Yesterday at about 11-am, there was 22 different cars, I counted, at the Depot Camp-Waterville Valley-WMNF parking lot with local folks using the 'no-fee-zone' 2.8 mile Livermore Rd cross country ski trail. 22 cars on a Wednesday is like a big crowd for these here woods.
The first 3/10 mile on the Livermore Rd is almost flat and gets double-tracked by cross country skiers tracing over the previous skier's tracks. The last 2.5 miles goes up and along the Livermore Rd as it somewhat borders the Mad River and climbs through a mixed hardwood-softwood forest in the WMNF. The last 2.5 mile get professionally groomed and double tracked by a WV Piston-Bully $100,000(?) snow groomer.
The price to ski the 2.8 mile Livermore Rd is 'no fee' except for a WMNF parking sticker to park there.
It's like getting 2009 Mercedes xc-skiing at a 1999 Ford Escort price. (No offense to old reliable Ford cars.) There are no signs whatsoever to indicate it is a no fee zone. Surrounding the 2.8 mile no fee zone, all the contiguous WV ski trails are very clearly marked and noticed that a $16 pass is required. The cross country trail map posted next to the parking $3.00 fee tube on the Forest Service info board indicates the two "no fee zones'; Tripoli Rd & Livermore Rd if you you have any doubts.
Yesterday, there was 22 different cars, most all with New Hampshire plates and there was lots of people in their 40's-50's & 60's (& one 70-something lady) with some still using 'made in Norway', real wood xc skis made in the 1970's with those three-pin, wire hold-down bindings. It was a retro-1970's blue wax type of a snow day with 2010 corduroy, double-tracked grooming courtesy the WV PistenBully sno-groomer. ..
