Eastman's Trails Are Already Paid For. The Indy XC Pass Points Owners Elsewhere.
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
On September 1, 2026, Indy Pass named Eastman Cross Country in Grantham as one of its new cross-country partners for the 2026–27 season. For most of the region's skiers, that means two free days on Eastman's trails. For people who own a house or condo inside Eastman, the deal works differently. Their trail access already comes with the annual assessment, so the two Eastman days on the pass add nothing they don't already have. What they gain is two days at each of the other partners on the list, plus an easier way for skiing relatives to come visit.
Eastman joined the XC list in the same announcement as six other centers: Nordic Elm Creek in Minnesota, Granby Ranch in Colorado, Jay Peak XC and Sleepy Hollow in Vermont, and Osceola Tug Hill XC Ski Center and Scotts Cobble/High Peaks XC in New York. Indy's partner page for Eastman uses the center's own description: groomed trails "through scenic woodlands or the gentler open terrain on our golf course." The same listing breaks the terrain down as 48% beginner, 39% intermediate and 13% advanced, with no blackout dates.
The Indy XC Pass costs $99 for adults and $49 for kids for 26/27. At every cross-country partner it includes two free trail-pass days, a third day at 25% off the rack rate, and no blackout dates. Indy also folds those same two XC days into its Indy Base and Indy+ alpine passes.
Eastman's Universal Amenity Program is the key to all of this. For fiscal year 2027, which runs April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027, the UAP costs $308 per household and is paid automatically with each home or condo owner's annual assessment. It covers the cross-country trails along with the pool, fitness center, driving range, and tennis and pickleball courts. Owners, their children of any age, those children's significant others, the owners' parents and the owners' grandchildren all ski at no extra cost.
So the same two Indy days are worth very different amounts depending on who holds the pass. Here are the trail-access figures Eastman currently posts on its ski page and in its UAP description:
| Who is on the trail | How they get access | Cost as posted |
|---|---|---|
| Home or condo owner and listed family | UAP, included in the assessment | No per-use charge |
| Undeveloped lot owner | Optional UAP purchase | $308 per household, FYE2027 |
| Short-term renter or vacationer, under 90 days | Seven-consecutive-day family pass | $118, FYE2027 |
| Public skier, adult | Full-day or half-day trail pass | $20 or $17 |
| Public skier, junior | Full-day or half-day trail pass | $12 or $11 |
| Public skier, season | Adult, junior or family season pass | $150, $75 or $325 |
At the posted $20 adult day rate, two Eastman days are worth $40 to a visitor who would otherwise pay at the window. To an owner, they're worth nothing extra because the trails are already covered. That means an owner gets the value of the $99 pass entirely from other trail networks. The UAP details above come from Eastman's posted program terms. This is general information, not legal or financial advice, so confirm how the program applies to your own household with the Eastman Community Association.
Indy lists Woodstock Nordic Center in Woodstock, Vermont, among its cross-country resorts, with 45 km of trail length and 48 trails. Eastman describes its own system as 21 km (13 miles) of groomed trails plus one ungroomed trail. On paper, then, one Indy day in Woodstock puts an Eastman skier on roughly twice the trail length they have at home.
Beyond Woodstock, these New Hampshire and Vermont centers appear in Indy's cross-country listings:
Two free days at each of those ten centers adds up to twenty trail days on one $99 adult pass. For owners whose home trails are already covered, that is what the money buys.
The alpine side of Indy also has close neighbors. Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme Center, Whaleback Mountain in Enfield and Saskadena Six in Woodstock all appear on Indy's resort list. Anyone who holds an Indy Base or Indy+ pass for those mountains already has the two XC days at Eastman built in.
For hosts, the partnership has a second effect. On top of household access, the UAP gives each owner 14 one-day passes for extended family, friends and property renters. The program's own examples of extended family include aunts, uncles, siblings, nephews, nieces and cousins. Once a household uses up those 14 days, any more guest skiing is billed at Eastman's ECA daily rates.
Because Indy lists Eastman as an XC partner for 26/27, a visiting sister or friend with an Indy XC Pass gets two trail-pass days at Eastman with the pass, and a third day at 25% off the rack rate. Those days don't come out of the household's 14. For a family that hosts the same skiing relatives every February break, that leaves more of the allotment for guests who don't have a pass. The Eastman ski page still marks its Indy Pass details as coming soon, so check there before a guest's first Indy day.
Indy holders and Eastman owners check in differently. Indy's How It Works page tells pass holders to go to the ticket window with their physical pass or a matching government-issued ID. Indy also says each partner can set its own reservation and capacity rules, and its reservations page sends pass holders to each resort's own listing for those details. Eastman asks ECA members and season-pass holders to check in through the Eastman app or website, or in person at the Cross Country Center.
The Center posts these hours: Wednesday through Friday, 9 to 4, and Saturday and Sunday, 9 to 5. The ski page also lists:
Eastman doesn't date any of those prices to this season, so check the ski page before your first visit.
The ECA's Winter Sports Subcommittee is scheduled to meet on December 9, 2026. Owners who want a say in how the trails run with more visitors carrying Indy passes can bring it up there.
The trails and the Center's year-round tavern draw from the same membership. Eastman describes Forbes Tavern and Events at The Center at Eastman as open to both the public and members, with dine-in and takeout. Its events calendar lists trivia every Wednesday and a cornhole tournament every Thursday with a $10 buy-in. Live music on the calendar includes Brooks Hubbard on November 20, Justin Federico on November 21 and Dan Rockett on November 28. In December, Ali T plays the 5th, Bobby Sheehan the 11th and Jordan Holmes the 13th. Check the tavern's page for the latest lineup before you head over.
Down the hill, the town's municipal calendar lists Grantham's Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the lower level of Grantham Town Hall. It promises cookies, crafts, cocoa and caroling, and all are welcome. Town Offices and the Transfer Station close for Thanksgiving on November 26 and 27.
If you're weighing what Eastman's amenities, from the ski trails to the UAP, add to a home's value this winter, the team at VTNH Realty follows those details closely. Request a free home valuation and we'll show you how your property compares.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
