marzNC
Angel Diva
As noted back in July 2019 when I started this thread, the list is not meant to be comprehensive. It's mostly names of ski areas mentioned by Divas or that I have first-hand experience with or curiosity about based on what I've learned elsewhere. Since the NYSkiBlog covers New York in a comprehensive way, I haven't spent much time searching out old school places there.
Here's the latest version of my personal list. My thinking about "old school" is that there is a low key vibe, the lodge and terrain are family friendly, there are good areas to learn for children and adults, often lower cost, and less worry about lift lines even on weekends. The split at 500 acres is purely arbitrary.
In short, this is a list of suggestions of places to explore and discuss, and not meant to be comprehensive. Best to check on details if considering checking a ski area out as some places are only open a few days a week even during mid-season.
? - old school to some people, but not to others
Bold - not on the list the last time I posted it
CANADA
QUE: Mont Blanc, Mont Gabriel, Mont Garçeau, Vorlage
ONT: Batawa Ski Club
NL: Smokey Mountain
BC: Whitewater (1200 acres)
MORE THAN 500 ACRES
49 Degrees North, WA
Mt. Spokane, WA
White Pass, WA
Willamette Pass, WA
Anthony Lakes (cat skiing), OR
Hoodoo, OR
Dodge Ridge, CA
Homewood Mountain Resort (views of Lake Tahoe), CA
Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA
Diamond Peak, NV
Blacktail, MT - bought by Mission Ridge Nov 2021
?Bridger Bowl (non-profit), MT
Great Divide, MT
Turner Mountain, MT
Lost Trail Pass, MT
Lookout Pass, ID/MT
Bogus Basin, ID
Brundage, ID
Pebble Creek (near Pocatello), ID
Pomerelle, ID
?Grand Targhee, WY
?Alta Ski Area, UT
Beaver Mountain, UT
Brian Head, UT
Brighton Resort, UT
Powder Mountain (restricts number of day tickets), UT
Eldora, CO
Loveland, CO
Monarch, CO
Powder Horn (near Grand Junction), CO
Sunlight Mountain (near Aspen), CO
Wolf Creek, CO
Santa Fe, NM
Mt. Bohemia, MI
?Sugarloaf, ME
OLD SCHOOL LESS THAN 500 ACRES
CA: Badger Pass (in Yosemite), Boreal, Granlibbakken, Mt. Waterman, Soda Springs, Snow Valley
WA: Bluewood, Loup Loup Ski Bowl (non-profit), Summit East at Snoqualmie Pass
OR: Mount Ashland (non-profit), Ferguson Ridge
MT: Maverick Mountain
WY: Pine Creek
CO: Echo, Howelsen Hill, Monarch, Ski Cooper, Wolf Creek
NM: Pajarito, Sipapu
Midwest in general: any ski area on the Indy Pass
MI: Nubs Nob
IA: Seven Oaks
ME: Mount Abram, Shawnee Peak (formerly Pleasant Mountain), Black Mountain (non-profit), Lost Valley, Big Rock (non-profit, formerly Mars Hill Skiway)
NH in general, except Loon: Arrowhead (non-profit), Attitash, Black Mountain, Cannon, Cranmore, Crotched, Dartmouth Skiway, Ragged, Tenney, Waterville Valley, Wildcat
VT:
Ascutney (non-profit), Bolton Valley, Bromley, Cochran's Ski Area, Mad River Glen (coop ownership), Middlebury Ski Bowl, Magic Mountain, Northeast Slopes, ?Pico, Queechee, ?Smuggler’s Notch, Suicide Six
MA: Berkshire East, Bousquet, Catamount (on NY border), Nashoba Valley (near Boston), Ski Butternut
CT: Mohawk, Powder Ridge
RI: Yawgoo Valley
NY:
Western NY: Buffalo Ski Center, Kissing Bridge, Snow Ridge
Central NY: Greek Peak, Labrador, Plattekill, Song, Swain
Catskills NY: ?Belleayre, Mt. Peter, Plattekill
Upstate NY: ?Gore, McCauley, Mt. Royal, Thunder Ridge, Titus Mountain, West Mountain
PA:
West (drive from Pittsburgh or DC): Blue Knob; Laurel Mountain
East PA (drive from Philly or DC): Big Bear at Masthope Mt.; Elk; Jack Frost/Big Boulder; Montage; Shawnee Mountain
WV: Winterplace, Canaan Valley, ?Timberline
NC: Appalachian, Beech, ?Sugar, Cataloochee
Here's the latest version of my personal list. My thinking about "old school" is that there is a low key vibe, the lodge and terrain are family friendly, there are good areas to learn for children and adults, often lower cost, and less worry about lift lines even on weekends. The split at 500 acres is purely arbitrary.
In short, this is a list of suggestions of places to explore and discuss, and not meant to be comprehensive. Best to check on details if considering checking a ski area out as some places are only open a few days a week even during mid-season.
? - old school to some people, but not to others
Bold - not on the list the last time I posted it
CANADA
QUE: Mont Blanc, Mont Gabriel, Mont Garçeau, Vorlage
ONT: Batawa Ski Club
NL: Smokey Mountain
BC: Whitewater (1200 acres)
MORE THAN 500 ACRES
49 Degrees North, WA
Mt. Spokane, WA
White Pass, WA
Willamette Pass, WA
Anthony Lakes (cat skiing), OR
Hoodoo, OR
Dodge Ridge, CA
Homewood Mountain Resort (views of Lake Tahoe), CA
Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA
Diamond Peak, NV
Blacktail, MT - bought by Mission Ridge Nov 2021
?Bridger Bowl (non-profit), MT
Great Divide, MT
Turner Mountain, MT
Lost Trail Pass, MT
Lookout Pass, ID/MT
Bogus Basin, ID
Brundage, ID
Pebble Creek (near Pocatello), ID
Pomerelle, ID
?Grand Targhee, WY
?Alta Ski Area, UT
Beaver Mountain, UT
Brian Head, UT
Brighton Resort, UT
Powder Mountain (restricts number of day tickets), UT
Eldora, CO
Loveland, CO
Monarch, CO
Powder Horn (near Grand Junction), CO
Sunlight Mountain (near Aspen), CO
Wolf Creek, CO
Santa Fe, NM
Mt. Bohemia, MI
?Sugarloaf, ME
OLD SCHOOL LESS THAN 500 ACRES
CA: Badger Pass (in Yosemite), Boreal, Granlibbakken, Mt. Waterman, Soda Springs, Snow Valley
WA: Bluewood, Loup Loup Ski Bowl (non-profit), Summit East at Snoqualmie Pass
OR: Mount Ashland (non-profit), Ferguson Ridge
MT: Maverick Mountain
WY: Pine Creek
CO: Echo, Howelsen Hill, Monarch, Ski Cooper, Wolf Creek
NM: Pajarito, Sipapu
Midwest in general: any ski area on the Indy Pass
MI: Nubs Nob
IA: Seven Oaks
ME: Mount Abram, Shawnee Peak (formerly Pleasant Mountain), Black Mountain (non-profit), Lost Valley, Big Rock (non-profit, formerly Mars Hill Skiway)
NH in general, except Loon: Arrowhead (non-profit), Attitash, Black Mountain, Cannon, Cranmore, Crotched, Dartmouth Skiway, Ragged, Tenney, Waterville Valley, Wildcat
VT:
Ascutney (non-profit), Bolton Valley, Bromley, Cochran's Ski Area, Mad River Glen (coop ownership), Middlebury Ski Bowl, Magic Mountain, Northeast Slopes, ?Pico, Queechee, ?Smuggler’s Notch, Suicide Six
MA: Berkshire East, Bousquet, Catamount (on NY border), Nashoba Valley (near Boston), Ski Butternut
CT: Mohawk, Powder Ridge
RI: Yawgoo Valley
NY:
Western NY: Buffalo Ski Center, Kissing Bridge, Snow Ridge
Central NY: Greek Peak, Labrador, Plattekill, Song, Swain
Catskills NY: ?Belleayre, Mt. Peter, Plattekill
Upstate NY: ?Gore, McCauley, Mt. Royal, Thunder Ridge, Titus Mountain, West Mountain
PA:
West (drive from Pittsburgh or DC): Blue Knob; Laurel Mountain
East PA (drive from Philly or DC): Big Bear at Masthope Mt.; Elk; Jack Frost/Big Boulder; Montage; Shawnee Mountain
WV: Winterplace, Canaan Valley, ?Timberline
NC: Appalachian, Beech, ?Sugar, Cataloochee