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John Webb

mdskier
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Nevada City CA
The one in Virginia I did ski Patrol at has been gone for 25 years.
I bagged any patrol stuff when it died.

Skyline/Big Devil/Rapahannock
 

jmeb

Enjoys skiing.
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Nov 13, 2015
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Colorado
...There are several cool paper-form books out there, too. Any other great resources about lost ski areas to share?
....

I never finished this, but I started digitizing Powder Ghost Towns which covers Colorados lost ski areas.The book is an incredibly valuable resource with beta. All I've done here is put (some of) them on a map.

https://caltopo.com/m/KS11
 
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Uncle Louie

The Original Gathermeister
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499
I hear Brody (spelling??) in western Mass was a good time and the snow being turned green on St. Patty's day just made the day sound like a blast. It's now a summer resort with no more skiing; much sadness.

It was Brodie, aka Kelly's Irish Alps. I was there one year for St. Patty's day in the late 70's. (and my hangover is almost completely gone now!)
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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I hear Brody (spelling??) in western Mass was a good time and the snow being turned green on St. Patty's day just made the day sound like a blast. It's now a summer resort with no more skiing; much sadness.
We used to go there when we lived in Connecticut. Was there for green beer and many other times, too. Skied there once when it was -25° at the base.
 

SShore

Resident Curmudgeon
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There's a good amount of information out there about the ski areas of yesteryear...
  1. Colorado Ski History (includes info about other Rocky Mountain lost areas)
  2. NELSAP (New England Lost Ski Areas Project)
  3. Skiing History Magazine (has all sorts of cool stuff, including some about lost areas)
  4. Lost Ski Areas of Washington forum
There are several cool paper-form books out there, too. Any other great resources about lost ski areas to share?

There are a couple lost ski areas that I haven't been able to learn anything about. Anyone know anything about either?

Mystery Ski Area, Southwest Montana

The first is about 10 miles northwest of Big Sky, 10 miles east of Ennis. Coordinates: 45.347099, -111.551076

The Fan Mountain Topo Map (from 1982 aerial photos, field checked 1985) shows a ski lift of ~850 vertical feet.
View attachment 49193
1995 footage from Google Earth shows the lift line and at least one trail still in pretty sharp relief. The power lines that seem to cut across the bottom portion of the lift line went in around '87 or '88, so the lift was likely already gone by then.
View attachment 49194

I drive right by that every weekend day during the winter on my way to Big Sky and never knew it was there. I bet it was a cold place to ski in that steep canyon with a NE exposure. I'll ask a guy I know in Ennis that has lived here his whole life and has been skiing at BS for 35 years if he knows anything about it.
 

surfsnowgirl

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May 12, 2016
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Magic Mountain, Vermont
We used to go there when we lived in Connecticut. Was there for green beer and many other times, too. Skied there once when it was -25° at the base.

Chilly day, brr and I'll ski in almost anything. We drove past where Brody is/was a couple years ago and it was sad to see the summer resort sign that's there now. I know so many people that go ahhhh Brodie, memories................ I'm fascinated with old/defunct ski areas. Side note, where in CT did you live, just curious?
 

dbostedo

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75% Virginia, 25% Colorado

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Mystery Ski Area, Southwest Montana

The first is about 10 miles northwest of Big Sky, 10 miles east of Ennis. Coordinates: 45.347099, -111.551076

The Fan Mountain Topo Map (from 1982 aerial photos, field checked 1985) shows a ski lift of ~850 vertical feet.

1995 footage from Google Earth shows the lift line and at least one trail still in pretty sharp relief. The power lines that seem to cut across the bottom portion of the lift line went in around '87 or '88, so the lift was likely already gone by then


And here ya go, @New2PDX and @SShore. Jack Creek, courtesy of Stan Cohen's wonderful book:

IMG_20180717_104938.jpg
 
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Tominator

Totally in the present
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326
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Boston Metro West
I hear Brody (spelling??) in western Mass was a good time and the snow being turned green on St. Patty's day just made the day sound like a blast. It's now a summer resort with no more skiing; much sadness.

Yes, I skied Brodie once before its demise - my only foray into the Berkshires (unless you count Mt. Tom in Holyoke back in the '60's). It was a pretty good. I seem to recall they had an easy tree run that was enjoyable.
 

SecretAgentMan

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Never skied Skyline. I am thinking that my great grandfather Charles Anderson might have skied or jumped there. He was born in Sweden, immigrated as a child to Oakland NE ("Swedish Capital of Nebraska"), and eventually farmed in Griggs County about 40-50 miles from Skyline.

1452836640.jpeg


CalTopo hybrid satellite view of Skyline.

From No Fall Snowboarding by Danny Martin.

The ski jump at Skyline was more famous than the alpine runs.

Interesting photos of Sully's Hill ski jump.

Sully's Hill jump from Ski Jumping Hill Archive.
 

Pdub

best day ever
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Oct 24, 2017
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256
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New England
I used to ski here when I was a kid. The steep pitch at the top made you feel like you could tumble right into the Hudson River. Closed in the mid 70s. Less than 1.5 hrs for NYC

Ski Dutchess!
1,000' Vertical overlooking the Hudson in Beacon, NY

. 3 Classic Double Chairlifts . Walter Foeger Parallel Ski School
. Base Lodge with Rustic Snowflake Lounge . 11 Trails - 6 novice, 2 intermediate and 3 advanced . Complete Snow Making Facilities . All Trails lit for Night Skiing


dutchess-map-90.jpg

SLOPES AND TRAILS: 1--Empress; 2--Gypsy; 3--Sleeping Princess; 4--Royal Road; 5--Iron Duke; 6--King David Trail; 7--Courtyard; 8--King Slope; 9--Queen Slope; 10--Red Baron; 11--Esquire Run.
LIFTS: A--Double Chair Lift, 2400'; B--Double Chair Lift, 800'; C--Double Chair Lift, 3100'; D--Middle Station; L--Lodge with ski shop and Snowflake Lounge; P--Parking for 500 cars.

Trail map from the collection of Paul Gromkowski
 

Dave Petersen

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Never skied Skyline. I am thinking that my great grandfather Charles Anderson might have skied or jumped there. He was born in Sweden, immigrated as a child to Oakland NE ("Swedish Capital of Nebraska"), and eventually farmed in Griggs County about 40-50 miles from Skyline.

1452836640.jpeg


CalTopo hybrid satellite view of Skyline.

From No Fall Snowboarding by Danny Martin.

The ski jump at Skyline was more famous than the alpine runs.

Interesting photos of Sully's Hill ski jump.

Sully's Hill jump from Ski Jumping Hill Archive.


I grew up in Fremont, NE!
 

SecretAgentMan

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Aug 7, 2018
Posts
151
I grew up in Fremont, NE!

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Fremont. Nebraska is an interesting state. It has a lot of land; almost all of the land is private; and it has a small population.

I remember driving west through Nebraska as a kid on my way to Aspen Snowmass with my family in the winter of 1974. We were coming from Minnesota and hit I-80 west of Omaha, I think. My aunt Mary knows the exact route. I still remember when the Rocky Mountains first came into view somewhere between Sterling and Fort Morgan. It was cool.

Nebraska. I’ll bet the Scandinavians logging in Meadville back in the 1800s had a few ski runs down the bluffs along the Niobrara. They probably took a horse-drawn wagon up and then schussboom.

This would be enjoyable if in fact the runs existed and remnants of them still exist. Climb up the bluffs after a 20-inch snowfall with your metal-edged XC skis or your randonee set up and ski down to Plum Creek.
 

BC.

NEPA ShopRat/Skier
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Lake Wallenpaupack, PA
Within my area of NEPA (Lake Wallenpaupack) I know of two “lost” ski areas:

-Tanglewood Ski Area (Hawley, PA)
-Alpine Mountain (Canadensis, PA)

I never skied at either when open.....
 
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jmeb

Enjoys skiing.
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Nov 13, 2015
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Colorado
For anyone whose interested in lost ski areas and in Front Range area, you should come see the premier of Abandoned with me at the Oriental theater on Oct 22nd. It is story of some lost ski areas in CO and all proceeds go to support Friends of Berthoud Pass (FOBP) -- a lost ski area now popular for backcountry skiing.

http://www.theorientaltheater.com/event/322642/Abandoned-ski-documentary-and-QA

 
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