Today we headed north for our first visit to Big Squaw in Greenville. About 4 inches of new snow had fallen by the time we arrived, and it was dry and light. Snow accumulated throughout the day, and there was about a foot of light powder by day's end. The morning was windy, but it wasn't as bad in the afternoon. The current setup has a good variety of terrain and a nice base lodge. There are lots of intermediate cruising trails, and some nice paths through the woods. The area skis bigger than the stats would suggest, and the light crowds meant that we could ski untracked snow run after run. Saint John was one of my favorite runs, it was narrow and swooped through the forest with interesting fall lines. Penobscot was interesting because it ran under the abandoned double and past the abandoned upper lodge and hotel. There was actually an option to ski under the bridge which connected the old lodge to the hotel. With the fun terrain, and deep, dry snow, today was likely within this season's top 3 days.
The huge abandoned hotel in the snowstorm looked like something straight out of "The Shining." On one run we noted the the door to the old ski lodge was ajar. The entrance was not posted, so we decided to take a look inside. We were able to walk around the old ski lodge, and we crossed the enclosed bridge to the hotel. Some parts are in rough shape, but overall it is holding up quite well. There was almost no vandalism, and some of the hotel rooms were all made up and looked ready to sleep in. The upper levels of the hotel were in worse shape than the lower levels. It is a very unique experience to ski at an area which is half abandoned, and Squaw is well worth a visit if you ever get the chance.
