Skiing In Vermont 1937 - Maps!

[billski]

I just picked up "Vermont, The American Guide Series",
published in 1937 by the Federal Writer's project of the WPA.
It has TONS of stuff on winter sports, including identification
of ski running (what skiing used to be called), ski jumps and
toboggan runs. None of them were "resorts", they just were hill names affiliated with villages. It's going to take time to parse through it, since no
comprehensive index to winter recreation was made.
The map is priceless.

I've scanned (pdf) a portion of the map related to Winter Activities.
Take a peek at the scans below and see if you can identify which
areas they are. I'm learning from reading they are sometimes not
what they seem to be, an artistic license was taken sometimes.
One surprise is the number of ski jumps that used to be in VT.
Another interesting piece is the snowfall lines.

Have fun and let me know what you think!

North
South
Legend

 

[Glenn]

That's pretty cool Bill. We drive by the Harris Hill jump every time we go up North.

 

[marcski]

Really Cool find, Bill!!! Where did you get it? Can you post it as one PDF image?

(I just read your post on SJ, Bill!)

 

[billski]

Really Cool find, Bill!!! Where did you get it? Can you post it as one PDF image?

(I just read your post on SJ, Bill!)

I got it at abebooks.com. they have plenty more, just be sure you're getting one with the map.

No, I can't post it as one. It's a large fold out, about 30" x 30" and my scanner ain't that big. I also don't have the patience to patch them together.

 

[arik]

I like it.

What's a Carnival?

It's odd how the snowfall lines on the map only show variation from east to west with the elevation but no variation in snowfall from north to south.

 

[billski]

I like it.

What's a Carnival?

It's odd how the snowfall lines on the map only show variation from east to west with the elevation but no variation in snowfall from north to south.

A carnival is a local or sometimes collegiate celebration of winter,. It includes whatever they feel like, ice fishing, ski jumping, ice skating, tobogganing, whatever. UVM stills does one at Stowe each winter, mostly relegated to a downhill race.

 

[Highway Star]

I'd be interested in what the Shrewsbury location refers to. Probably the abandoned area on shewsbury peak south of Killington....definitely not Killington proper.

 

[billski]

I'd be interested in what the Shrewsbury location refers to. Probably the abandoned area on shewsbury peak south of Killington....definitely not Killington proper.

The book refers to a ski tow in the hamlet of Northam run by Rutland Ski Club. It may have been Shrewsbury peak,

The book goes on to say the CCC developed Northam State Picnic area. This area is part of the Calvin Coolidge State forest and connected with another section of forest in Pinney Hollow. The “ski Meisters” brought hundreds of skiers here from the city on favorable weekends and college teams hold their meets in the area. Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan staged their triangular meet in Northam in 1937.

 

[billski]

you can find the book in google books.
http://books.google.com/books?id=D4...de books&pg=PA326#v=onepage&q=northam&f=false


here is what I pulled out of the text so far:

214 Woodstock ski jump.




326 Northam ski tow Rutland Ski Club


257 Chester trails, tow, toboggan, jump skating rink, carnival
260 Stowe Cady Hill (0.9m north from Stowe village)
189 Townshend ski trails, jumps, toboggan, electic lgihts

151 Woodsktock Ski runners club



100 Brattleboro B outing club and ski jump


261 Stowe Mansfield, Mt. Mansfield hotel, stone cabin, chin, Nose dive trail, mt. mansfield state forest, 40 miles of ski trails
St. albans spring ski meet with Montreal ski club

285 Middlebury chipman Hill runs and jump


63 Bread loaf mtn ski trail nearby



38 photograph





252 Hancock sout of hancock is a ski jump


254 tyson Okemo mt. State forest park, ski trails

167 ascutneyville Ascutney state forest park - ski runs

207 East Burke CCC darling State forest - three ski runs

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Nice!! Thanks for sharing these...I love skiing AND I love maps =)

 

[WWF-VT]

Did rulers work differently in 1937 ? Looks like the highest average annual snowfall was only 120".

 

[WJenness]

Did rulers work differently in 1937 ? Looks like the highest average annual snowfall was only 120".

I'm guessing it was A: Measured at the base of the mountains, B: not cleared off repeatedly like is commonplace now (so as to not measure compaction).

-w

 

[billski]

Did rulers work differently in 1937 ? Looks like the highest average annual snowfall was only 120".

I doubt they had meteorologists poking around the woods like they do today. The only people in the woods were the foresters and vacationers. Mountaintop activities were quite fringe activities, so the interest/need to know was low. Besides, if you notice, most of the hills used for skiing were not, in most cases all that high.

 

[Riverskier]

Did rulers work differently in 1937 ? Looks like the highest average annual snowfall was only 120".

I noticed when reading the Sugarloaf book that decades ago the totals reported over the years were MUCH lower than you would see over a similar span today. My guess is that there are 2 major factors: 1) Measurements taken at the base of the mountain. 2) Honest reporting unlike today. I realize #2 could spark a debate, as some claim their mountains under report or report honestly, but I think MOST would agree that MOST ski areas inflate their totals.

 

[gmcunni]

Did rulers work differently in 1937 ? Looks like the highest average annual snowfall was only 120".

honesty and integrity aren't what they used to be.....

 

[Highway Star]

The book refers to a ski tow in the hamlet of Northam run by Rutland Ski Club. It may have been Shrewsbury peak,

The book goes on to say the CCC developed Northam State Picnic area. This area is part of the Calvin Coolidge State forest and connected with another section of forest in Pinney Hollow. The “ski Meisters” brought hundreds of skiers here from the city on favorable weekends and college teams hold their meets in the area. Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan staged their triangular meet in Northam in 1937.

On google maps, you can see a clearing up off the CCC road that's about the 450ft length listed for the tow.

 

[billski]

you can find this book on Google Books.