# Abandoned Ski Resorts



## killclimbz

You can get to Hidden Valley all winter I believe. I haven't gone to it but have ridden in the Terrain Park and Flat Top in the park. RMNP is kind of amazing. Several friends hit that up every now and then mid winter. 

Jones Pass. Blah. It's alright. Jones/Butler Gulch are early season spots. Once the snow has piled up you are better going to that other well known lost ski area. Berthoud Pass. People can knock it, but more bang for your buck there than anywhere else in the Front Range. World class too.

Geneva Basin, meh. I've been there twice and I don't think I'll ever go again. The big plus is the hut. That is pretty nice. You could definitely have a good time staying there, bring wood to burn. The terrain is pretty low angle although I did not get over to the Duck Creek area because of the very real avalanche danger in that zone. Fairly easy skin to the top. The other problem is that area has a lot of sun exposure. So the snow gets manky fairly quick. There is a reason it closed down, and that is probably the primary reason. Crappy snow conditions when other areas are just fine. You can probably drive in fairly close using the Grant side of the Guanella Pass depending on the time of year and how much snow has recently fallen. 

Porcupine Gulch, no real experience with that one at all. I've heard of it.


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## killclimbz

More info here on lost ski areas too. Lost Ski Areas in the Rocky Mountain Region


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## poutanen

Not colorado based, but Fortress Mountain in Alberta has been closed for a few years now. KPOW uses it for cat skiing/boarding, though it's in a provincial park, so I'm not sure if they have a licence to use it while they're there, or if anybody can split there if they want?

Fortress Mountain Resort - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## AcroPhile

I think I just found a "resort" in Colorado that is actually worse than anything I have ever seen when I still lived in Illinois. 

*150 vertical feet!* I'm struggling to wrap my head around how this thing managed to stay open for 15 years. :icon_scratch: WTF, Is Greeley really the shittiest place on Earth? Even in the middle of the cornfields of the midwest you couldn't keep this thing open.


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## killclimbz

Isn't Colorado ski history awesome? 

There was one lost ski area that closed because of too much snow. I think they removed it. It was close to Steamboat I thought. Maybe even near or around Rabbit Ears. I can't find (it's been years since I used it) it on the site now. I do believe it was on private land so maybe that is why I can't find it. People may have been trying to access the property so it was removed by request.


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## killclimbz

poutanen said:


> Not colorado based, but Fortress Mountain in Alberta has been closed for a few years now. KPOW uses it for cat skiing/boarding, though it's in a provincial park, so I'm not sure if they have a licence to use it while they're there, or if anybody can split there if they want?
> 
> Fortress Mountain Resort - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I thought you could. Not 100% sure on Fortress though. Probably best to message the cat operator. They will probably be a little protective in their response but you should be able to tell if it is allowed or not by their response.


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## Lamps

Michigan stuff here:

MILSAP | MIchigan Lost Ski Areas Project

Interesting video here: 

Skiing Abandoned Mount Mancelona in Michigan | Dongshow Productions

Chomps if you're out there - there's your road trip.


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## jgood123

First off sweet thread man, I love history in general but combining the two is very badass. Just below CO in Northern NM there was a resort I went to in the mid 90's called Ski Rio. It's closed now and I dug a little more and found out that they ran into financial trouble and the owners suckered the workers and investors outta a ton of cash, sad story it was a cool mountain, close to 2k vert but like the others mentioned, weather and lack of it played a part in it's failure.


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## DrnknZag

There's a ton in WA, OR, and ID....

http://lostskiareas.wikispaces.com/

Yodelin is one of my favorites, just east of Stevens Pass. Interesting history there, the ski area closed due to the avalanche danger at the base. The two chair lifts were sold to Stevens (Tye Mill) and Crystal (Cambell chair).


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## timmytard

Holy shit, 48 in Washington alone.


TT


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## TorpedoVegas

poutanen said:


> Not colorado based, but Fortress Mountain in Alberta has been closed for a few years now. KPOW uses it for cat skiing/boarding, though it's in a provincial park, so I'm not sure if they have a licence to use it while they're there, or if anybody can split there if they want?
> 
> Fortress Mountain Resort - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


A lot of people in Alberta drive past another old ski hill every time they head out to hills. Pigeon Mountain closed since 1974, at Dead Man's Flats... next time you're driving by, take a look.


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## poutanen

TorpedoVegas said:


> A lot of people in Alberta drive past another old ski hill every time they head out to hills. Pigeon Mountain closed since 1974, at Dead Man's Flats... next time you're driving by, take a look.


Is that picture facing south east? I think I've seen that before...


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## TorpedoVegas

poutanen said:


> Is that picture facing south east? I think I've seen that before...


Yep, this would be the angle driving back to Calgary


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## Justin

I have noticed it as well, thought it was just from logging. Could you get in there easily on a split?


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## Peyto

Justin said:


> I have noticed it as well, thought it was just from logging. Could you get in there easily on a split?


I could be mistaken but it doesn't seem like Dead Man's Flat even gets much snow... I recall a few pow days at SSV and LL when Canmore and even Banff were largely dry.


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## Justin

ya they seem to be more on the Calgary weather system (if we get snow in the city then nakiska and DM seems to get snow). Not somewhere i would want to go constantly but could be fun a few days a year, and a nice close drive for a split board trip.


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## stan_darsh

this is pretty interesting stuff! i read on that site that there is a cat skiing/boarding operation at the old "ski rio" in costilla, north of taos. $150 for a half day, $250 for full day. only problem is you have to book at least 72 hours in advance... would be pretty amazing to have an entire resort to yourself on a pow day. not really looking to pay that much, though.

one day, maybe i'll see what it's like to split or have a sled. you guys must have all the fun!


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## Grandpa

When I lived in Greeley long ago (pre-snowboarding) we used to take the kids out to Sharktooth tubing. It had a great tubing run - they iced down an old gulch that had twists and turns and some really good banks.

I also remember driving by Hidden Valley in RMNP many times.


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## jgood123

Stan,
That sounds sweet that it's still being used, it was a fun mountain. Let me know what you find out locally man. I need to make a trip out there to see some people maybe we could check it out sometime


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## RVM

Nice thread. I got a book from the library on Colorado's closed resorts. It's called Powder Ghost Towns by Peter Bronski if anyone is interested.


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## stan_darsh

jgood123 said:


> Stan,
> That sounds sweet that it's still being used, it was a fun mountain. Let me know what you find out locally man. I need to make a trip out there to see some people maybe we could check it out sometime


Taos Ski Central

this is what i found, i think it wasn't available last year, but i'll see what's up with this season.

if you're ever in taos area, hit me up - i have a pass there and angelfire


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## jgood123

Ok will do, AngelFire was the first place I ever rode and was forced to learn how to carve lol, being from Virginia and all it was a matter of time!


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## TorpedoVegas

Peyto said:


> I could be mistaken but it doesn't seem like Dead Man's Flat even gets much snow... I recall a few pow days at SSV and LL when Canmore and even Banff were largely dry.


This is why it ceased being a ski resort back in the 70s, someone thought it was a great location because of how close it was to Calgary, they just didn't do enough research on the actual amounts of snowfall in the area before they went ahead and built it. I doubt it gets enough to even warrant a hike up it most years.


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## Listheeb21

This (Zephyr Rapinchuk 1992?2011 | Lost Ski Areas of New England) is a link to a book put together by a high school student for his senior class project. It details the lost ski areas of New England. Tragically, he died at age 18 after hitting a tree while skiing at Jackson Hole a few years ago.


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