Jeremy Davis, founder of the absolutely outstanding New England Lost Ski Areas Project (NELSAP) website, just released his third book, Lost Ski Areas of the Southern Adirondacks (to go along with his first two: Lost Ski Areas of the White Mountains, and Lost Ski Areas of Southern Vermont.) In addition to providing something of a welcome escape from the heat and humidity of our seemingly-ever-increasing summer months, the books also serve as excellent hiking guides, outlining routes of reconnaissance exploration so that the areas may be more effectively skiied in the months to come.
What is a “lost ski area”? It is a ski area that is no longer open and being actively operated. Some, like Mt. Tom, enjoyed extensive use, and had lifts, grooming, and all the trapping associated with modern downhill skiing and riding. Others were community areas like Crystal Notch, in Millers Falls, where someone hooked up an engine to a rope tow and hauled kids up their snowy hillside for a dollar a day.
“Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite ski area? Why did it close? What is the history behind it? Ever drive by a closed ski area and wondered what it was? Its legacy?” NELSAP’s website asks. “NELSAP is here to answer your questions. Stories, pictures, and hard facts are used to describe the lost ski areas of New England and elsewhere.”
The site’s entries are mostly written by its readers, and cover “599 lost ski areas in New England and 80 elsewhere,” from Quebec to Colorado to Afghanistan.
And with books now covering the White Mountains, Southern Vermont, and the Southern Adirondacks, there are a lot of nearby day and overnight hiking possibilities indeed!
Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite ski area? Why did it close? What was the history behind it? Ever driven by a closed ski area and wondered what it was, its legacy?Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite ski area? Why did it close? What was the history behind it? Ever driven by a closed ski area and wondered what it was, its legacy?
