MILSAP Updates, May 30, 2013

Welcome to MILSAP! We are dedicated to collecting and publishing information about the history of lift-served ski areas in Michigan.  If you have fond memories of flying down the slopes on your favorite hill, but the area has closed, let us know about it. Michigan has a long, rich history of skiing and sliding and it should not be forgotten. Please help us keep it alive by sharing your recollections, snapshots, memorabilia, news clippings, home movies, or whatever you may have that would remind you and others of the places where people used to enjoy winter in Michigan.

For more information about our site, check the About MILSAP link on on the navigation bar above or at the top of our page links in the right-hand column.

LATEST UPDATES

Since the end of the ski season we have approved 26 comments, including 6 today that were left in the past two weeks. Jeff Kurn left three comments one of which included a history of Bintz Apple Mountain and another which pointed to a NEW LOST SKI AREA, at Lost Lake Woods Club near Lincoln. Does anyone else remember the rope tow at Lost Lake?

Robert Rhoades also left a couple comments, one about Mt. Grampian and another stating that he still takes his ski teams to Franklin Hill near Farmington Hills for dry-land conditioning in the fall. Trucker Mark left a comment on the Sugarloaf page about a former ski area at the Leelanau School. He needs to look at the information on our page for “the Homestead.”

David and Larry Weisenthal each left comments on our Mt. Grampian page, David’s with LOTS of reminiscences. James Baruth also commented on Mt. Grampian. Chris Baker commented about Royal Valley, Ryan Smith about Black Mountain, Terri Gallant Kerr about The Pinnacles, along with Paul F.

Tom Oakes commented that he has been teaching at Cannonsburg sinced 1974! He’s coming up on a 40th anniversary. “Q” left a comment on the MILSAP Updates post about skiing in the Rochester area at Silver Bell, Grampian, Pine Knob, Mt. Holly, and maybe Mt. Christie and Mt. Brighton). Charles Supercynski left some interesting history about the Brighton Ski Jump. John E Owen and Jackie Roe commented on Fonro and Tony and R. Black left comments about Kandahar. Mr. Black said he has pictures. If so, we would like him to share them with us. He can do so by following the directions on the About MILSAP page.

Sharkbites left us three comments about Briar Hill and Bilol left one including the fact that he has pictures his grandfather took there. We would like to see those, too. Tom Sligh commented about Carousel Mtn., Mike Kinney on Iroquois Mtn., and Marian Jackson and Helen left comments about Brady’s Hills.

Speaking of sharing with us, “whateverdamnit” sent six pictures of patches for Ward Hills, Mt. Christie, Snow Valley, Manistee, Chrystal Mtn., and Alpine Valley. I’ll get them up on the area pages and into our (relatively) new Ski Area Patches gallery PDQ.

 

MILSAP Updates, March 11, 2013

Since last week, Peter Bigford left a comment about coming up from Niles to ski at Black Mountain near Cheboygan with his brother, Andy. Andy is now the Group Publisher of Ski Magazine, Skiing Magazine and Skiing Business Magazine for Bonnier Corporation. He was formerly General Manager of Warren Miller Entertainment. Peter was in management for many years at Copper Mountain in Colorado and is now the COO at Shanty Creek/Schuss Mtn. I guess if you grow up with a love of skiing in Michigan, you really are prepared for the big time.

Patrick (P.J.) Markey left a comment on the Kandahar page about the memories other commentators have left about the rope tows. Patrick now patrols at Pando, another rope tow area, and tells his kids about the rope switch on Timberline at Kandahar.

And now a mystery. Steve Tongue of Traverse City left a comment on the About MILSAP page about the remains of a rope tow that were in the underbrush of a hill in East Grand Rapids that he and his friends used for sledding in the ’70s. The hill is between two ponds, just south of Lake Dr. It is just west of the Ravenswood Guest House and north of the athletic fields at Calvin College. If anyone has any information about skiing on Ravenswood hill or knows where the tow rope and equipment came from, please let us know.

MILSAP Updates, March 3, 2013

I have approved 10 comments since our last update. Don Klemm commented that Manistee Ski Area, Big M, and Udell Hills were all the same area, operating under different names. Bill Bonkowski said on our FIRSTS page that he was an instructor at Boyne Highlands when the high-speed detachable lift was installed and it changes the lift ride from 9 minutes to around 2.

Jay Benda And Tony both commented on the Kandahar Ski Club Ski Jumping page about the history of the ski jumps at Kandahar. Cathy Gosenca (nee Sheppard) commented about Teeple Hill and Dryden (and said a few words about Mt. Holly in the process). John commented about Skyline, wishing the latest owner well and saying he has pictures of the area in the state it was in while up for tax sale.

Chuck Kendall left a comment on the MILSAP Update page about Mt. Frederic and a ski area near Waters. Yes, Chuck, we have pages for both Mt. Frederic and the Waters Ski Club. The pages are connected to the Gaylord area page because Gaylord is the closest major town (and was at one time the major ski center in northern Michigan) The Gaylord areas page is in the Northeastern Lower Peninsula group because Gaylord is the east of Old-27, even though a few of the Gaylord areas are west.

Tim Palmitier left a comment about the location of SilverBell Village and Bob Sisco commented about the lifts at The Homestead.

Please keep those comments coming, and if you have pictures, movies, brochures, maps, patches, etc. to share with us, please follow the directions on the About MILSAP page.

MILSAP Updates, February 24, 2013

Welcome to MILSAP! We are dedicated to collecting and publishing information about the history of lift-served ski areas in Michigan.  If you have fond memories of flying down the slopes on your favorite hill, but the area has closed, let us know about it. Michigan has a long, rich history of skiing and sliding and it should not be forgotten. Please help us keep it alive by sharing your recollections, snapshots, memorabilia, news clippings, home movies, or whatever you may have that would remind you and others of the places where people used to enjoy winter in Michigan.

For more information about our site, check the About MILSAP link on on the navigation bar above or at the top of our page links in the right-hand column.

LATEST UPDATES

Thirteen new comments since our last post. Tom Boyer said he had information about the Greenbush Inn. I’ll have to get in touch with him to find out more. Curtis left comments about Moon Ridge and Galaxy (said they were not the same area), and also Winterskol and Brady’s Hills (they were the same area).

Les Smith commented on Black Forest as did Dick Polanshek. Bob Sisco left comments about Indian Hills, Brady’s Hills and Winterskol. Jay Moore also commented on Brady’s Hills. Mark Iftner left a comment on Buck Hills. Kevin D. left thoughts about Sugarloaf and Erik Hudson about Walloon Hills.

Bob Sisco asked if there was a way to contact someone privately. On WordPress, not that I am aware of. I have access to the email addresses of   leave comments, but they are not posted publicly. If you contact me by comment or email and let me know with whom you want to converse, I can email them and ask if they would like to contact you. Or, if you prefer, you could reply to their comment with one of your own, posting your email address and asking for contact.  

Please keep these comments coming! It’s one way we can preserve the traditions of skiing in Michigan.

MILSAP Updates, Februrary 10, 2013

Just got back from Vermont, visiting some not-so-lost ski areas, and I found about 30 new comments when I returned. Greg Carpenter commented on Cristella and Silverbell. Max McDonald left two comments on Silver Valley and sent a link to some pictures. Tom Fullerton commented on Mulligan’s Hollow, Sugar Loaf, Nub’s Nob, Bittersweet, Elberta (he used to hang-glide there) and Carousel Mt. Paul left his memories of the Lansing Ski Club and Mike Allor commented on Kandahar.

Gail Egan Harrington and Sherry Marsh posted some history of Timberline, near Rose City, including information about their family’s ownership and operation of the area.  Sherry said she would try to post some pictures.

Tom commented on Royal Valley and Tony Slosar left comments about Kandahar (5), Walloon Hills, Skyline, Sugar Loaf, and Mt. Holly (where I am as I write this on a rainy evening). Gary Westrick commented about Mt. Grampian. Marsha left a question about how to contact the owners of Mio Mt. Cyndie left information that Gay-El-Rancho in Gaylord really did have a rope-tow for at least one year, qualifying it as a real lost ski area. (But we’d still like to know if it had a ski jump.)

Susan Biglin Stambersky said she met her husband on the front lift at Snow Valley on a beautiful, warm, sunny day. They are still together and still skiing, having made a Christmas trip this year to Killington, where I skied a couple days just last week.

Walter DeWalt sent us a lot of historical information about Major Mt. near Harrison including the location and directions to views of the slopes. Karen Vocke found the location of Schussaway in Lowell by questioning the locals until she found someone (who wished to remain anonymous) who remembered the area. She said the rope tow was powered by a tractor.

Our thanks go out to everyone who took the time to leave a comment about the fun times they had and the people they met skiing at these areas. If you have fond memories of skiing at one or more of these areas, and especially if you have photos, home movies, videos, maps, brochures, ski patches, lift tickets, or any other information or memorabilia about these places, please consider sharing them with us.

MILSAP Updates, January 27, 2013

You guys and gals have been very busy, leaving 27 comments since our last update. Mark Prell left his comment about Thunder Mountain, Danny Jones commented on Royal Valley, Peter Bigford and Steve Erber both left recollections of Black Mountain.

Jay Benda left us additional confirmation about Mt. Gabriel near Wolverine. He couldn’t confirm the name of the resort or its dates of operation, but he remembers dismantling a T-Bar there to transport to his fathers area, Briar Hill.

Rick Picardat pointed out that we had not yet mentioned Diggins Hill in Cadillac. I had found this area on a MUCC map from the 1970′s while travelling north of there early last December and with Rick’s help, we put it up on our site.

Terry Rosenbaum sent us a link to an article in The Lewiston Daily Sun, dated 2/7/1949 about a ski jumping event at the Marquet Ski Club’s Kirlin Hill. I guess this confirms that Mt. Mesnard had a ski jump, so I’ll have to add it to our list of jumping hills. The same newspaper contained a story about a ski meet between Dixfield and Andover. Held at Dixfield, the schools competed in jumping, x-c, downhill, and slalom. Would anyone out there know the hill where this meet was held?

Mark Smith commented on Skyline, Brian Burr commented on Fonro, Jordon left reminiscences about Binder Park, Mike left his on the Royal Valley page but they really related to Ski Valley in Laport, IN. Charlie Savage commented on Mt. Grampian and Ana on Brady’s Hills.

Carrie left two comments about Royal Valley, B. Coulter left one about Thunder Mountain and another about Mt. Mancelona. Steve Ugarski commented about Bittersweet. Ryan left his thoughts about Royal Valley, Janice Mercer Stasiak left two comments about Brady’s Hills, and G. J. Lopus remembered Sylvan Knob.

Alan commented on Mt. Grampian. Gay Streeter Landstrom commented on Sheridan Valley. Marl Prell commented again, this time on Mt. Grampian, Adam Rothschild on Royal Valley, and Dana Gariglio Lockwood on Skyline.

MILSAP Updates, January 12, 2013

We have approved 12 new comments since our last update. R. Glasser posted a comment about Mt. Gabriel, near Wolverine, that is the actual first confirmation that such an area existed. He even said he would try to follow up with pictures.

Mikey sent a link to another video about Mt. Mancelona. Steve Erber commented on Black Mountain. Laura Shields added a post about skiing in the early 90′s at Mt. Brighton with her buddies T.J. Burke and Dexter Rutekki (sic) before they moved to Aspen. Nice try, Laura, but I think most of us have seen that movie and the credits spell it “Rutecki.”

Art Sampson commented about Thunder. Brian Lambert added to our information about Brady’s Hills. Joe La Rue commented on Mt. Grampian, Jack Pine Valley, Black Forest and Vernier Hill. Mark Prell also commented on Mt. Grampian, and Rich Kingston added his thoughts about Vernier Hill. (Yes, Rich, our information is that the hill is still there, but smaller and only used for sledding).

We are still working through all the pictures that were sent over the holidays. Karen Vocke sent a link to a picture that had rights reserved. I think we can use the picture as long as we credit it to the owner, which we are more than happy to do. It belongs to a Michigan memorabilia shop up north and they list over 1600 historic pictures of Michigan (and a few other places) so I am looking through the archive for other ski pictures and items. Have reached the 300′s, so I have a ways to go, but have already found pictures of a ski slope in Vanderbilt. When I finish, I will not only credit the pictures, I will put a link to his photo gallery on the resources page for those who might be interested in Michigan pictures of general historical interest.

Someone also sent along a picture of an area patch (the kind you sew on a jacket) from Gay-El-Rancho in Gaylord. I have it on supposedly good authority that they had nordic skiing only, but no lifts. However, the patch appears to depict a skier layed out in jumping style, so perhaps their nordic skiing included jumping? Does anyone out there know if there was a jump at the El-Rancho?