SEARCHING FOR VERMONT’S LOST SKI AREAS

Have you ever heard of Hedgehog Hovel, Buckturd Basin, or Freak Peak?

All are part of our newest exhibit Searching for Vermont's Lost Ski Areas. Take a schuss down memory lane and join us between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm on Friday, December 1st for our Exhibit Opening Party. von Trapp Brewery beer and Stowe Cider will be served. Admission is free but donations, at the door or in advance, are greatly appreciated.

The Museum’s search for information about Vermont’s “lost” ski areas, those that at one time operated a mechanical tow, has been a more than 20-year endeavor. 175 “lost” areas from Vernon to Newport have been identified and located on a large format map created for the exhibit. “Lost and found” ski areas, and 20 areas still in operation today, are also identified.

Drawing from information, photographs and memorabilia in the museum’s collection, and with help from local historical societies, Part I of Searching for Vermont’s Lost Ski Areas features the unique character of 70 “lost” areas between the Massachusetts border and Rte. 4, from small community tows to bigger areas with multiple lifts.

Of those 70, Woodstock, Snow Valley, Dutch Hill, Hogback, and Mt. Ascutney are highlighted with even more detail and colorful information. Visitors will learn about the installation of the first rope tow in the United States, snow trains and the beginnings of ski tourism, the first snowmaking system in the state, and Vermont’s first Sno-Cat skiing operation.

The search for more information about Vermont’s lost ski areas is ongoing and the Museum welcomes input from those who have memories and photos to share. Part II of the exhibit will push further north and will open next season.