Hey I talked to Dr Ben Lane today!(Princeton Ski Bowl founder,Bearpen mtn NY)

ciscokid

I gave Dr Ben Lane a shout and low and behold we ended up chatting for TWENTY minutes. Now 87 still sharp as a tack. He couldn't believe its been 4 years since our hike but remembered the Bellayre (spell?) ski patrol hike also.
Not only did he reminisce about meeting Albert Einstein and Ralph Nader but about I believe a dorm buddy (Conrad surname) who was supposed to fly to the moon before Neil Armstrong but the mission was aborted for some reason.
Brother Ken the opera singer gave a rendition in NYC at the age of 91. I said he met Margaret Hamilton and he said they both knew her.After jotting down my phone, and email he furnished Thatnyguy's contact. I guess I'm in the club.

Jamesdeluxe and Russ's articles still intrigue the heck out of me.I told him he was a visionary way before its ski time.

I would imagine (JD nelsap)knows a bunch of historic ski related figures but this just made my day

What individuals of historic ski fame have you met and contacted ? ( besides fellow snowjournalists)

marcski

Well done, Cisco! As a platty skier, Bearpen's lore has always had me daydreaming of year's past. I've hiked it from the front side and a good buddy lives in the shadows of its' backside...and of course, it's always in the distance when looking out from Plattekill.

lotsoskiing

Can you post links to the various Bearpen sites? I remember reading one a while ago but memory is foggy. An intriguing place

ciscokid

Here's the historic one

http://skikabbalah.com/lostNY/bearpen/BEARPEN%20STORY.htm

ciscokid

james M /Russ's

https://nyskiblog.com/magazine/eastern-us/bearpen-mountain-ny-original-beast/

Our hike with the Lanes from 2015

http://snowjournal.com/discussion/137/2015-live-at-princeton-ski-bowl-bearpen-mtn-dr-ben-lane-sunday-july-5/p1

NELSAP

I'm glad you got to talk to him! That was a fun hike 4 years ago, time has flown!

Some of the legends I've spoken to or met:

1. Stein Eriksen - twice, once in Park City in 2002 with Chris and Betsy at a cocktail party (tried as I might, he didn't understand the concept of NELSAP) and again when the Ski Museum honored him with the Spirit of Skiing Award.

2. CB Vaughn Jr. - who had set the fastest speed on skis, and was the founder of CB Sports (I had their jackets as a kid). When I spoke to him about a lost area in the Northern Adirondacks for my book, he said "I'm so glad you called, I've always wanted to talk to you!" which I found hilarious and unexpected.

3. Herbert Schneider, son of Hannes Schneider.

4. The Cochran Family - had a great ride up the T-bar there with Barbara Ann, 72 Gold.

5. Other Olympians like Penny Pitou, Tommy Moe.

Jeremy

ciscokid

Well I'm glad I got to meet, hike, and get an autographed copy of lost ski areas of southern Adirondacks by Jeremy Davis, founder of Nelsap.

Wow Stein and Tommy Moe, was Picabo Street there?

I bet Bill29 has met a few , Bill you out there?

ciscokid

I failed to mention I also called my good brother from the old country ( i.e. NJ) Rick Bolger and NJskibabe
Trying to call Trackbiker but he changed his #
Misplaced Woody B's #

You gotta call and say hi to your ski buds every few years ya'll know

ciscokid

Russ thatnyguy called me back, doing well, still working his butt off ,due to lack of caller id had to call Dr Ben to get it! Glad all are well

NJskibabe is well too

ciscokid

I'm surprised no one met Bode

ciscokid

Been several years Since I talk to him, but the famous Dr. Benjamin Lane is still alive and well I am glad to I left a message yesterday and today he called back and we talked for seven minutes before you got another phone call and then the phone rang back and it was his secretary calling me back and she said I made his day and I told her he made my day. A secretary Shirley told me he was trying to get out skiing a couple weeks back with a friend she asked me for my email address which I gave her and I told her that if we knew ahead of time Dr. Lane would have a fan club to ski with!
Anyway, I’m very happy to have talked to him and let him he was letting me know how good a friend Russ was in all the work that Russ did trying to revive his old lost ski area.
If any of you would like to contact him, I would think that he would return your phone call. He is still working as the optometrist in New Jersey yet his age of 93 and all his contact information is still online. If you leave a detailed message I’m sure he would call you back.

ciscokid

I don’t know if anyone reads this thread or not besides Chris( well maybe ski_it) but I had heard from Dr Lanes secretary he was talking about going skiing with a friend a couple weeks back.

I thought I’d call him back and see if this was true. Sure enough he would be receptive to a Snowjournal/ Nyskiblog / whatever you want to call it ski/ meet up day in the near future.( by end of this season) I asked Dr Lane where he would be interested to meet/ ski. We agreed the new Bearpen on 1491 CR 2 Prattsville NY would be a nice location to gather, converse, share some history of the old and projections for the new downhill portion of Bearpen/ Princeton ski bowl to reopen with current ownership. The option to meet at Plattekill, Bellayre, or Hunter for some actual ski time is definately an option.
James Michaud the “ Bearpen story” writer who worked with Russ LaChapelle and I will work to set up a date and time after James gets back from a ski trip. I let Liz the one and only NJSkibabe know and figured I’d get a feel for interest and/ or suggestions both here on Snowjournal and nyskiblog where the original “best seller” stories were written. More to come.

Ideas? Interest?

njskibabe

I am not skiing but I would be interested in meeting up with Dr. Lane and the rest of the group to go see the new Bearpen Mountain. I need a lot of advanced notice so I can schedule a day off from work. It is sad that Russ LaChapelle recently passed away. He worked so hard to try to reopen the Bearpen Mountain ski area.