The Haystack Memories Thread

[Greg]

I'm sorry I never got to Haystack before ASC sold it. It just sat there doing nothing this season. Does anyone know what the terrain was like there?

Haystack was a cool little hill. The mid-mountain had a brutal flat section though which was kind of a drag. I skied there a lot back in college as any day lift tickets for college students in the mid-90's were $25. I was just starting out back then so the terrain was adequate for me. I recall the Witches being a really fun area, but that lift was the first to go on wind hold. I recall a few times hiking over to the Witches from the summit when the lift was closed. As a beginner-intermediate it seemed like a big adventure. My favorite run over there was called Wizard, a great steep natural run. Remember when they used to call those runs "Wild Things"? :lol: Anyway, sad to see it gone, but I was glad I got the chance to ski there:

http://www.skimaps.com/map2903

Thought this might make for an interesting thread to share your Haystack memories...

 

[loafer89]

I only skied Haystack once in late March 1993 with 100% of the place open and powder/packed powder conditions. I recall having alot of fun in the Witches area, and the place being deserted.

I do not have any pictures:sad:

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

I skied there exactly once, back around 1985 or 1986. It was early season and they had great coverage. It was really cold and everything was groomed frozen granular and super fast, we had a blast.

What sticks out in my mind was the layout. A nice lodge with an "Upside down" beginner area below it, a "lift to nowhere" transfer lift (chain drive chair) to get you to the base of the main lifts, and some nice trails above. Interesting place. Glad I got to ski it.

 

[amf]

Great beginner mountain, with enough variety to keep dad occupied - both of my kids learned to ski / board there. Inexpensive (relatively!) & usually less crowded on weekends than Mt Sneaux. It was a shame in the last few years to see it being cast aside. Had one last fling there this year - skinned over the ridgeline trail on a powder day & had the entire place to myself. Eerie sensation to be eating lunch by a pump shack & have it absolutely silent!

 

[riverc0il]

i would not describe haystack as a beginner mountain. after the beginner terrain below the lodge was no longer lift serviced, the mountain had a solid majority intermediate. my college race team did annual stops at haystack in college which were two out of my three days skiing at the 'stack. witches was a cool area, nothing too hard, just enjoyable. the summit area had some nice steeps, but they dumped out into a flat area as greg mentioned. the double (oh no double, i think?) was a cool lift with lattice towers and a fun liftline to ski even though that lift almost never ran from my experiences, even on weekends when i skied there. haystack's location was tragic. if this place was located in centeral or northern VT, it would have been a kicking place when it's trees filled up with snow. but SoVT doesn't get consistant goods and the rain/freeze cycle seemed to be particularly hard on haystack. it was a fun place to ski, ASC definitely had no interest in doing what needed to be done to make the mountain the success it should have been.

 

[teachski]

I took a youth group to Haystack in the 80's. We drove cars as we only had 14 isd to bring. I had my car full and there was a van and a wagon and they were full as well.

First thing we got there one of the kids on the trip had a MAJOR equipment malfunction, her binding pulled right out of her ski. I took her to the shop and they could not fix it, so I rented skis for her...I knew her parents well. Finally, at about 10:30 or so I got out on the hill. The snow was beautiful and the skiing was great. Later in the day, almost at the end I met up with a group of the kids and was going to take a couple runs with them. At the time I had rear entry boots. Getting off at the top of the lift, with a group of the kids coming up behind me, I decided to turn around to watch them geting off. As I did a 180, my boot came undone and I fell. I stuck my hands out to break the fall and landed on a rock...breaking both thumbs. The "easy in" grips I had on my ski poles dod not help.

I managed to ski the rest of the day, but driving home was....well, I think you know how that was.

 

[meat]

meat's memories of haystack

skied there some in the late 80's early 90's when I was a kid. anybody remember the run "stumpjumper" it was off the top of the mountain, a steep drop in and they used to have a bunch of haybales stacked up on a lip towards the bottom that required a big drop at the end, it was friggin' radical. I remember looking at it when I was like 10 and it scared the crap out me, I never did it til they removed the haybales a few years later, probably a liablity or something.
I also remember having some of my first powder turns there on that lower beginner section of all places, I remember looking back up the hill and seeing my tracks laid out in the pow, i've been hooked ever since.
I actually took a ride up to the parking lot about 3 years ago and noticed the place look neglected, especially the lower begginer section, it looked like it hadn't been used in years, sad. quality place with character.

 

[Greg]

Two additional memories for me: (1) I did a 180 and drove off the access road in my 2 wheel drive pickup once. We barely got it out. I can't recall for sure, but I think there was a bulldozer involved that pulled it out. Hazy days for sure.

(2) I recall on one of my last runs down the Witches I really tweaked my knee in the moguls. This was long before I had any concept of skiing bumps. That knee really hurt and caused me to limp for about a week. I probably should have had it looked at. Luckily, that's been my worst ski injury to date.

On a sunny day, you could easily make out Beartrap at Mount Snow from Haystack...

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I thought Haystack was being remade into a Bear Creek-type joint, rather than permanently closed?

 

[skibum1321]

It is being turned into a private club. But for all intents and purposes it may as well be closed since the majority of us will never ski it again.