Lost ski areas discussed at Derry arts & history meeting

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Hidden among the hills and mountains of southern Vermont are the remnants of 60 former ski areas, their slopes returning to forest and their lifts decaying.

Today, only 13 areas remain open and active in southern Vermont.

Over-investment, local competition, weather variation, changing skier habits, insurance costs and just plain bad luck caused these ski areas to succumb and melt back into the landscape.

From larger ski areas like Snow Valley and Maple Valley, to Clinton Gilbert’s farm in Woodstock, where the very first rope tow began operation in the winter of 1934, these once popular ski areas left an indelible trace on the hearts of their ski communities and the history of southern Vermont. Londonderry Arts and Historical Society’s annual meeting will feature Lost Ski Areas of Southern Vermont presented by Jeremy Davis.

In this presentation, Davis, creator of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, examines the role that these ski areas played in the development of the sport that is so critical to Vermont. Historical and contemporary photos and maps, personal stories, and the ski areas that have survived will all be featured.

The meeting will be held at 6:15 p.m., Tuesday June 19 at the Middletown Road Schoolhouse, 2452 Middletown Road. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Parking will be across the street in the Custer Sharp House lot, 2461 Middletown Road. For more information, contact Annie Campbell at 802-856-7284.