Ski Mittersill was a full-fledged ski resort that opened in the late 1940s. It originally boasted a 450' vertical serviced by a t-bar, with an Austrian styled hotel at the base. During the 1960s a fixed-grip double chair was added and Mittersill topped the 1000' vertical mark. It had a resort village at the base -- which still exists today -- and snowmaking.
Mittersill was known for a couple of very wide open areas, which were intended to recreate the feel of Austrian skiing. The slopes were primarily novice to intermediate. Unfortunately an economic recession and the dismal winters of 1980 and 1981 combined to shut down lift-served skiing at Mittersill.
But that didn't stop the skiers; the trail system at Mittersill connects to the original Taft Slalom trail built by the CCC on Cannon Mountain. Because the summit of Mittersill was built on USFS land in the White Mountain National Forest, it remained open to public use. Cannon skiers simply used the old connection from Upper Taft Slalom to connect to Mittersill, and after a short hike uphill, had a lost ski area all to themselves. By keeping right, skiers easily returned to Cannon through the Peabody section. This use continues today, but since the Mittersill ski trails are not maintained, it is largely the domain of experts and backcountry enthusiasts. You can see this trail leading into the top of Mittersill on the map at right.
The State of New Hampshire had long entertained the idea of absorbing Mittersill into Cannon, to create a mega ski area. The problem is that Cannon is far from major metropolitan regions, and skiers have to pass a number of sizable ski resorts with less intimidating terrain in order to get to Cannon. It also has a reputation for frigid temperatures and bone-chilling wind. So Cannon has good years and bad years financially speaking, and legislators downstate are wary of pumping more funds into this icebox of the north.
At left, the Mittersill Hotel in a 1940s era photo. The style and ambiance is virtually unchanged today.
In 2005 a movement began to take advantage of what could potentially be the largest destination ski area in New England, and develop Cannon via a private operator. (Some of the enthusiasm on the part of elected officials from other districts raised a few eyebrows). Numerous business owners from nearby Franconia pushed very hard for this, and long story short, the whole book on Cannon and Mittersill was re-opened.
Now the proposal is for the State of New Hampshire to swap land in Piermont in exchange for Federally owned land on Mittersill. The Mittersill slopes would be reopened in some official fashion as part of Cannon, expanding and enhancing Cannon and thus the profitability of the ski area and economic well being of the community.
In 2007 the Mittersill slopes and trails miraculously appeared on the trail map shown on the Cannon website, as if expansion were imminent. State attorneys must've intervened, because by the end of the 2007-2008 season a large black zigzag was drawn over Mittersill, with the phrase "NO OFFICIAL ACCESS" prominently displayed. It is likely that in today's litigious society, sooner or later someone would require rescue on the Mittersill slopes, and hold Cannon accountable due to the optimistic trail map.
Access to Mittersill is presently on United States Forest Service land. It is your land, use it wisely. If something happens, it's your problem. There is no ski patrol, and if you require a backcountry rescue, you will be billed for it. Be responsible for your own actions, or don't go.