NEWRY — Swan’s Corner Ski Jumps were located just outside Bethel. In early-mid 1940’s, Gould Academy acquired use of land that was part of the Locke-Swan farm which was part of the original Harvard College land in Sudbury Canada.

Ruel Swain who graduated from Gould in 1944 said that lots of wheel barrow and shovel work was needed to turn the slope into a ski jump, landing and ski course for high school competition. Incidentally, the terrain where it was located is still known locally as “the Alps”.

The “First Sunday River Ski Area” continued in use until the “Second” Sunday River ski area on the side of Barker Mountain was opened to Gould ski teams for practice and competition. Gould ski team members skied at the Sunday River/Swan’s Corner ski area for at least 15 years and maybe longer.

As a ski area, it had advantages over the academy’s earlier ski trails and jumps—the most important factors were length and angle of the slope’s fall-line. It was easily reached by cars and buses, had good spectator parking along the road and only three miles from the academy campus.

But, skiers or other volunteers had to “groom” the trails by side-step packing them plus the take-off and landing of the jump. At first, there was no tow or lift. Skiers had to hike to the starting point. A later a rope tow lift gave new life to jumping. The Swan’s Corner ski jump was probably 80 to 100 feet.

Even now, if you look, you can see where the trees are a bit different where the jump was located.