When our company was asked to be a consultant to the City of Provo, Utah as part of their quest to submit a proposal for hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics cross-country and biathlon venues, they asked us to find the most qualified ski trail design experts in the county. Our search for those experts led us to John Morton. As a member of our design team John demonstrated unparalleled experience, good judgment and professionalism.
Working with John was not only a great learning experience for me, but a personal pleasure. I found him to be a man of high moral values, outstanding professional integrity and honesty.
I do not hesitate recommending John to you as one of the world's premier ski trail design experts and a person who would complement any project team.
John Morton has designed and laid out nearly 13 kilometers of trails for Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine, and I have had the pleasure of working with him in the completion of the design and construction of them. The trails are not only for active outdoor use, such as cross-country skiing, and trail running, but he also designed a wonderful 1-mile loop for horseback riding in the forest behind our Equestrian Center.
The trails showcase much of Pineland' s picturesque landscape, and John masterfully maximized the use of our woodlands to get not only the most distance out of them, but he also designed them to get the trail users to see some of the best views of the farms. He was an expert and finding the most impressive sections of our old-growth timber wood lots, and he marked his trail with precision to preserve these beautiful trees so that people can enjoy their magnitude and grandeur. He also brought sections of trails through beautiful fields and pastures, but worked cooperatively with the farm managers to keep the trails out of the way of farm animals and equipment. John is truly a team player.
John's knowledge of cross country skiing has helped to make these trails some of the best in southern Maine. His philosophy is that "you should always be doing something when you're skiing," and the trails are designed accordingly. There is no dull terrain or boring views on our trails, thanks to John. Best of all, John's customer service is outstanding. He listens to what his customers want, and creates trails that meet their needs. I recommend working with John highly.
Todd Jepson, Executive Director Pineland Farms, Inc.
Maine Winter Sports Center
The Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC) is a non-profit economic development corporation that looks to create a model of sustainability for rural communities in Maine. Key to our mission is re-establishing skiing as a lifestyle, and leveraging that lifestyle to create economic, health and cultural opportunities for the children of Maine.
We have had remarkable success in implementing our vision
Over 5,000 kids on skis every day during the winter
Created two world class cross country and biathlon venues
We have been awarded Biathlon World Cups in 2004 and 2011 and the 2006 World Junior Biathlon Championships.
Over $22 million in grants.
Our success to date has attracted the attention of communities from around the world interested in duplicating our programs.
John Morton has been involved from the beginning of the MWSC. He helped draft an initial feasibility study that led to our first grant and he designed more than a dozen of our 13 community trail systems. He is also the designer of the trails systems at our two world-class venues. In addition to hosting numerous international and national events, the venues have been described by both the FIS and IBU officials during licensing as among the best in the world.
We are very proud of the quality of our skiing infrastructure and know that it has largely been made possible because of the exceptional talents of John. I can highly recommend him for any outdoor recreational project for which he might be considered. I think it is important to add that I have found John, in my 15 years of association with him, to possess the highest personal standards of integrity, work ethic and commitment to his clients and can only imagine a positive experience in working with him.
Andy Shepard, President/CEO, Maine Winter Sports Center
