Over the past year we have been working with the Dartmouth skiing coaches to design a new 7.5 K competition loop for the ski races which we host. The terrain available presents several critical design challenges, which result in the need for a long final descent to the finish. We had laid out a possible line but were unexcited by it.

We invited John Morton to review the problem with us, and in a single afternoon he completely revolutionized our thinking about what was possible in trail design. Working under severe time pressure, John laid out what has proved this winter to be an excellent route, a descent broken up with a variety of turns and several short climbs, all of which flow together in a nearly seamless way. Despite the route's challenges, the overall layout and banked turns John prescribed made it safe to ski, which was our highest priority. John's ability to read the landscape, see the possibilities, and fit them together was uncanny. Perhaps best of all was the way that he managed to persuade us, in a gentle but professional way, to see the problem and the opportunities with new eyes. It was truly a pleasure to work with him on this project.

We recommend John Morton without reservation for your cross-country trail design needs.