Uncategorized
2020 Opening Weekend | The Details
Hello Highland Family, We’ve been laying low for the last week while we waited for finalized approval to open the park at the end of May. Good news: we have approval! We are officially moving forward with opening the park to 2020 season pass holders on May 27th and to the general public on May 28th, with some restrictions. New guidelines will be in place across the mountain in light of COVID-19. Please read all of the following information closely so that you are aware of exactly how Highland operations will be adjusted this season. (We’ll also be keeping the Highland How-To Guide updated with any and all changes.) On Wednesday, May 27th we will be open to current season pass holders only. You must have a season pass to ride. Season passes can be purchased online here. Starting on Thursday, May 28th, we will be open to the public,…
Parking Lot Policy Update
Good afternoon Highland Family! We hope you’re doing well and enjoying the spring weather. We’re sure that you, like us, are all itching to ride. Our team is continuing to meet weekly to plan for the year amidst the persistent uncertainty of the coronavirus. We’re taking this opportunity to evaluate our operations and raise our standards for the future. As we gear up for what is certainly going to be an unusual season, we would like to make you all aware in advance of a couple of new policies: First, Highland does not have the facilities in place to support camping. We are aware that in the past, some riders have chosen to take advantage of our open lot and stay overnight in their vehicles or tents. In an effort to maximize the steps we are taking to ensure the health and safety of our community, this cannot continue. We…
The Push for Sustainability at Highland
Sustainability has always been one of the core values of the Highland Trails business. Maintaining the land we ride on requires planning and careful attention to detail, and it’s something we pride ourselves on. Highland’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond our work on the trails. In recent years Highland has partnered with CLIF to ramp up sustainability efforts in other areas of mountain operations. With CLIF’s support, we’ve been able to implement incremental changes around the park that address our environmental impact day-to-day. Our first target was plastic bottle waste. As mountain bikers, we drink a lot of water. Single-use plastic water bottles are notorious for having a short frame of usefulness and a long-lasting breakdown period. The CLIF water station, located at the base of the lift, provides fresh potable water for refilling your reusable bottle. Similarly, we installed a water fountain in the lower level of the lodge….
Park Report | April 2020
April is here! In the midst of this unprecedented time, it’s comforting to observe the sort of changes we know to expect: grass getting greener, frozen dirt thawing into mud, and that classic New England spring weather that is consistent only in its inconsistencies. (These photos are from Monday. Yesterday, it snowed. In two days it will be sixty degrees again.) Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Opening Day has been postponed until Thursday, May 28th. We’re as disappointed as you are to be missing out on those first few weekends of spring riding, but it’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make for the safety of our community. 2020 won’t be the season we expected, but we’re determined to still deliver the best season we can. Our team is working on creative ways to add value in this unusual situation, and we hope to have some good surprises to share…
Progression Through Highland Training & Camps
At Highland, our mission has always been crystal clear: to be the premier company in mountain bike training and trail design.We can build all of the trails and features we want, but there’s little point if we don’t also teach others how to ride and enjoy them. Over the last decade, Highland Training has evolved to offer a comprehensive series of interconnected learning experiences, each designed to meet any given rider at their level and give them the training they need to progress. So you want to learn to ride at Highland. Where do we begin? Say you’re relatively new to downhill mountain biking. Maybe your riding background is limited to paved roads. Maybe you’re already an avid mountain biker, but have always stuck to the cross country trails. Maybe your kid/friend/partner/coworker talked you into trying something new this one time—going on an adventure—and now you’re freaking out a little…
New Year, New Fleet | 2020 Rentals & Demos
Before the rope has gone up each fall, our bike shop team has already begun the long process of evaluating and choosing the best available bikes to build the next season’s rental and demo fleet. It’s a process we take very seriously, and it requires us to take a lot of factors into consideration. Beyond just wanting to find what we consider the best-performing bikes, our criteria focuses on durability and serviceability. During the season, our expert mechanics inspect and tune each bike every time it returns to us from the hill. Shifting, brakes, and suspension are all dialed in, bolts are tightened, and wheels are trued. Each bike is then wiped down, the drivetrain is lubed, and the suspension is set for the next rider’s weight. Durable and serviceable bikes allow our mechanics to keep all of our rental- and demo-riding guests on the hill with a lessened possibility…
An Update Regarding COVID-19
As you are all aware, a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in the United States. This is impacting pretty much every facet of everybody’s lives, and many of you want to know: how will it affect Highland? As of today, Highland is still scheduled to open for the 2020 season on Thursday, April 30th. Season Pass Holder Opening Day is still scheduled for Wednesday, April 29th. We’re continuing to monitor the situation closely, and will reassess as Opening Weekend gets closer. We are currently closed to all riding—including in the HTC and XC network—and will remain closed until at least the end of April. We are still six weeks away from Highland’s scheduled opening. It should be said: a lot can happen in six weeks. It is our hope that by then, much more progress will have been made to discourage the spread of the virus and…
