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Where did you start skiing?

  • Ski Area/feeder hill

    Votes: 142 78.9%
  • Destination Resort

    Votes: 25 13.9%
  • Other (back yard, ski deck, ect)

    Votes: 13 7.2%

  • Total voters
    180

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
Skier
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
10,893
Location
NJ
A little place in Mahwah, NJ called Campgaw Mountain. Two fixed-grip doubles and a couple of tow ropes. I can't believe how "steep" the top of that "mountain" felt the first time I took the chair to the "top". But if it wasn't for that place, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today. So big-ups to the feeder hills.
Dean, I have been to Campgaw and it is a cool little place and a great starter hill.
 

surfsnowgirl

Instructor
Skier
Joined
May 12, 2016
Posts
5,768
Location
Magic Mountain, Vermont
Summit has some good runs......Had a lot of fun there in 15/16....

I always enjoyed frolicking there. I learned to snowboard at Bear Mountain but Snow Summit was always my favorite place and where I began skiing. I have such fond memories of that place. I come back and visit every few years. I love Bear's oktoberfest. I used to want to live there but living at 8,000 feet on a mountain with only 3 ways out seemed to terrify me.
 

PisteOff

Jeff
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Posts
1,331
Location
Las Vegas
I always enjoyed frolicking there. I learned to snowboard at Bear Mountain but Snow Summit was always my favorite place and where I began skiing. I have such fond memories of that place. I come back and visit every few years. I love Bear's oktoberfest. I used to want to live there but living at 8,000 feet on a mountain with only 3 ways out seemed to terrify me.
Yea, we got stuck up there for a number of hours one day after a slide. Going around the long way to get back into the LA Basin just didn't make sense. Beer made more sense..... It is pretty up there. Bear was predominantly boarders while Summit was predominantly skiers. There are some good rolling blues and blacks up there where you can really let them run, arc some nice turns, and grab some air off the rolls...... I also did Snow Valley once and wasn't impressed. I spent a lot of time at Mt. High and spent more time in the Foggy Goggle than skiing. That place is always a party. Fun.
 

surfsnowgirl

Instructor
Skier
Joined
May 12, 2016
Posts
5,768
Location
Magic Mountain, Vermont
Yea, we got stuck up there for a number of hours one day after a slide. Going around the long way to get back into the LA Basin just didn't make sense. Beer made more sense..... It is pretty up there. Bear was predominantly boarders while Summit was predominantly skiers. There are some good rolling blues and blacks up there where you can really let them run, arc some nice turns, and grab some air off the rolls...... I also did Snow Valley once and wasn't impressed. I spent a lot of time at Mt. High and spent more time in the Foggy Goggle than skiing. That place is always a party. Fun.

Definitely true. I think I stopped going to bear when they turned the entire mountain into a terrain park. So many good memories there and snow summit. So many great blues. I rarely went down the front way and would usually go the back or dessert ways to avoid the crowds. Beer always makes more sense. I haven't been to MH in a long time. That's the damn place where you had boardiers ping ponging off you like a video game, dangerous. Fog, you aren't kidding. Mountain High is where I almost accidentally dropped into the half pipe because they didn't have it roped off and I could barely see. I loved the East resort when it was open, couple mile long runs, bathroom at the top and not crowded. I think the knarly bottom of the runs down to the base scared people off. I've never been to snow valley. Ahhh the memories.
 

PisteOff

Jeff
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Posts
1,331
Location
Las Vegas
Definitely true. I think I stopped going to bear when they turned the entire mountain into a terrain park. So many good memories there and snow summit. So many great blues. I rarely went down the front way and would usually go the back or dessert ways to avoid the crowds. Beer always makes more sense. I haven't been to MH in a long time. That's the damn place where you had boardiers ping ponging off you like a video game, dangerous. Fog, you aren't kidding. Mountain High is where I almost accidentally dropped into the half pipe because they didn't have it roped off and I could barely see. I loved the East resort when it was open, couple mile long runs, bathroom at the top and not crowded. I think the knarly bottom of the runs down to the base scared people off. I've never been to snow valley. Ahhh the memories.
Mt. High East was only open one weekend the winter I was out there and they were mile long runs. Word was it hadn't opened in years. The same with Mt. Baldy. It was only open for a couple weeks. Mt. High West is always open, better elevation and less exposure to the sun. It is boarder madness. I just perceived them as moving slalom gates and had a good time.

View media item 1806
 

x10003q

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Posts
750
Location
NYC Metro
Depends what the meaning of "start" is. First time would be Powder Ridge in CT. A miserable experience. It was snowing, I think the skis were wood with no wax or ptex. Snow just stuck to the bottom. Like two inches on the bottom.

Then it was Stirling Forest, NY. Now called Tuxedo Ridge I think. Actually moved on skis downhill there. Bear trap bindings, wood skis, I think they had metal screw on edges but I just went straight anyway so they weren't needed. I didn't go to the top of either of those, but the two don't add up to 1000 ft vert.

I would say I started to really learn to ski at Mt Tom/ Suicide Six in VT. Mt Tom, now defunct, was the beginner zone. Suicide is 650 vert with back then a poma and an ungroomed and quite steep face. If you could do that then the front four at Stowe weren't that bad.

Sadly, Tuxedo Ridge (Sterling Forest) is now closed.
 

x10003q

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Posts
750
Location
NYC Metro
A little place in Mahwah, NJ called Campgaw Mountain. Two fixed-grip doubles and a couple of tow ropes. I can't believe how "steep" the top of that "mountain" felt the first time I took the chair to the "top". But if it wasn't for that place, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today. So big-ups to the feeder hills.

After Craigmeur became too boring, my parents used to drop me off with a couple of friends at Campgaw and somebody else's parents would pick us up . They had a program that was 6 Saturdays that included a lesson. I remember the first time I skied from the top like it was yesterday - lookers left - the less "steep" part of the "steep" section. This all happened when we were in 4th, 5th , and 6th grade. The freedom was wonderful. I cannot imagine parents doing this today.
campgaw.jpg


Here is the slope. The total vertical is 275 feet.
 

x10003q

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Posts
750
Location
NYC Metro
Sad that you started at Tuxedo Ridge or sad that it closed?
Sad that is closed. They were hoping for a tie in with a casino on land across the street, but the casino is being built 100 miles to the north.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
Skier
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
10,893
Location
NJ
A little place in Mahwah, NJ called Campgaw Mountain. Two fixed-grip doubles and a couple of tow ropes. I can't believe how "steep" the top of that "mountain" felt the first time I took the chair to the "top". But if it wasn't for that place, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today. So big-ups to the feeder hills.
This morning I saw the advertisement on PUGSKI for the joint Mount Everest Ski Shop and Campgaw ski swap and sale. So I took a ride up to Mahwah and looked around it was fun to see all the new and used equipment. Lots of boots and skis and they would only take a ski if the binding mounted on it was on the "List". They also had snowboards and their boots but we will not talk about them. I met some nice people from the Mount Everest Ski Shop they explained if your equipment sells at the swap you had a choice between getting a check for 80% of sale price or store credit for 100% of sale price. That is not a bad deal because some shops will only give you store credit for the sale price. I also saw a sign that looked like the ski area is hiring for the up coming season but it was not clear what positions they were looking to fill.

All in all it was worth the trip on a nice afternoon, I may have to stop in the ski shop soon just to see what they have in stock for the season.
 

Troy

Screw First Chair
Skier
Joined
Sep 23, 2017
Posts
9
Location
Ohio
Isn't that now called Snow Trails?
No SnowTrails is in Mansfield.OH, Clearfork is now a Adventure Park with no skiing but if it were to snow enough maybe they would fire up the chair lifts that are still there.
 

Muleski

So much better than a pro
Inactive
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
5,243
Location
North of Boston
Realized that I forgot to respond. Stowe, VT. Spruce Peak to be exact, a lot of being carried around and pulled up the hill by my parents. I was two, or so I am told. And that progressed to the chairlift with a deathgrip on me. And I was pretty much skiing every weekend at three.

Also did a lot of backyard skiing in the flatlands as a tyke. Dad was a long time skier, and engineer, and loved his projects. With some land and a hill that had about 100 feet of vertical, he just had to build a rope tow behind the house, and the drive vehicle powered the lights.

Interesting for me to think about now, as it would take a really remarkable winter to have many ski days there these days, and we seemed to have a lot. Was a lot of fun. My mom was the GM, head of mountain ops, and ski patrol/first aid. Some days I'm sure she just said "NO". Because dad was rushing home for a late dinner. We ate about two hours later than most kids I knew! Stuff we do for our kids. They were awesome.

Operations pretty much closed when we moved to Europe when I was seven. Great job opportunity for dad, and big uptick in weekday skiing.
 

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