of the ski area. They also hire a general manager to handle day-to-day operations. Matt Lillard, formerly of Okemo, Magic Mountain (Vt.), and Eaglecrest (Alaska), took over as GM in 2017. Mad River Glen is one of two ski areas in the country to use a chairlift that seats just one person at a time. The other single chairlift is operated at Mt. Eyak which is located and owned by the City of Cordova, Alaska, and operated by the Sheridan Ski Club. Meteorology Mad River Glen is situated on the backbone of the Green Mountains. The elevation allows for cooler air and more precipitation than the surrounding terrain. The highest ridge of the Green Mountains not only gets the same snow that blankets the rest of New England but also picks up significant "backlash" snow after the storms have passed. Strong northwest winds behind the storms pick up moisture from Lake Champlain and are forced rapidly upward on their perpendicular ride over the Greens. This "orographic enhancement" of snowfall is the primary reason that Mad River Glen and similar locations often average triple the snowfall of many lower elevations areas of northern New England. Local meteorologist Josh Fox runs the Single Chair Weather Blog (inspired by the famous single chair) that tracks upcoming weather during the winter months of Mad River Glen and the surrounding area. Trails and Lifts Mad River Glen offers 60 trails with a wide variety of difficulties. Beginner-friendly trails can be found in the Birdland area, while steeper, moguled, and wooded trails can generally be found higher up on the mountain. They have been kept much as they were when they were first cut (often by the skiers themselves decades ago), and many are gladed and have natural features lying under the snow; rocks, logs, bushes, etc. Mad River Glen also has 4 chairlifts, including Mad River's signature lift, the Single Chair. Mad River Glen is 1 of 2 areas in America that still have an active single chair. Snowboarding Mad River Glen is one of three ski areas in the U.S. that completely ban snowboarding, along with Utah's Deer Valley and Alta ski areas. This has caused significant discussion, especially among the snowboarding community. Mad River Glen was one of the first places in the U.S. to allow snowboarding during the 1986-87 season and lasted until the 1992-93 season. Unloading issues due to a flat