On, January 23, the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum presented The Lost Ski Areas of the Waterbury, Stowe and Morrisville as part of its ongoing Lost Ski Areas of Vermont exhibit at the museum.
At one point there were five ski areas in both Waterbury and Stowe, two in Morrisville, and one each in Hyde Park, Johnson, Jeffersonville, and Cambridge? And the second rope tow in Vermont was built in Cambridge.
Ski historian Brian Lindner and Searching for Vermont’s Lost Ski Areas exhibit curator Poppy Gall will share the stories of 15 lost ski areas. These include one demolished during the construction of Interstate 89 and another that trucked in snow from New York State during a snow drought. Audience members will be encouraged to share their own stories of long-forgotten ski areas located between Waterbury, Morrisville, and Cambridge.
Over the decades, Vermont has lost 185 ski areas, leaving only 20 remaining today. Those lost ski areas are part of the larger exhibit at the museum which opened this fall. It is a remarkable and compelling exhibit that reveals the birth of what is now one of Vermont’s biggest draws but also highlights the incredible consolidation and corporatization that happened in Vermont between the early days of family-owned small backyard ski areas to what exists in the state today.
The Mad River Valley was one home to no less than seven ski areas including the Warren Outing Club Tow which ran from the 1930s to the early 1940s. It was the first ski area in The Valley and was located on the Ulie Austin property, what is now the town gravel pit.
The Foot of the Mountain ski area in Fayston ran from 1947-1963 and featured a 1200 foot rope tow managed and operated by Raymond Thorpe. A 500-foot rope tow was available at the Tucker Hill Lodge ski area which opened in 1949. Its closure date is unknown.
Al’s Rope Tow, a “rope tow for ski racers” according to the late Al Hobart was originally located on what is now Mad River Glen’s Practice Slope. Details about The Valley’s other lost ski areas are discoverable at the museum as well as a fascinating look back at the nascent industry.
There are quirks and one-offs, (there was an early attempt to operate a chair lift on an elevated rail platform in southern Vermont) as well as a well-provisioned 10th Mountain Infantry display.
This week’s discussion complements the Museum’s new exhibit, Searching for Vermont’s Lost Ski Areas - Part 2, which highlights all known “lost” ski areas in Vermont; those now defunct as well as “lost and found” areas that have been revived after years of closure. Part 2 includes new discoveries and a handful of ski areas that were planned but never opened. To learn more about the exhibit or to share information about a Vermont lost ski area, visit our website; https://www.vtssm.org/
Doors to the Museum at 1 South Main Street, Stowe, open at 6 p.m., and guests are invited to explore the exhibits and socialize. The discussion begins at 6:30 p.m. Event admission is $10 and helps support the Museum's mission to “collect, preserve, and celebrate Vermont's rich skiing and snowboarding history.”
