This month's "must read" VT Ski History article -

Northward Ho
by Allen Adler

Route 66 may have had its minstrels but Vermont's Route 100 is no slouch in highway legendry. Prior to the advent of the Interstate system, skiers headed north in our state skidded and slid to their destinations up what was then known as the Skiers' Highway.

From Wilmington, just above the Massachusetts line, to Troy, cheek by jowl with Canada; from Big Walt Schoenknecht's Mount Snow in the south to Walter Foeger's Jay Peak some 160 miles, give or take a few, to the north, Route 100 was indeed a yellow brick road for skiers a half century ago. More than a dozen ski areas lined this route with more added each year. Mt. Snow grew exponentially, virtually threatening to engulf most of lower Vermont. Or so it seemed. It was Coney Island on snow. But it was fun. Walt gave the intermediate skier everything he bargained for: outdoor swimming pool, indoor ice rink, fountains, lifts galore, including Walt's Folly, an overhead track conveyance that dripped grease on the passengers during its first year. And, if not the first, snow-making made a very early appearance at Mt. Snow.

Up the road a bit we stop at Stratton to say hello to Emo Heinrich, top instructor, and his staff entertaining with foot stomping, thigh slapping Schuhplattler mit Lederhosen. A touch of the Tyrol in the Green Mountains. Next in line were Snow Valley (yummy raised doughnuts) and Bromley, that nice, family-oriented mountain dotted with rope tows and pomalifts and T-bars put in by Fred Pabst. Moving along, we arrive at Magic Mountain and Okemo, slightly to the east and then Pico Peak owned by Janet and Brad Mead whose young daughter, Andrea, was making headlines. The Meads had, earlier, installed the first U.S. T-bar, familiarly known as he-and-she sticks. Pico is actually on Rte 4 which intersects Rte 100 just down the pike. Rte 4 runs west to east out of Rutland, passing through seminal Woodstock and Suicide Six. In Rutland we usually gassed up, grabbing a bite and consulting the latest snow reports at the Lindholm Diner. Mighty Killington, a challenging giant created by Pres Smith lies at the crossroads of Rtes 4 and 100. Buzzing northward to the Mad River Valley, the skier was dazzled by Sugarbush's colorful clientele and equally bright gondolas, strung like Christmas ornaments on a clothesline. Next door came Glen Ellen, later to be incorporated into the former as Sugarbush North and then we arrived at that throwback area put together by Roland Palmedo's Amateur Ski Club of NY, Mad River Glen, with its signature single-chair lift.

Northward ho, to Stowe and majestic Mt. Mansfield, Spruce Peak and then through Smugglers' Notch, if open, to its eponymous, growing family oriented ski area. Sepp Ruschp, Charlie Lord, Ab Coleman, the Shaw clan and others of like ilk populated Mt. Mansfield where the skiing was top drawer. The Nose Dive with its seven turns challenged even the best. Accommodations and eateries were plentiful. Craig Burt's old logging Ranch Camp was storied. Places like the Fountain, the Candlelight, Rocky River Farm, Sans Souci and Heyer's Ski Inn each had unique qualities somehow missing from the current scene. And, of course, there were Ken Strong's first, pre-fire Shed, the Round Hearth, Sister Kate's with Rock King and the Baggy Knees nightclub. The old CCC dorm was most affordable. Then onward to Smugglers' Notch which became Madonna Mountain for awhile under IBM's Tom Watson. The earlier name has been restored and the area, known locally as Smuggs, has now grown into a major force for family skiing.

And so, finally, we end our journey up Route 100 with our arrival at Jay Peak on the Canadian border. Walter Foeger and his Natur Teknik created a good buzz for awhile. Jay is still a force with its formidable snowfalls and Canadian clientele.

It was a long drive in those days what with secondary roads minimally plowed, tubed tires which frequently blew, and small towns to slow one down from the usual 45 to 50 miles per hour on the open stretches. But gasoline, lift tickets and accommodations were reasonable. And we were with friends, skiing friends. Ski racks on car roofs invited skiers to wave and inquire about destinations and snow conditions. Vermont's Route 100 is indeed an artifact in the history of skiing in Vermont. It has been supplanted by the Interstate system but still evokes fond memories in those who skied during the fifties.

- Allen Adler

Ski Tracks in the Arctic - Letter from the Past

I have recently acquired several letters from the estate of the late Abner Coleman and thought that excerpts - spelling unedited - from them might be of some interest to readers of the VSM Newsletter.
Ted Coomara, the author of the letters, and Abner "Ab" Coleman were, along with Charlie Lord, George Gale, Frank Griffin and others, habitués and ski trail developers of Mt. Mansfield in the 1930s.

Juneau, Nov. 4th, 1938
At sea level.

Dear Abner,
Too bad you are not footloose like me, because if you were, you might be here to see what I can see. Yesterday, I lugged my skis up Gastineau peak, a small protruberance on the Earth's crust, about 3500 feet high, and one of hundreds of such within vision.

At timberline, (2500 ft) there was a trace of powdersnow (damn this ancient typewriter) and at 3000 ft, there was about six feet of windpack in the hollows and an old crust on the ridges. Near the top there were peaks all around me. Two eagles spiralled slowly about me, and looking down, I could see endless bays and inlets where the sea fills the fjiords, all flanked with spruce and hemlock that was topped with snowy mountains. Truly quite a sight. Too soon, on the descent, I skied over the first rocks, and too soon I was down below the snow.

I have undertaken to live on a 5 bunk cabin cruiser with what is usually referred to as conveniences, this winter. I am warped to the upper city float, surrounded by other boats, mostly salmon trollers and about ½ of them operated by Indians. So my living costs me nothing and at the same time I am free to ski all I want and to make what I can by coaching the Juneau ski club, Alaska's only real ski club so far. The club is fortunate in that several members also belong to the forest service, with the result that the CCC have cut two ski trails, one not unlike the Chin Clip, and have erected cabins and a bunk-house and also cleared several acres of steep ground for open-slope skiing. The below-timber ski season around here is about the same length of time as at Mt. Mansfield, except that the snow is somewhat deeper and there is apt to be spring skiing thru most of May below timber.

Well, a man of leisure, I can now spend the rest of the day in waxing my skis in anticipation of the first real winter week-end. Golly, Ab, I love this life, ski any time, no worries, living on a boat, and yet the movies are only 5 minutes away and the library ten minutes. Except getting married, what more could I want. More anon.

Ted-Allen Adler

The Vermont Ski Museum was originally established in 1988 in Brandon, Vermont, founded by Roy Newton. Its purpose was to chronicle the 100-year history of skiing in Vermont by gathering and displaying a large collection of skiing memorabilia and historical artifacts.In 2000 the Museum moved to Stowe, convinced that a Stowe location would provide far greater public access to the Museum and serve as a major additional year-round attraction to the area.

Did you know? The Cochrans first raced at Ascutney? Mickey Cochran was then the coach of the Windsor High Ski Team. That is Lindy in one of her early races at age 4. Learn more about Cochran's Ski Area and Mickey, Ginny, Marilyn, Barbara Ann, Bob and Lindy this year at the VSM. (Photo from the Cochran Collection)Did you know? The Cochrans first raced at Ascutney? Mickey Cochran was then the coach of the Windsor High Ski Team. That is Lindy in one of her early races at age 4. Learn more about Cochran's Ski Area and Mickey, Ginny, Marilyn, Barbara Ann, Bob and Lindy this year at the VSM.
(Photo from the Cochran Collection)

The Museum is housed in the Old Town Hall at One South Main Street in Stowe Village, known as the "Perkins Building". The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places! It was constructed in 1818 as a Meeting-House on the site of what is now the Community Church. It was shared by the "preaching congregations" until moved to its present site in the early 1860's, pulled on rollers by oxen down the main street. Thereafter it served as the Town Hall and gymnasium until the early 1900's when it became the Stowe Water & Lights Office and the Stowe Fire Department. The Fire Department relocated in 1973. The Water & Lights Office stayed until 1999 when the building was about to be condemned. It was then that a group of Stowe civic leaders identified the building as the new home of the Vermont Ski Museum.

The building is located at the very heart of the village, at the blinking light, and is highly visible and easily accessible. The Museum assembled a group of local professionals for the renovations required to convert this historic building into a first-class museum. Over a million dollars was spent on the renovation funded by generous donors, contributors and our memberships. The building is a showcase facility and contains state-of-the-art fire safety, museum quality air-conditioned space and handicap accessibility to three levels of the 5,400 square foot Museum.