Lost Ski Area: Tour of Blue Marsh Ski Area, formerly North Heidelberg Ski Club

[theprogram4]

[Mixilplix]

Good work ...A real shame it never materialized ......

[zzslope]

I learned to ski at Belle Mt. in Lambertville in the mid/late 70's. They kept skiers from sliding into the street with haybale walls, every once in a while someone would ski into one. Those walls stopped a lot of runaway skis from going into the street. I remember many winter nights sitting in a car in the parking lot across the street with friends, partying and watching for wipeouts. 

Another lost ski area was on route 611 in Pipersville pa. at the intersection of route 413 and route 611. I remember it being called the Pipersville Chalet. The ski area closed long ago, but the lodge is still an operating bar/restaurant.

[momskeeztoo]

On 3/11/2021 at 1:08 PM, zzslope said:

Belle Mt. in Lambertville

I grew up not far from there. In middle school, it was called Jr. high school back then, 9th graders got to go on a ski trip there. I can’t remember if they had snowmaking. I believe it was run by the county. 

[EdBacon]

I'd ask if anyone can guess it but... the hearse probably gives it away.

Edited May 2, 2021 by EdBacon

[toast21602]

Nice! I didn’t realize that they still had a chairlift up. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Tuxedo ridge NY

[Kyle]

3 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Tuxedo ridge NY

Thanks 

[EdBacon]

Here's the video of Tuxedo Ridge. Ton of stuff left behind. The owners look like they just walked away six years ago. There's some great retro ski lifts if you're into that sort of thing. Two old Borvig double chairs and a very cool early 60s Poma double chair. 

 

[toast21602]

2 hours ago, EdBacon said:

Here's the video of Tuxedo Ridge. Ton of stuff left behind. The owners look like they just walked away six years ago. There's some great retro ski lifts if you're into that sort of thing. Two old Borvig double chairs and a very cool early 60s Poma double chair. 

 

Fantastic, as always. 

[EdBacon]

What remains of the oldest ski area in New Jersey. Craigmeur opened in 1937 and offered Jersey skiers a place to learn for sixty years before closing in 1997. Some cool relics remain including an old snowcat, rope tows and a very 70s looking sign in the woods. This was one of the last small beginner operations in the region to close. 
 

 

[EdBacon]

Been a while since I've been up to this. Also I've visited pretty much everything in a day's driving distance.

Got up to MA last fall and checked out what remains of Mt. Tom. 

 

[EdBacon]

Anyone want to guess for the next one?

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

13 minutes ago, EdBacon said:

Anyone want to guess for the next one?

Tanglewood?

[JFskiDan]

No intelligent guess will come from me. 

[theprogram4]

21 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Tanglewood?

I remember your TR from there after races with ski999

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 hour ago, theprogram4 said:

I remember your TR from there after races with ski999

Yup I’ll see if I can bump it.  I was only 26 then and now I’m 44 sheesh 

[rgrwilco]

On 9/9/2023 at 1:27 PM, EdBacon said:

Anyone want to guess for the next one?

The only ski area with a view looking west towards hunter would be Cortina Valley.

[EdBacon]

5 hours ago, rgrwilco said:

The only ski area with a view looking west towards hunter would be Cortina Valley.

The Biggest Little Mountain in the Catskills! 

Somebody tried to run a hotel out of the lodge but that folded a few years ago. I think somebody might be living in the lodge now. 

Edited September 12, 2023 by EdBacon

[EdBacon]

I couldn't hang around Cortina Valley too much.

Somebody tried to turn the lodge and base area into a hotel resort in 2020, right in time for the pandemic. I don't think it lasted more than a year. Even though its closed I think somebody lives there now. But I did walk up to the top.

 

[Ride Delaware ?]

My guess on that one would have been Highmount next door to Belleayre.  I’d really like to make it to Bell this year.  I haven’t been in over 10 years and haven’t experienced any of the improvements ORDA has done, including the ski bridge and gondola.  I don’t know about build out, but I know they acquired the old Highmount ski area years ago, and this approved plan does show that it is part of the future plans.  It would be rather large and add another base area to split up the crowds if they ever completed it.  ORDA has had a quantifiable impact.  Since 2015/2016 to 2022/2023 skier visits have gone from 72k to 237k.

 

[EdBacon]

Abandoned gondola in New Hampshire. 1300 feet of vert. Legit steeps. Gorgeous views north to the White Mtns. They never had any chairlifts, just the gondola to access the summit and three t-bars on the bottom mountain. 

The last owner ran an Italian restaurant in Conway, NH. 

 

[Benm]

 

Pretty cool, thanks for that

15 minutes ago, EdBacon said:

 

[Ride Delaware ?]

On 12/5/2023 at 7:26 PM, EdBacon said:

Abandoned gondola in New Hampshire. 1300 feet of vert. Legit steeps. Gorgeous views north to the White Mtns. They never had any chairlifts, just the gondola to access the summit and three t-bars on the bottom mountain. 

The last owner ran an Italian restaurant in Conway, NH. 

 

Only gondola I’ve ever ridden in NH is Loon’s old 4 seater.  I think it’s still in use.  I think Bretton Woods has one now too.  Not too many in NH…

[EdBacon]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:35 PM, Ride Delaware ? said:

Only gondola I’ve ever ridden in NH is Loon’s old 4 seater.  I think it’s still in use.  I think Bretton Woods has one now too.  Not too many in NH…

So, this is pretty wild. Somebody commented on the video describing how the gondola system worked back in the 60s. I thought it was a fixed grip lift that they just ran slow enough to let people on and off since it just looked like a simple haul line and bull wheel design. Apparently the gondolas were detachable, but an attendant had to manually detach the gondola and reattach it to the line as you boarded and got off. Fun stuff. I guess there was a hanger system to hold each gondola as it departed and was taken back up.