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2022 Freebird Slopestyle Series | Slope Course Adds Alternate Lines

The first stop in the 2022 Freebird Slopestyle Series is coming up fast! Trail Crew has been hard at work getting the course dialed in for the first wave of athletes who’ll be competing on June 18th. You may have noticed that in addition to readying the existing features, a few changes are being made on course. With the support of Spank, Gravity Cartel, and IXS we are excited to be adding b-lines to several of our Slopestyle features this year. The core of our mission here at Highland is “training and trails.” We’re proud to be a training ground for athletes at all stages of their progression, and so it matters to us that riders at every level have access to the terrain, features, and training they need to develop their technical skills and their own personal styles. Adding alternative lines to the slopestyle course will help more of…

Park Report | May 2022

Bike season is here and going strong! We’ve only been open for about a month, but Mother Nature has already served us up a little bit of everything, from rainy spring days to absolute scorchers. Through it all, it feels great to be back out on the hill. We will be open seven days a week beginning Memorial Day. Don’t forget that passes booked online in advance are discounted off the window rate! Trail Crew has been working pretty much non-stop to get the entire mountain up and running, on top of tackling some new building projects. In this month’s park report: spring trail updates, Central Park progress, and the new Jump & Drop Zone, plus a sneak peek at our future summer camp village and hype for upcoming events. Ropes dropped today on our brand new Jump and Drop Zone! As dedicated readers of our park report (and Instagram…

Park Report | April 2022

We’re in the final countdown now! Bike park season is just around the corner. Highland will be open for 2022 Season Pass holders on Wednesday, April 27 and then to everyone else starting Thursday, April 28. We can’t wait to show off everything we’ve been working on through the off-season. Keep reading this park report for the latest updates on trail work, Central Park, changes to the Highland Pub, Season Pass Holder day, and more. (It’s kind of a long one, but we promise it’s mostly pictures.) Pre-season HTC sessions have been popping off these last few weekends, getting us more and more hyped for the season to officially begin. The HTC is currently open for both morning and afternoon sessions on Saturdays only. Friday and Sunday sessions will begin after opening day. Space is limited to 20 riders per session. See the full availability calendar and reserve your spot online…

Park Report | February 2022

February is flying by! We started the month off with the annual Winter Woolly, and we’re still thinking about how much fun it was weeks later. This year we lucked out with near-perfect trail conditions–a storm the night before the Woolly kept our team on our toes, but volunteers from Team Granite and MTBVT helped make last-minute snow removal and other preparations a breeze. Temperatures stayed cold throughout the day, keeping the freshly groomed trails nice and firm. Check out the recap video to relive some of the highlights from the day. If you’re looking to get a little more fat biking fun in this winter, be sure to check out MTBVT’s Winterbike, coming up quick on March 5th. What’s new out on the mountain? As of last week, the frame for the new Central Park surface lift is almost fully constructed. Next come the more technical steps, as the…

Park Report | January 2022

It’s a new year and—finally—we have some snow! With less than three weeks until the Winter Woolly, we’re getting excited not only for the midwinter downhill laps but also to see the Highland Family back at the mountain for some good old-fashioned Winter Woolly shenanigans. We’ve been keeping busy through the winter with our usual off-season pursuits (playing pond hockey, making turns at Ragged, keeping the seats warm in the Highland Pub) and planning ahead for another great season. Read on for updates on the Central Park lift installation, 2022 Mug Club, Winter Woolly, and more. Once a year, we gather the Highland Family in the middle of the winter and fire up the lift for a day spent enjoying whatever Mother Nature decides to serve us. Join us Saturday, February 5 for this year’s Winter Woolly, our annual lift-accessed fat biking event.  With miles of groomed downhill and XC…

Park Report | December 2021

Another month, another park report. You might be wondering “what’s the point of a park report from Highland in the winter?” but here’s the thing: none of us ever learned to slow down, and a little thing like the off-season isn’t going to catch us pumping the brakes. (And maybe we like the sound of our own voice. What of it?) We made quite a few changes to the landscape in 2021, including the backyard container deck, the Find Your Ride shed, and the addition of Lower NE Style and Lunch Lady to the trail map. This winter we’re putting most of our focus into the Central Park expansion and extension of 820. Check out some of the recent progress in Central Park: The installation of the new surface lift is at a point in the process where it’s starting to take on a more recognizable shape. These photos are…

Park Report | November 2021

Another November! Hard to believe we’re already down to the final two weekends of the 2021 season. Time flies. As we gear up for those last chilly runs, we want to take a moment to thank all of you who rode with us this year. Highland wouldn’t be what it is without the people who make up this unique community continuing to share in the stoke and spread the good vibes. You’re the reason we do what we do! There’s still plenty happening in November, so keep reading for all of the details on this year’s S’Ender Bash, 2022 season pass discounts, Central Park surface lift updates, and a look ahead to some of our plans for the winter. NOVEMBER LIFT HOURS Thursday & Friday: 10am-4pm Saturday & Sunday: 9am-4pm Veterans and active duty military ride for free on Veterans Day! (Thursday, November 11th.) Please present your valid Veteran ID,…

S’Ender 2021 | The Details

Ahoy, mateys! Closing weekend is fast approaching which means it’s time to get ready to celebrate another great season. This time…pirate style.  Join us on the high seas for the annual S’Ender Bash, when the Highland Family comes together to mark the end of the season by dressing up, raising funds for Wings For Life, and — it goes without saying — having a whale of a time. Saturday Schedule 8:00AM Welcome Center & Lodge Open 9:00AM Lift Opens 11:00AM Race Begins (Upper NE Style to Lower Happy Hour) 1:30PM Race Awards in the Backyard 4:00PM Lift & Welcome Center Close 4:00PM Dinner Buffet Opens (Event Wristband Required) 6:00PM Lodge Transitions to 21+ Only 6:30PM Band Starts (Vinyl Tap) 10:30PM Music Ends 11:00PM Lodge Closes Sunday Schedule 8:00AM Welcome Center & Lodge Open 9:00AM Lift Opens 4:00PM Lift Closes S’Endarrr Bash Details Admission is $20 and includes a raffle ticket…