Maryland’s Wisp at Deep Creek Mountain Resort is undertaking an ambitious effort this summer to add ten new trails and two fixed Quad chairlifts. The new area, called The North Camp, will be located on the northwest side of the mountain, with a variety of terrain for beginner, intermediate, and expert skiers and boarders. Some of the trails will be covered with man-made snowmaking, while others will rely on natural snow cover. The new terrain is expected to come on-line in time for the 2005-2006 winter season, with a tentative grand opening set for December 10, 2005.

On June 21, 2005, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at Wisp to celebrate the $9.1 million expansion. Wisp founder Helmuth “Ace” Heise was on hand for the ceremony, along with resort and state officials.

“The addition of the North Camp solidifies Wisp at Deep Creek Mountain Resort as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier destination ski resorts,” said Hank Thiess, General Manager of the resort. “The North Camp will feature some of the most exciting terrain available at Wisp while still being versatile enough to accommodate every level of skier or boarder.”

Representing one of the most aggressive trail expansion efforts in recent mid-Atlantic ski history, North Camp will feature a vertical drop of 700 feet, with a base elevation of 2,400 feet and a summit elevation of 3,100 feet. The 10 new trails will total 3.2 miles and add 33 acres of skiable terrain to Wisp. 70% of the new terrain will be rated beginner, 20% intermediate, and 10% expert. Two fixed-grip quad chairlifts will increase Wisp’s overall uphill capacity by 62%. To support the new trails, Wisp’s snowmaking system is being enhanced with a 48% increase in pumping capacity and a near-doubling of snowmaking machines.

Construction of the new North Camp area. Photo provided by Wisp Resort.