Gunstock Mountain Resort has added to its list of summer offerings, at least for those who’ve purchased — or ordered — a new Ford Bronco.
The auto company’s Off-Roadeo experience has found a landing spot at the Gilford, N.H. ski area, this after Ford’s original intention to land in Vermont caused a stir with locals. The off-road experience is a 10-hour session for Bronco purchasers — not to mention the thousands waiting on back order — with “professional trail-guided instruction about the capabilities and performance” of the new vehicles.
Gunstock is one of only four locations where Ford is offering a similar experience. The East Coast offering was originally slated to occur at Suicide Six, in Pomfret, Vt. However, the the Woodstock Inn and Resort, which manages the ski area, backed out after outcry from town residents “at the prospect of becoming a magnet for intensive off-road vehicle activity along Class 4 roads.”
According to an April story in the Valley News, based in Lebanon, N.H., “of particular concern among Pomfret residents was the effect the off-road driving school — dubbed a ‘Bronco Off-Roadeo’ — would have outside the ski area as Ford Bronco owners took to the network of Class 4 roads in surrounding communities.
‘A new hub for off-roading will take people far into all the Class 4 roads,’ said Cara DeFoor, a South Pomfret resident and who with her husband lives on a 50-acre property abutting Suicide Six. ‘We can’t even wrap our arms around the cascading effects over time and what that’s going to look like.’”
The Off-Roadeo debuts at Gunstock on Aug. 16.
According to Car and Driver, there are more than 125,000 Bronco orders waiting to be delivered, so the experience at Gunstock should serve to give at least a taste of their forthcoming vehicle.
The Off-Roadeo is also offered in Texas, Moab, Utah, and Nevada.
