The Cass City Chronicle on Thu. Dec. 10, 1970 published the 1971 AAA Winter Sports Fun List. This reported that Iroquois Mountain Lodge had 8 runs, a double chair lift, 2 tows, and X-C skiing. References on the Internet place it on Lakeshore Dr. overlooking Whitefish Bay, near the start of the St. Mary’s River, just west of the city of Sault Ste. Marie. This appears to be the same location as that listed for the Lakeshore Ski Club. Perhaps the club operated the area at one time?
If you have any information about lift-served skiing at Iroquois Mountain, please post it or send it via the directions on the About MILSAP page.
The Lakeshore Ski Club did operate Iroquois Mountain for a few years before it closed in 1972, but the club’s original location, and the one I believe is probably indicated on the map, was near the northwest corner of Monocle Lake. Not sure of the time period at that location, but it might have been late ’40s, early ’50s.
Iroquois Mountain was originally called Mission Hill Ski Resort when it opened in 1958. It boasted an upscale lodge with big picture windows, custom carpeting, fine dining, full-service ski shop, two stone fireplaces and cafeteria lunches. Name was changed top Iroquois Mountain in the early ’60s. The hill was steep and challenging, with a vertical drop of just over 400 feet. The resort had an Austrian ski school from the beginning, headed by Hans Standteiner, until the lodge burned in December of 1963 or 64.
I spent the pre-xmas week of 1963 at a USSA Reg III race camp there. Today almost 50 years later (and skiing the entire time) I remember that I have never been colder than at Iroquois Mtn. Northern winds off Lake Superior. Temperatures before wind chill of -25f. And that was before we all had “warm up pants” BRRRR
I was at that camp! Hans Standteiner ran it, with help from Sepp Oberthaler. Of course, Iroquois was my home hill, just 1.2 miles down the road from where I grew up. So, I was very familiar with those north winds. BRRR is right! Iroquois was a good hill for a race camp — steep and lots of snow, plus uncrowded. Lots of good skiers came out of there, including Greg Schwartz, youngest ever to win the USSA national slalom title in the early ’60s, and Mike Porcarelli, who won several national titles as both a junior racer and in college and was on the Olympic team in the late ’60s. Excellent memories! Those camps were fun.
Hi Jon,
Wondering about the Livingston’s that either owned or operated the Lodge for sometime back when we were in school. Do you have info on them? Have tried to locate Carol, but can’t seem to find where she went. She was a good friend back in those days. Perhaps we can connect off line by E-mail if you would with any info. I remember when the hill was opened for snowmobile hill climbs, probably early to mid 70s. I rode to the lodge a few years ago, using the back trail. I think it was the route Junior Bertram used to get his bulldozer back to the top to work on the steep slope. Take care.
Hi Dave,
You’ve nudged my memory about Iroquois. The Lakeshore Ski Club operated the ski hill for a year or two after the lodge burned in the early 60s, then it was bought by Dr. Paul Sullivan and Ira Carpenter. They owned it until it closed in ’72.
Livingstons never owned or operated the resort. He may have worked there as a lift operator at one time, however. They owned Nodaway Point Restaurant just .7 mile west of the hill.
It’s been decades since I’ve known anything about Carol’s whereabouts. Sorry.
Jon,
Thanks for responding, hope you are well and life is good. Yes, I remember them at the restaurant. I think that may be the last place I had contact with Livingstons. I do remember the Sullivans as well, their daughter Pam was near my age. I know that Livingston’s were associated with the Ski Lodge is some capacity and if I remember it correctly, lived there in the late 60s. Anyway, good to hear from you. My memories of you were your great basketball skill and the really good team ole Brimley had when you played. Take care.