Lost Ski Areas

[Bill Talbot]

Having grown up skiing in New England, surrounded by may local and state wide smaller hills seemingly tucked onto every hill of some note, it has now mostly gone away. The town I grew up in had a municipal two rope tow hill, Mount Nebo, were you could go ski in the evenings after school. When that property was seized for the interstate to come through they built us a new one, Northview, a couple miles away. Seemed like every other town had a similar situation too.

Then there were all the tiny public ski areas with T-bars and CHAIR LIFTS!!! These were also in pretty good numbers. NW CT and up the Berkshires in MA were littered with these places. Names like G-Bar-S Ranch, Eastover, Brodie Mt., Petersburg Pass, Mt. Tom, etc.

What places to do remember from the 60's and 70's that have gone away now? I know this was the case everywhere there was regular snowpack throughout the US. Tell us you stories and PICTURES if you've got them!!!

 

[Philpug]

There is a site dedicated to this topic, they are on my list of people to contact to see if we can share content.

 

[Bill Talbot]

Yes of course, EVERYONE knows about, http://www.nelsap.org/

But I want to hear the stories and see the PIX!

 

[Tominator]

I started skiing in 1960 and as a kid skied at many of the small areas in New Hampshire and Vermont now listed on www.nelsap.org. When we moved to our current house back in 1992, I found out there was actually a ski area about 15 minutes away from home: www.nelsap.org/ma/klein.html. I went there once. It was more like a ravine than a hill. But it was skiing.

 

[Ron]

@tam and I were scouting out Mt Baker here near Steamboat on our way back from Copper yesterday! Great thread

 

[jmeb]

I own this which is a pretty good summary of former Colorado areas that you can still get to if you're willing to earn your turns.

http://www.amazon.com/Powder-Ghost-Towns-Backcountry-Colorados/dp/089997466X

 

[Ron]

there's documentary out as well that they show here in CO time to time that's really cool too. I'll look for it.

 

[Monique]

I own this which is a pretty good summary of former Colorado areas that you can still get to if you're willing to earn your turns.

http://www.amazon.com/Powder-Ghost-Towns-Backcountry-Colorados/dp/089997466X

Ordered. Thanks for the pointer.

 

[Don in Morrison]

I made my first turns at Ski Idlewild, practiced my new skills at Meadow Mountain, got beat near to death by windmilling skis at Geneva Basin and lost a set of car keys in the powder at Berthoud.

 

[Bill Talbot]

So this is the first place I ever skied. Yes, now a lost ski area, Eastover Resort in Lenox. MA. Looking at the picture it's almost hard to tell which way the slope runs down! The rope tow ran right up this side of the tree line (and the fence was not there!) In lace leather double boots, wood skis w/screwed on edges and cable bindings. Yes, the 'hold your arm straight up in the air and the ski tip reaches your wrist', was how they sized your skis.

Straight down the hill and had no idea how to stop and into the woods.(I had a few minutes before the first lesson was to start). After watching a few folks grab the rope tow I gave it a shot and got back to the 'top'. Now with the group also waiting for the lesson, a guy skis up to the group and stops in a tip stand in front of us. With an Austrian accent he says his name is "Omar, I'll be your instructor!" He is sporting Head Master metal skis, LOOK Nevada/Grand Prix bindings and Rosemount boots. WOW! THAT made a big impression... I was seven.

And the rest is history!

 

[Dave Petersen]

From my poster collection - Lost Ski Areas of Colorado

 

[Dave Petersen]

Trailridge Ski Area/Nebraski

Long gone ski area between Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. Skied here a few times but usually went to Iowa for the "BIG" hills. If you have traveled across Nebraska to ski Colorado you have driven right by it -- just not too visible from the Interstate.

 

[robski]

View attachment 994

Trailridge Ski Area/Nebraski

Long gone ski area between Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. Skied here a few times but usually went to Iowa for the "BIG" hills. If you have traveled across Nebraska to ski Colorado you have driven right by it -- just not too visible from the Interstate.

Yep, I skied there a few times. I remember bad rental skis with (cubco?) bindings, I think.

 

[Dave Petersen]

 

[SkiNurse]

I own this which is a pretty good summary of former Colorado areas that you can still get to if you're willing to earn your turns.

http://www.amazon.com/Powder-Ghost-Towns-Backcountry-Colorados/dp/089997466X

I have a friend (and her boyfriend) that made it their goal last year to ski as many Powder Ghost Towns from this book as they could. I don't remember how many they did make it too, but I know they plan on continuing until they ski them all. It's a great book and I hope to ski a few myself this year.

 

[James]

Mt. Tom... Vermont!

In Woodstock. Used to be on the same ticket as Suicide Six down the road. Mt. Tom had much more gentle slopes and was the beginner/intermediate area. Suicide Six had some serious trails. The face back then was ungroomed and steep moguls. It was very tough. Not a big jump other than length to go to Stowe.
Both of these areas had pomas only. At Suicide the poma went up a black diamond. Many people walked down who fell off.
As I recall the race camp we went to as kids was at both Suicide and Mt Tom with the final race at Mt Tom. Pretty sure I dnf'd. We did not race on the upper face at Suicide as they do now. For one it had moguls. Second, even if it didn't it would've been too steep for us.

 

[Dave Petersen]

Stopped here about 12 years ago after skiing Welch Village in Minnesota.

STEEPLECHASE SKI AREA near Rochester, MN. I think shortly after the place opened the owner died and with him so did the ski area. If I am wrong please feel free to correct me.

The lodge was made from an old church.

 

[JaneB]

I used to ski at Helderberg Pass in E. Berne, N.Y. It had a rope tow and a warming shack. Kids used to be dropped off there all day and picked up at the end of the day. I remember a few broken legs and many mittens that were ripped off by the rope tow.

 

[Tom K.]

My wife grew up in Butte, Montana, and though not a die hard skier in her youth, did ski two local areas that have vanished.

I believe they were called Z-Bar-T and Beef Trail. I don't have any pics, or know any more about them.

They are gone, but luckily, Discovery Basin (between Anaconda and Philipsburg) and Lost Trail (on the MT/ID border, due south of Missoula) remain. They are two great smallish family areas with good local flavor.

 

[John Webb]

Braddock Heights MD barely a ski area. Had a T-bar lift and snowmaking in the backyard of a bar where
the drunk clients would laugh at the skiers, Closed 25 years ago. T-bar still there 5 years ago- overgrown in weeds.

Big Devil (Aka Skyline, Rappahannock ) VA near 5 star Inn Of Little Washington. Bought by Camelback and died
2 years later in a no snow year. I was ski patrol there.

Ski Cherokee Linden VA (near Front Royal) underfunded - died soon after opening

Alpine Lake WV long gone as a ski area driven by real estate. Still selling real estate I skied there once.

Laurel Mt PA Good ski area owned by PA. I skied there a lot. died 20 years ago. came back once, died again.
May come back again next year. Don't hold your breath !