How many of these "old school" ski areas have you skied?

[CarverJill]

Oh a good old school resort is Bogus Basin in the mountains above Boise, ID (https://bogusbasin.org/). I'm not sure you can call it a resort but its a decent place to ski if you live nearby. I think its still a non profit too!

1800′ Vertical Feet, Top–7,582′
Lifts & Capacity- 3 Detachable High Speed Quads, 1 triple chair, 3 double chairs, 4 conveyer lift,
Lift capacity – 9,980 riders/hour
Vertical transport feet: 10,383
Ski-able Terrain - 2,600 acres for day skiing, 165 acres for night skiing, 37K groomed Nordic trails
Designated Runs- 91 named runs, 22% Easiest 45% More Difficult 33% Most Difficult

Also there is Snow Valley in Running Spring CA. Its in the mountains east of LA. https://www.snow-valley.com/

 

[lisamamot]

Mad River Glen
Going to Brighton/Solitude in March

There is such a wide variety on the original list. Cochran’s in the same category as Mad River is a wide net! Cochran’s was started in the family’s back yard and has 350’ of vertical drop and 15 acres. They built it for their kids who obviously went on to do amazing things. I have been there many times to watch my nephews race, but have never skied it myself.

Smugglers Notch, which is missing from the list, feels just like it did in the 70s (at least Madonna and Sterling). Pretty sure those are the same lifts!

 

[nopoleskier]

Not sure if my home MT. Royal Mt in Caroga Lake fits the bill, https://www.royalmountain.com/skisite.php
it's old style to us.. we do know have 3 chairs about 550-650 Vertical. been in business since the 1950's..
I'm surprised how many on the list I've been too!

 

[marzNC]

Oh a good old school resort is Bogus Basin in the mountains above Boise, ID (https://bogusbasin.org/). I'm not sure you can call it a resort but its a decent place to ski if you live nearby. I think its still a non profit too!

1800′ Vertical Feet, Top–7,582′
Lifts & Capacity- 3 Detachable High Speed Quads, 1 triple chair, 3 double chairs, 4 conveyer lift,
Lift capacity – 9,980 riders/hour
Vertical transport feet: 10,383
Ski-able Terrain - 2,600 acres for day skiing, 165 acres for night skiing, 37K groomed Nordic trails
Designated Runs- 91 named runs, 22% Easiest 45% More Difficult 33% Most Difficult

Also there is Snow Valley in Running Spring CA. Its in the mountains east of LA. https://www.snow-valley.com/

Snow Valley is family-owned, has 88 acres, and a 4-pack lift ticket deal for $99. Sounds pretty old school to me.

Have heard of Bogus before. That goes in the >500 acres list. The idea of 165 acres of night skiing is pretty interesting to someone who has skied in the southeast where 100 acres is a big ski area. Not that many places out west with night skiing.

 

[marzNC]

Since we are on a new page, here's the list as it stands now. The idea behind "old school" is that a ski area/resort has low key vibe, is family friendly, is a good place to learn for children and adults, is often lower cost, and usually less worry about lift lines. This is not a scientific list. Simply a list of places mentioned by Divas, usually because they have had first-hand experience or a little research online makes it obvious that the place is probably "old school." The size split is purely arbitrary.

Still have a few others that have been mentioned in this thread to research at some point. I'm maintaining the list off-line now that it's so long. Keep the suggestions coming.

MORE THAN 500 ACRES

Alta Ski Area, UT
Bogus Basin, ID
Brian Head, UT
Brighton Resort, UT
Powder Mountain (restricts number of day tickets), UT
Loveland, CO
Sunlight Mountain (near Aspen), CO
Powder horn (near Grand Junction), CO
Bridger Bowl (non-profit), MT
Turner Mountain, MT
Lost Trail Pass, MT
Lookout Pass, ID/MT
Pebble Creek (near Pocatello), ID
Pomerelle (500 acres), ID
Soldier Mountain (cat skiing), ID
Mt. Spokane, WA
White Pass, WA
Anthony Lakes (cat skiing), OR
Dodge Ridge, CA
Homewood Mountain Resort (views of Lake Tahoe), CA

LESS THAN 500 ACRES

Mount Abram, ME
Shawnee Peak (formerly Pleasant Mountain), ME
Cannon, NH
Tenney, NH
Wildcat Mountain, NH
Ascuteny, VT
Cochran's Ski Area, VT
Mad River Glen (coop ownership), VT
Magic Mountain, VT
Suicide Six, VT
Berkshire East, MA
Nashoba Valley (near Boston), MA
Ski Butternut, MA
Powder Ridge, CT
Yawgoo Valley, RI
Greek Peak, NY
Mt. Royal, NY
Plattekill, NY
Titus Mountain, NY
West PA (drive from Pittsburgh or DC):
Blue Knob; Laurel Mountain
East PA (drive from Philly or DC):
Elk; Jack Frost/Big Boulder; Montage; Roundtop; Shawnee Mountain
Timberline, WV
Appalachian, NC
Cataloochee, NC

Pine Creek, WY
Ski Cooper, CO
Sipapu, NM
Bluewood, WA
Summit East at Snoqualmie Pass, WA
Loup Loup Ski Bowl (non-profit), WA
Mount Ashland (non-profit), OR
Mt. Waterman (weekends only), CA
Yosemite Ski&Board formerly Badger Pass, CA

 

[TeleChica]

Fun list! Here's where I've skied:

MORE THAN 500 ACRES

Alta Ski Area, UT
Brighton Resort, UT

LESS THAN 500 ACRES

Mount Abram, ME
Cannon, NH
Tenney, NH
Wildcat Mountain, NH
Ascuteny, VT
Mad River Glen (coop ownership), VT
Magic Mountain, VT
Nashoba Valley (near Boston), MA

I would have to add these (that I've also skied at):

Whitewater--definitely old school and well worth going
Dartmouth Skiway
Bolton Valley
Snow Trails (OH; pretty much anything in this state is old school)
Schweitzer Mountain (ID)
Grand Targee

Another I haven't been to but would love to go:
Mount Bohemia (MI)

 

[marzNC]

Another I haven't been to but would love to go:
Mount Bohemia (MI)

Oh yes, I've been paying attention to Mt Bohemia for a few years after they did so well in the online voting contests. Have heard they added a hot tub next to the bar.

I would have to add these (that I've also skied at):

Whitewater--definitely old school and well worth going
Dartmouth Skiway
Bolton Valley
Snow Trails (OH; pretty much anything in this state is old school)
Schweitzer Mountain (ID)
Grand Targee

Will put these on my list for the next posting. I stopped by the Dartmouth Skiway in the fall. Pretty strange to have a road between the two sections so that you have to take off skis and walk from one to another.

Agree that GT should be on the list. Although may feel a little less old school now that they replaced the old double. Certainly very different vibe from JH on the other side of the Teton Pass. Driggs is a cute town.

 

[Snowmonkey]

From the original list, I've skied Magic mtn, MRG, and Wildcat. Some others that have been mentioned where I've skied are Suicide Six, Cannon, Berkshire East. I actually spent my early ski days (which weren't all that long ago) at Greek Peak before moving to Massachusetts.

My very first time on downhill skis ever was at Hickory mtn in the Adirondacks. That place was so old school that they only had t bars and no seated lifts. What a fantastic place, though! They don't make snow and have had funding issues, so they haven't opened the past few winters, which is a real bummer.

Some other places I've skied that I would consider old school are Pico, Burke, Crotched, and possibly Gore, although Gore is slowly modernizing. I love all these places and naturally drift to them over the more modern ski areas. I definitely have Mt. Bohemia on the bucket list!

 

[marzNC]

I would agree that Gore is trying to move away from being considered "old school." Now that the ORDA mountains are on the MAX Pass, that may also start changing the vibe in terms of who is on the slopes.

I stopped by and checked out the base of Hickory a few years ago. Just a little too small and too far away from population centers to build up enough local support to keep it going unfortunately. There are some fun pics of skiing at Hickory on the NYSkiBlog.

View from a distance of the hill as it sticks up from the surrounding countryside


T-bar

 

[Snowmonkey]

Oh man that t bar brings back memories! I thought I was going to die of embarrassment before I finally figured out how to hold onto that thing and get towed up the hill. The liftee was so patient and truly wonderful, though, and it only took me three attempts before I got it.

 

[CarverJill]

I think Hickory is the place my Dad wanted to drive by and stop at on our way somewhere. I was old enough to remember and knew how to ski. At the time I was mad that we weren't skiing there but had just stopped by to see it. I remember they had the very old style lift ticket that was just paper stapled together, no sticker, plastic affixed with a zip tie or RFID. I also remember a few tow lifts from the main base area where we walked around. This was probably 1980's.

 

[marzNC]

Is Eldora considered "old school"? Or is it losing that feeling with the construction of the new high-speed quad that opened for 2017-18. The lift cost $5 million and another $5 million was spent by Powdr on other enhancements.

https://www.dailycamera.com/boulder...23/high-speed-5m-lift-slated-eldora-2017-2018

https://theknow.denverpost.com/2017/11/24/eldora-new-improved-lift-base-experience/167784/

The Denver Post article note that a new feature is uphill traffic . . . for a price:

" . . . Eldora, in a shift from previous owners’ rules banning uphill traffic, is embracing skinning skiers, who flock to the hill regularly. This year Eldora will again host COSMIC ski mountaineering races on a weekend in early December. But Tregaskis isn’t losing money on the skinning masses. He’s charging them $99 extra for an upgrade to their existing season pass or $159 for a stand-alone uphill pass. That’s probably the priciest uphill pass in Colorado — where most resorts offer uphill access for free or a modest fee — but it’s paid for new signage, trails and ski patrollers who now work extra hours to accommodate the uphillers. . . ."

 

[W8N2SKI]

Is Eldora considered "old school"? Or is it losing that feeling with the construction of the new high-speed quad that opened for 2017-18. The lift cost $5 million and another $5 million was spent by Powdr on other enhancements.

I skied Eldora in the early 80's. The road going up was dirt and had no guard rails. The parking "lot" if you could call it that, was a field. Sounds like it has changed.

 

[GoingDownhillWeeeee!]

Does Echo Mountain count? 1 (slow) lift, park right next to the lodge, and I think one of the owners/managers/I-don't-know-for-sure remembers me from Christie's Sports in September, which strikes me as old fashioned service but could just be a reflection on the size of the operation.

 

[marzNC]

Does Echo Mountain count? 1 (slow) lift, park right next to the lodge, and I think one of the owners/managers/I-don't-know-for-sure remembers me from Christie's Sports in September, which strikes me as old fashioned service but could just be a reflection on the size of the operation.

Based on what the current owners want to do, I'll add Echo to the list. Echo was either for terrain parks or private race training until recently so that's probably why it hasn't been mentioned yet. Only an hour from downtown Denver.

https://www.echomountainresort.com/about-us/history

"In October 2016, Echo Mountain changed ownership once again with a renewed vision for the area to broaden its appeal and offer a close, affordable option for snow sports and outdoors enthusiasts in Colorado's rapidly growing front range. The new owners are working hard to create an unprecedented personal experience and tap into Echo Mountain's great potential."

 

[sibhusky]

Recently there was an article in the Boston Globe about "old school" ski areas. How many of this list have you heard of? How many have you skied? Note that both MRG and Alta are on the list so my question really is more for skiers. As the article states, this is just a sample. There are quite a few others that fit the description. The one that jumps to mind is Plattekill in NY. And Tenney Mountain in NH, which hopefully will be open this season.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifesty...these-resorts/2HVuPgXZxHXGcRl2ea6HsL/amp.html

Mount Abram, ME
Magic Mountain, VT
Mad River Glen, VT
Cochran's Ski Area, VT
Wildcat Mountain, NH
Ski Butternut, MA
Sunlight Mountain, CO
Alta Ski Area, UT
Brighton Resort, UT
Mount Ashland, OR
Homewood Mountain Resort, CA

Three. But I was old school when I did them. Skied Butternut regularly the winter of 77-78, then we moved south and it no longer made sense.
Skied Wildcat once in college, maybe 1973?
Skied Alta a few days about 20 years ago.

 

[sibhusky]

We've skied Wildcat and really liked it.

I think Cannon should be added to that list too. No frills, just skiing.

Skied that one day in 1973. Coldest ski day of my whole life.

 

[sibhusky]

I feel like there are so many other little areas you are missing. I'm not quite sure what makes them old school. I can think of a few more but know there are so many out there. Its hard to know what places are still open or have gotten super commercialized if you haven't been recently. If you are looking to compile a list here are some of my suggestions of places to check out:
Big Birch/Thunder Ridge in NY (https://thunderridgeski.com/) - this is where I learned to ski as a kid
Snow Valley in Running Springs CA near LA (https://www.snow-valley.com/)
Greek Peak in upstate NY (https://greekpeak.net/)
Bolton Valley, VT (https://www.boltonvalley.com/the-mountain/snow-report-and-maps/maps)
Big Tupper, NY
Holimont, in upstate NY (https://www.holimont.com/)
Swain in upstate NY(https://swain.com/) - where I skiied in college

Greek Peak is where I got hooked on skiing. I learned in Austria, hated it. Got shorter skis and more lessons at Greek Peak and discovered it could be fun.

 

[sibhusky]

Having skied Camelback for over twenty years, and Bridger numerous times while my daughter was racing, I don't know how you declare Bridger old school and not Camelback. Bridger has a much nicer base area lodge for one thing, plus the mid mountain restaurant. To me as "feel" goes, there's not much to choose between them other than skier density. Bridger is thirty years ahead of Turner and Blacktail. They've got high speed lifts! To me, a high speed lift instantly eliminates you from the "old school" vibe.

Denton in PA, if it's still open, would be my choice for oldest "feel" in PA. We stayed in a little cabin right at the base area. Extremely basic cabin. I was happy it had electricity.

 

[marzNC]

Having skied Camelback for over twenty years, and Bridger numerous times while my daughter was racing, I don't know how you declare Bridger old school and not Camelback. Bridger has a much nicer base area lodge for one thing, plus the mid mountain restaurant. To me as "feel" goes, there's not much to choose between them other than skier density. Bridger is thirty years ahead of Turner and Blacktail. They've got high speed lifts! To me, a high speed lift instantly eliminates you from the "old school" vibe.

Denton in PA, if it's still open, would be my choice for oldest "feel" in PA. We stayed in a little cabin right at the base area. Extremely basic cabin. I was happy it had electricity.

Now that Camelback has an indoor waterpark and a lot of other 4-season activities and amenities, I don't think the people who ski there regularly would be happy at an "old school" ski areas in PA like Blue Knob or Elk or the recently re-opened Laurel Mountain. The impression I get from the current Camelback website is small ski resort. Reminds me of Snowshoe.

Denton stopped having any skiing a while back.