Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, ME

In the summer of 2000, I was asked to participate in an exciting project in New Gloucester, Maine, a town about 30 minutes north of Portland. The Libra Foundation, a large, charitable organization dedicated simply, “to benefit the people of Maine,” had purchased the abandoned 1000 acre campus, including two farms and more than 20 brick buildings, of the Pineland Center, formerly the state mental institution.

At that time, the neglected buildings and overgrown grounds of Pineland resembled the setting for a Stephen King novel. But Owen Wells, the president of the Libra Foundation, had a vision for the restoration of the campus and the revitalization of the facilities which would draw businesses and non profit organizations to Pineland. In addition to renovating both of the farms on the property, one as an equestrian center, the other as an agricultural research site in collaboration with the University of Maine, Wells wanted the picturesque forests and fields laced with recreational trails. These trails would not only provide convenient, healthful opportunities for the employees of businesses that relocated to Pineland, but would also establish an exciting venue for southern Maine runners and skiers who lacked the challenging terrain of the western and northern regions of the state.

Up and running now for several winters, the Maine Winter Sports Center at Pineland, grooms trails, hosts events, and conducts outreach programs throughout southern Maine to introduce citizens to the joys of outdoor recreation. The Pineland trail system currently boasts 25 kilometers of manicured terrain for skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, running, hiking, mountain biking, orienteering and horseback riding in the summer.

In the winter of 2003 Pineland hosted the Western Maine High School Cross Country Skiing Championships, and in February, 2004, Pineland made enough snow to host more than 200 enthusiastic women in the second annual, New England Nordic Ski Association’s Women’s Cross Country Ski Day.

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Testimonials

New Trails Open!
Matt Sabasteanski, Outdoor Recreation Director,
Pineland Farms, December, 2004

“The new trails at Oak Hill are done at last! ....Designed in true John Morton fashion, the new trails are fun, beautiful and, as always, challenging.

(John Morton is a former Olympic biathlete, author, and renowned trail designer. In addition to Pineland’s trails, he designed trails at Denali National park in Alaska, in South Korea for the 1993 World University Games, and for the Maine Winter Sports Center in Fort Kent and Presque Isle, Maine.) I am truly excited to have these trails open this winter season and invite you all to come on out and enjoy them.”

Skiers high on Pineland Farms X-C trails
New nordic ski center conveys Olympic aura
Scott Andrews, Outdoor Writer,
The Times Record, January 24, 2003

“If you feel like a cross-country Champion when you kick and glide through fields and forests at Pineland Farms, that’s not surprising. New England’s newest Nordic ski center conveys an Olympic/World Cup aura in several key places.

Pineland’s trails were patterened after Olympic models by famed race course designer John Morton....Although it’s been in business less than a month and it boasts a mere 15 kilometers of trails, Pineland Farms already looms large on the New England cross-country ski scene, rating raves from hard-core enthusiasts who are training for this winter’s big regional races and drawing equal praise from kick-and-glide buffs who fancy its splendid scenery and first-rate facilities....

It’s well-deserved praise. I’ve skied Pineland Farms three times already this season and covered every kilometer at least once-and savored every minute of the experience.

Mike Marino, a veteran cross-country competitor from Cape Elizabeth, comes nearly every day... ‘This is a real meeting place for hard-core skiers,’
said Marino. ‘Superlative on all counts.’

...Trails were designed by John Morton, a Vermonter and former Olympic competitor who has coached the U.S. Biathlon Team and written a couple of books on Nordic skiing. Morton’s layout involves three loops totaling 15 kilometers.

...Among the first to discover Pineland was Kate Damon, cross-country coach for the Lewiston High School ski team. Damon brings her 10 athletes to train in both classic and skating techniques.

‘The trails are fantastic!’ enthused Damon. ‘They were cut really well with cross-country skiing in mind....My team is thrilled to be skiing here.’

Another racer who voices high praise for Pineland is Danny Danforth of Lewiston, a veteran marathon competitor. ‘The turns and the hills are just right for keeping up speed,’ Danforth explained...

‘The high-caliber skiers are finding that they don’t have to travel several hours to the bigger centers,’ said Gorham Bike & Ski owner Jamie Wright.”

Anne Donaghy, New England Nordic News, Winter, 2004

“Pineland Farms offers nearly 30 km of trails, all of them designed by Olympic skier John Morton. Skiers from beginners to experts are at home here since John has designed different loops for different abilities.”