Skiing on Bethel Village Trails. Bethel Citizen

Bethel Village Trails

Bethel Village Trails, a collaborative of Mahoosuc Pathways, the Bethel Outing Club, and The Bethel Inn Resort, offers groomed trails for Nordic skiing, fat biking and snowshoeing right in the village.

BVT was formed in the winter of 2016 to reinvest, collaborate, and foster a spirit of volunteerism committed to providing high quality trails, advocating for stewardship, and revitalizing community. Housed at The Bethel Inn Resort, BVT is a project of Mahoosuc Pathways, Inc. a nonprofit dedicated to connecting communities through a multiple-use trail network.

BVT relies on tremendous effort from community volunteers to deliver fun and attractive trails and programs. Twenty-five kilometers of ski, snowshoe and fat bike trails leave from the ski center and weave in and out of the golf course before heading into the forest, crossing streams, passing by stone walls, old chimneys, and a warming hut. Old and unused ski trails are being revived, and new trails built offer even more options for fat biking and snowshoeing. BVT has a full-service rental center, with a new fleet of snowshoes, Specialized fat bikes from Bethel’s local shop, Barker Mountain Bikes and retail items from True North Adventureware.

BVT, along with its collaborators and other local organizations, hosts both regular and special events. Adult ski clinics, Bill Koch League practice, local elementary school ski programs, and group AND private lessons are all weekly happenings.

Planned events for the 2019-20 season include Snowmaggedon, The Flying Moose Classic, and NENSA’s Women’s Day. The trails center is open seven days a week from December through March. Season passes are on sale and can be purchased online. More information can be found at mahoosucpathways.org/Bethel-Village.

In addition to its winter programs, BVT also provides summer trails for mountain biking, running and walking.

Carter’s Cross Country Ski Center

Carter’s is located on the Intervale Road in Bethel, 3.5 miles from Route 26. The center offers a mix of gentle scenic terrain along the banks of the Androscoggin River on the west side of the road, along with more advanced and challenging trails that head up Farwell Mountain to the east. The entire Presidential and Mahoosuc ranges can be seen from the eastern trails.

There are  55 kilometers of trails, 40 of which are groomed for skating and classical. The rest are groomed for a 500-acre backcountry experience on the mountain. They also have some more challenging ungroomed terrain for the avid backcountry skier or snowshoer.

The large proportion of north-facing trails at higher elevations (up to 1,700 feet) ensure more consistent snow throughout the season. Skiers may also take a break in a yurt-style warming hut, or rent one of the many rustic cabins on the trail system and relax with family and friends.

Carter’s provides lessons in all the disciplines of skiing.

It also has a fully equipped cross-country ski shop offering touring, back-country, racing ski equipment, snowshoes and apparel. The center specializes in 100%t biodegradable “Green Ice” wax for sales and service. It also has a full assortment of ski and snowshoe rentals, including fat tire bike rentals and child pull sled rentals.

The ski shop is now open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. Visitors can also call and make an appointment. It will be open more days as winter progresses.

Carter’s has a beautiful “Great Room” on the second floor of the ski shop, with cathedral ceiling and many windows. In this room is an extensive collection of unique cross-country wood skis dating back 100 years to the great Norwegians.

If you’d like to spend the night, there are three bedrooms to rent in the lodge as well as three off-grid cabins to ski into. The center will start the fire and get the cabin all warmed up for guests, and even bring water to the cabins. Families have a great time bonding without TV and computers. (Most phones work well up on the mountain.)

Opening day is expected to be in mid-November; call 207-824-3880 or visit cartersxcski.com.