Took pictures there a few years ago with my wife who is fascinated with abandoned ski areas. I remember they had a retro-looking logo with a penguin on skis. Great article BTW
Skied there in the late’80s and early’90s in high school. Skied there again to teach my daughter around 2010 for a few years. Many great memories skiing with friends and family. The terrain was excellent for beginners. The bunny had a good pitch and width. The other trails weren’t difficult, but had some length to them. The place was small so no one had to worry about getting separated from a group. I often reminisce with my family about Sterling Forest/Tuxedo Ridge. Thanks for this blast from the past.
Lovely writing, Stuart. Obviously there are and have been plenty of authors writing about skiing, but the ones who do it with any penetration, with any sense of an actual voice and point of view, are scarce on the ground. Almost inevitably work gets diluted and neutered by commercial imperatives that publishers live by but readers don't give a crap about, even in the rare cases where maybe a piece started out as something meaty.
Great article..one small area that still exists in Western Mass is Otis Ridge. Would be happy to show you around and make some turns there some time. Maple Valley outside of Brattleboro, VT. Sounds similar to the area you mentioned. The lifts still sit there, silent since 2,000. The lodge is maintained, and I think there is hope for the area, but of my will probably never ski again.
What a great article...thanks! If this was Sterling Forest I had my first lesson there in 1964. I do want to say that lumping Gore with Hunter, Sugarbush, and Killington is a reach. I've pretty much stopped skiing in VT because of all the development, not only at the base of many mountains, but actually on the mountain. Gore gives me Southern VT skiing the way I remember it in the 70's and 80's, a quality mountain with few places to stay on or really near the mountain, and is far enough away from the NYC metro (with Hunter and Windham in-between) that you don't have the masses of buses crowding the lots.
Thanks. Fair point about Gore versus the rest. The lumping-together had more to do with scale and size than anything else, though I agree that skiing there in general is more pleasant than the other named areas.
Oh and if you want to check out Masker Orchards near the old ski area - it would be great (Sorry Stuart for the plug - that's my families apple orchard)
What does this say about culture (less interest in "small" anything), the environment (was there really more snow then?), and the economy (higher costs like insurance and infrastructure, while a smaller pool of employees)? That would make an interesting paper....if we don't already know the outline of it.
Thanks Chris. The vast majority of the lost ski areas seem to be ropetow operations that ran for a year or two, but ones like this are more puzzling. Snowmaking was built up and it was right near a major market. I'd love to dig into it more. I think all the factors you mention play into it, especially the increasing costs of everything (incuding labor). The NELSAP site is great.
My dad patrolled here in the 70s and 80s (I knew it as Sterling Forest)- This was like my home away from home on the weekends. I was let loose all day to explore while he patrolled - Great article. (Oh and now I live in Colorado and well you know - but this resonates with me and you get a sense of family own local hills when you ski the likes of Eldora and A-Basin)
Was originally Sterling Forest Ski Center. A rocking place in the late seventies.
HECK!!!, Yes! I echo Ur sentiments...."SOUL" those areas had......
Was there a reason why the name was never mentioned? Not sure I get the whole reason of leaving out that part?
In short: I didn’t have permission to be there.
Took pictures there a few years ago with my wife who is fascinated with abandoned ski areas. I remember they had a retro-looking logo with a penguin on skis. Great article BTW
Skied there in the late’80s and early’90s in high school. Skied there again to teach my daughter around 2010 for a few years. Many great memories skiing with friends and family. The terrain was excellent for beginners. The bunny had a good pitch and width. The other trails weren’t difficult, but had some length to them. The place was small so no one had to worry about getting separated from a group. I often reminisce with my family about Sterling Forest/Tuxedo Ridge. Thanks for this blast from the past.
Lovely writing, Stuart. Obviously there are and have been plenty of authors writing about skiing, but the ones who do it with any penetration, with any sense of an actual voice and point of view, are scarce on the ground. Almost inevitably work gets diluted and neutered by commercial imperatives that publishers live by but readers don't give a crap about, even in the rare cases where maybe a piece started out as something meaty.
totally agree with that, Tony
Thank you very much.
A small correction: the lift shown in the second, fourth and fifth photos is a Borvig, not a Hall.
Thank you Sir. I will correct.
Great article..one small area that still exists in Western Mass is Otis Ridge. Would be happy to show you around and make some turns there some time. Maple Valley outside of Brattleboro, VT. Sounds similar to the area you mentioned. The lifts still sit there, silent since 2,000. The lodge is maintained, and I think there is hope for the area, but of my will probably never ski again.
Would love to check out Otis Ridge next season!
Probably will never ski again. There are a lot of silent Halls out there....
Where is this lost ski area?
New York!
Sterling Forrest- used to go there with my 3 year old son, it used to get really crowded!
What a great article...thanks! If this was Sterling Forest I had my first lesson there in 1964. I do want to say that lumping Gore with Hunter, Sugarbush, and Killington is a reach. I've pretty much stopped skiing in VT because of all the development, not only at the base of many mountains, but actually on the mountain. Gore gives me Southern VT skiing the way I remember it in the 70's and 80's, a quality mountain with few places to stay on or really near the mountain, and is far enough away from the NYC metro (with Hunter and Windham in-between) that you don't have the masses of buses crowding the lots.
And yes, it was Sterling Forest/Tuxedo Ridge.
my dad tells me that a WWII vet named "Bob" was my instructor...wish I knew more!
Thanks. Fair point about Gore versus the rest. The lumping-together had more to do with scale and size than anything else, though I agree that skiing there in general is more pleasant than the other named areas.
Oh and if you want to check out Masker Orchards near the old ski area - it would be great (Sorry Stuart for the plug - that's my families apple orchard)
Word.
Very well-written, as usual, and very compelling.
Staggering to see the numbers and names in http://www.nelsap.org/ny/ny.html and http://www.nelsap.org/ma/ma.html
What does this say about culture (less interest in "small" anything), the environment (was there really more snow then?), and the economy (higher costs like insurance and infrastructure, while a smaller pool of employees)? That would make an interesting paper....if we don't already know the outline of it.
Thanks Chris. The vast majority of the lost ski areas seem to be ropetow operations that ran for a year or two, but ones like this are more puzzling. Snowmaking was built up and it was right near a major market. I'd love to dig into it more. I think all the factors you mention play into it, especially the increasing costs of everything (incuding labor). The NELSAP site is great.
My dad patrolled here in the 70s and 80s (I knew it as Sterling Forest)- This was like my home away from home on the weekends. I was let loose all day to explore while he patrolled - Great article. (Oh and now I live in Colorado and well you know - but this resonates with me and you get a sense of family own local hills when you ski the likes of Eldora and A-Basin)
Love that. I really hope someone somehow comes up with a plan to bring this place back to life. Enjoy CO!