What was the first mountain you ever skied?

[tree_skier]

Yes thats the one. Although in early years it was at a different location. One rope tow that I don't have fond memories of. Also when I first started I would aim for the small tree in front of the hut to use as a brake assist.

 

[tirolerpeter]

The first "mountain" I ever skied was an area that had been "cleared" by avalanches near the the refugee camp that I was born in that was located near Innsbruck in the Austrian (Tirolean) Alps. The skiis were all wood with leather straps and, of course, no metal edges. I was three years old and my 11 year old cousin Phillip side-stepped up the slope while I hung on to his pole. That was 55 years ago! My first U.S.A. mountain was Catamount around 1958. I remember the treacherous drive north from NYC up along the Taconic State Parkway in a 54 Chevy. Know what? I sure do prefer today's gear and cars!

 

[RISkier]

Welcome Tirolpeter. Do you ever go back to Austria? My wife and I visited Lech last year. We were absolutely awestruck by the scenery, found the people very friendly, the food was wondeful, the weisen bier was fantastic and we found the Austrian wines to be outstanding -- this surprised us because it's rare to see Austrian wines and I never thought of Austria as a great wine producing country. Unfortunately I couldn't ski (long story) but my wife enjoyed the skiing and overall we had a terrific trip.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Skiing & Austria

RISKier....I have been back to Austria three times since I moved to the U.S.A.. Unfortunately, due to my teaching profession, (from which I have retired) I felt it was always too expensive to take myself, and my three (now grown) children on school holiday peak period ski trips to Europe. Now however I will take the opportunity to ski in Europe. My wife and I both speak German fluently, and she is fluent in Spanish, does well in French, and can get by in Italian, so travel for us is easy! Over the years, the kids and I have skied forty or more different mountains all over the east, and the west. While Vail and the other Summit County areas are fantastic, you just can't beat the Salt Lake area for access, snow dependability/quality, variety/ economy of restaurants, lodging choices, and downright LOW prices. I find myself going back and skiing my butt off year after year. In fact, I am considering moving there outright! Back to Europe....I love the food, the history, the wines, and the BEER! Germans call it "liquid bread." Even my wife, who never drinks beer in the USA, will knock down a half-liter with lunch. I prefer the Pilsners, but love em all. We have been to and through, Germany (both West, and East, when there was one) Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Monaco, Lichtenstein, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Danemark, Sweden, and the British Isles. We loved the beer in all of them! In fact, when we fly to Europe we take Lufthansa to Frankfort just to spend a day or two eating and drinking in Germany. :beer:

 

[RISkier]

I'm getting off the original topic here. Apologies. Tirolpeter, I find it interesting you mention Salt Lake. We've been poking around to see if we can work out a trip west this year and for all the reasons you mention Utah keeps looking like the choice -- much easier to get to than the CO resorts, we can find much less expensive lodging, etc. We weren't going to leave the East this year, but we have the ski travel bug. When we price things out we actually find that you can do Europe, even with the current exchange, for no more, and perhaps less, than a CO trip. We ran into a deal at a restarurant in Newport -- a week at Courmayeur for $1500, included breakfeast, dinner, all taxes and gratuities, and a 6-day Aosta Vallley lift ticket. Timing wouldn't work for schedules, but a very attractive package.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Skiing SLC

Hope I'm not violating any posting rules here, so let me know whether or not I should start a new topic somewhere. RISKier.. I can get a mid-week JET BLUE round trip to SLC for about $225. It takes me 45 minutes to get to JFK airport, 1hr 30min to get through security, 4 hr to fly to SLC (While I watch Directv on the screen in the back of the seat in front of me, 20min for baggage, I walk out the door of baggage claim, go 100 ft to the car rental desk, am in my car in 10 min, and if I want to, can be at ALTA in another 25 minutes. Total time 6 hours. It takes me 6 1/2hrs (record time) to 9 hrs to drive the 300 miles to Killington (leaving me beat to sh-t and having survived a number of encounters with a--hole drivers). The total cost of any given 4 to 5 ski days at either is the same, or Less! going to SLC. Now add in the fact that I have better snow, better lodging, better food, etc., its a "No Brainer" for me. Last March my buddy Bobby and I did the SLC run..air, car, lodging, lifts and food ran about $625 each total. Oh yes, the last time I skied Killington last season they closed Bear Mt. because of wind (50mph) and cold (near zero). We had 50 degrees and sun at Snow Basin and Alta AND mega deep base!

 

[ChileMass]

Re: Skiing SLC

Hope I'm not violating any posting rules here, so let me know whether or not I should start a new topic somewhere. RISKier.. I can get a mid-week JET BLUE round trip to SLC for about $225. It takes me 45 minutes to get to JFK airport, 1hr 30min to get through security, 4 hr to fly to SLC (While I watch Directv on the screen in the back of the seat in front of me, 20min for baggage, I walk out the door of baggage claim, go 100 ft to the car rental desk, am in my car in 10 min, and if I want to, can be at ALTA in another 25 minutes. Total time 6 hours. It takes me 6 1/2hrs (record time) to 9 hrs to drive the 300 miles to Killington (leaving me beat to sh-t and having survived a number of encounters with a--hole drivers). The total cost of any given 4 to 5 ski days at either is the same, or Less! going to SLC. Now add in the fact that I have better snow, better lodging, better food, etc., its a "No Brainer" for me. Last March my buddy Bobby and I did the SLC run..air, car, lodging, lifts and food ran about $625 each total. Oh yes, the last time I skied Killington last season they closed Bear Mt. because of wind (50mph) and cold (near zero). We had 50 degrees and sun at Snow Basin and Alta AND mega deep base!

tirolerpeter - if you want to create a new topic to discuss Snow Basin/SLC or any other new topic - just click the "New Topic" button just below and to the left here. BTW - staying on topic is appreciated but not specifically required - we all wander off topic periodically. :wink:

Also - Snow Basin is fabulous. I have skied there 3-4 times when in the SLC area, and it is my favorite Utah area. The Olympic trails are a blast and the snow, sun, people, etc just can't be beat......

 

[tirolerpeter]

Skiing SLC

Hey ChileMass....don't forget how beautiful the lodge is and the helpfulness of the staff at the Gondolas and Tram!

 

[Tyrolean_skier]

In response to the original topic, I started skiing at Mt. Snow during a long weekend in the company of friends. Some of the others had already skied but myself and another friend had never tried it before. We both failed the first lesson in that the instructor said we were not ready to go on the lift. Needless to say our friends thought otherwise and proceeded to take us to the top of the mountain. We then started down a green trail and I must have fallen a thousand times. However, I fell in love with the sport and kept at it and now I even venture into the trees on occasion. I was in my late twenties when I started. I am now a bond holder at Killington so I ski just there usually. I have skied at many other resorts too including Plattekill and Windham last season. This summer I got to ski on a glacier n(on July 12) during a trip to visit my brother and his family in Italy. That was quite an experience to ski in the summer. In the past I have also skied at Pico, Stowe, Sugarbush, Stratton, Okemo, Lake Placid, Catamount, Hunter, Butternut, Squaw Valley, Kirkwood, Alpine Meadows, Heavenly, Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee, Steamboat, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge. I have also skied on rare occasions at Vernon Valley/Mountain Creek.

 

[Beartrap]

Ward Hill in Shrewsbury, MA. My first mountain would be up the road in Princeton at Wachusett.

 

[Skier71787]

5 pairs of skis, 4 pairs of boots, and 10 years ago I first went to Gunstock with my dad, who was also new at skiing. I only remember one thing of that year. I tried going off a huge jump and faceplanted. I must have looked pretty funny.

 

[skiingmatty5]

the first mountain i ever skiied what Gunstock when i was 3 and have been skiing ever since.

 

[smallberries]

My first lift served skiing was at Mt. Sunapee around 1960. I can remember falling right on my ass the first time I tried to ride the J-Bar.

Last year I saw a postcard of the same hill from that era for sale on ebay, but I got outbid (hopefully by someone who also remembered learning to ski there.)

 

[andyzee]

Shawnee in PA, at the ripe age of 45 :lol: