A Visit to the Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain
A former Yankee staffer recalls her 2014 visit to The Hermitage Club (Vermont’s only private ski club) at Haystack Mountain in West Dover, Vermont.
By Heather Atwell|Jan 02 2019|
The Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain
Credit: Heather AtwellThe Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain
Credit: Heather AtwellCredit: Heather Atwell A snowcat ride to the peak, a hard-hat tour of the under-construction Clubhouse, dining in the wine cellar, breakfast at the inn, skiing on fresh corduroy, maybe a little cross-country skiing: Okay, twist my arm; I’ll go. Quite a few ski resorts in New England offer members-only ski clubs. But as soon as the members’ skis or boards touch snow, they are amongst the masses. At Haystack, only members can ski or ride the trails. That means when you are on snow at Haystack it seems like you have the mountain to yourself because there are no lift lines and no crowds. The marketing materials promise fresh corduroy till 3 o’clock. (They groom trails mid-day if needed.) The day I skied Haystack, they delivered on their corduroy promise.
Skier at Haystack Mountain
Credit: Courtesy of The Hermitage ClubCredit: Courtesy of The Hermitage Club Haystack Mountain opened as a ski area in the 60s and like many resorts has had different owners over the years, and lots of iterations and some lofty plans around what type of ski resort it would be. That’s not unusual with the ski business. Before the current owner Jim Barnes got involved, the mountain was run as a private ski club and there were plans to invest $450 million. Those plans did not happen. Jim purchased The Hermitage Inn in 2007. In 2011, he purchased Haystack Mountain and its golf course. The Tage — a new quad chairlift — and the Hermitage Club Ski Home Trail connect Haystack Mountain to the Inn. Jim also purchased the nearby airport.
Memberships at The Hermitage Club aren’t for the budget-minded. An individual family legacy membership costs $80,000 in 2018, without factoring in taxes or annual dues.
Credit: Courtesy of The Hermitage ClubCredit: Courtesy of The Hermitage Club Currently, The Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain is the only private ski club in Vermont. To put things in perspective on membership dues, The Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, also operates as a private ski club. According to an article on CNBC.com by Collen Kane written in November 2012: “Membership costs $300,000. Then there’s the annual dues of $30,000, plus the required property purchase of a $2.5 million condo, a custom mansion, or a ranch that costs more than $10 million. (Residents can get their membership fees back if they sell their property.) There also used to be a minimum requirement of $3 million in liquid assets, according The New York Times.” Memberships at The Hermitage Club start at $80,000 in 2018 and annual dues make that number even higher. Memberships are capped at 1,500. Because this is a four-season resort, not just a ski club, members have access to year-round recreational activities. In the summer, the sport is golf and members tee up on an 18-hole, Desmond Muirhead-designed championship golf course. Also in the works during my visit in 2014, an 80,000 square-foot Clubhouse with dining, lockers, luxury spa and fitness center, pool and kids’ center. (It’s now open as the Wellness Center).
Wellness Center
Credit: Heather Atwell
Thank you for a great overview of this one-of-a-kind destination in southern Vermont! This development has breathed new life into not only Haystack Mountain, but the entire Deerfield Valley, as the area is known. We (Austin Design Inc.) are the architects for the 80,000 sf base lodge/clubhouse mentioned in the article; things are really coming together now. The soaring Douglas fir-framed structure is expected to be completed this fall; it’s the crown jewel of The Hermitage Club and all of its many amenities. Be sure to check it out when the time comes!
Seems to be a bit irresponsible of you not to clarify the severity of the “foreclosure”, there are close to 50 lawsuits, many of which are now judgements against Barnes personally. Ask the folks who have I believe a 6million dollar judgement regarding homes that were paid for and not delivered by Barnes personally. I think you should look into some of these cases by reading or calling Chris Says at the Reformer, your glossing over the foreclosure is irresponsible reporting for a New Englander
Hi Justin. We appreciate your comment, but this 2014 account was written for our website and is not intended to be an updated, detailed account of the property’s current financial situation. We are glad to be able to refer readers to the Reformer for more thorough reporting. Thanks, and have a great day.