is their most cherished possession.
The “job” of managing the Proctor Ski Area is never done. The irregular hours and long days and nights of preparing trails requires an irrational devotion that Garry has modeled for his team for 43 years. On Saturday, the final home race of the season saw this team rise to the challenge one more time as they managed the biggest storm of the season. The name of this final race, the “Thank a Snowmaker Slalom”, is fitting. As the season concludes and the traffic down Lawrence Street dwindles, we are filled with gratitude for those who ensured the magic of the Proctor Ski Area continued to shine brightly this winter.
Learn more about the Proctor Ski Area!
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- Proctor on Snow