Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mt.

TomWhite

I've never paged down/known Storm Skiing podcasts to have such full material on the subject of their podcast. Below has much. I only skied Laurel Mt. (twice) in the early/mid 60's. It was similar to the 1981 map they show, except the chair was a T-bar. If I recall, the original lodge that burned down (I think the 70s) wasn't at the actual summit. It was where the rental shop is on that map. Hidden Valley was the main area I skied in the 60s. But I did all 3. HV's beautiful 2nd lodge burned down I think in the 80s.

https://www.stormskiing.com/p/podcast-116-seven-springs-laurel?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#details

DrJeff

Stuart Winchester IMHO does an EXCELLENT job with the interviews he conducts on the Storm Skiing Podcast.

And if one listens to a few of them and likes the content, I will say that last year I did his premium paid service and the extras that he provides in his write ups are worth the $$ for someone who likes to "geek out" on the ops side of ski area operations as I do. It's more than just getting access to the podcasts a few days prior to when they drop on the various free streaming platforms.

Whether he's interviewing the GM or owner of a small Mom and Pop resort that I will likely never ski at, or one of the CEO/CFO's of one of the big mega passes or even the heads of various lift manufacturers/snowmaking companies, I almost always learn something new about the industry and find the interviews very entertaing, informative, and engaging to the listener

IBRAKEFORTBARS

Gotta agree: the Storm Skiing podcast is one of the best out there. The level of research and thoroughness is next level. Crossing my fingers he covers some of my favorite places, such as Labrador/Song Mountain or Black Mt of NH!

IBRAKE

TomWhite

IBRAKE I thought you were going to say, the main T-bar at Laurel Mt. was the longest in PA at the time. I never rode it cos I was too afraid of going to the base of the mountain. I didn't know there was a novice alternative to steep Lower Wildcat. I used to have a brochure where the photo of that T-bar showed a double chair hanging from the cable. If I recall, the 1 or 2 chairs were for taking injured skiers (and maybe lifties) up the lodge/first aid.

ciscokid

Quite the history at Laurel

https://www.laurelmountainski.com/the-mountain/about-the-mountain/mountain-info.aspx

TomWhite

Quotes from the History:
“Hidden Valley, Bear Rocks, and Plateau De Mount were new and like Seven Springs, all had easier access from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The early December opening day 1966 count went to Seven Springs at 3,800 to Laurel’s less than 2000. Pittsburgh’s newest lift served ski area, Boyce Park (all 180 vertical feet of it), only 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, drew 1600 skiers.”
The author missed White Mt. It was small, also in Champion like Seven Springs. I skied every one. HV was my home area.

“By the 1971-72 season Laurel Mountain which was Pennsylvania’s most complete and busiest ski area just 10 years prior was reduced to no lodge, no chairlift, two rope tows on the upper mountain, portable johns, no rentals, no snack bar, no running water, and no snowmaking.”
Blue Knob, Seven Springs, Elk Mt. and others may dispute “PA’s most complete and busiest.” BK had a 4900’ x 1000’ double chair in 1963. They had a twin built the next year. SS had 3 double chairs in 1972. Laurel had a long T-bar and several smaller surface lifts. There’s no clear statement of the lodge’s burning. Perhaps 1982 based on above. I thought it was early.

bousquet19

DrJeff;c-59329 wroteStuart Winchester IMHO does an EXCELLENT job with the interviews he conducts on the Storm Skiing Podcast.

And if one listens to a few of them and likes the content, I will say that last year I did his premium paid service and the extras that he provides in his write ups are worth the $$ for someone who likes to "geek out" on the ops side of ski area operations as I do. It's more than just getting access to the podcasts a few days prior to when they drop on the various free streaming platforms. …

(snip)

+1

Woody

midatlanticlost

LaurelHillCrazie could say a lot more about LM than any of us could (since he wrote a lot of that article) but I just wanted to throw in this picture of a remaining t-bar tower, skiers right at the top of Lower Wildcat

IBRAKEFORTBARS

Schneikies, those puny sheaves!! Wonder if they even had a neoprene lining!

LaurelHillCrazie

TomWhite;c-59336 wroteQuotes from the History:
“Hidden Valley, Bear Rocks, and Plateau De Mount were new and like Seven Springs, all had easier access from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The early December opening day 1966 count went to Seven Springs at 3,800 to Laurel’s less than 2000. Pittsburgh’s newest lift served ski area, Boyce Park (all 180 vertical feet of it), only 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, drew 1600 skiers.”

The author missed White Mt. It was small, also in Champion like Seven Springs. I skied every one. HV was my home area.

Yes, my bad. I did miss White Mountain.

“By the 1971-72 season Laurel Mountain which was Pennsylvania’s most complete and busiest ski area just 10 years prior was reduced to no lodge, no chairlift, two rope tows on the upper mountain, portable johns, no rentals, no snack bar, no running water, and no snowmaking.”

Blue Knob, Seven Springs, Elk Mt. and others may dispute “PA’s most complete and busiest.” BK had a 4900’ x 1000’ double chair in 1963. They had a twin built the next year. SS had 3 double chairs in 1972. Laurel had a long T-bar and several smaller surface lifts. There’s no clear statement of the lodge’s burning. Perhaps 1982 based on above. I thought it was early.

This a paragraph down: "Despite this long awaited modern lift the bad news was just beginning at Laurel. Bankruptcy proceedings followed legal fights to terminate the lease and a threatened closure by the state, Patterson won a counter suit and maintained control of Laurel. Amid deteriorating infrastructure, acrimony in the community and new allegations of questionable business practices, Laurel House burned to the ground in January 1971." In 1961 Seven Springs and Elk Mountain's first double chairs were in place. Blue Knob was still 2 years from opening. Hidden Valley opened for the 1958-59 winter.

TomWhite

Thanks, obviously is missed the paragraph containing the lodge burning.

LaurelHillCrazie

TomWhite;c-59331 wroteIBRAKE I thought you were going to say, the main T-bar at Laurel Mt. was the longest in PA at the time. I never rode it cos I was too afraid of going to the base of the mountain. I didn't know there was a novice alternative to steep Lower Wildcat. I used to have a brochure where the photo of that T-bar showed a double chair hanging from the cable. If I recall, the 1 or 2 chairs were for taking injured skiers (and maybe lifties) up the lodge/first aid.

If you find that brochure of the Laurel T-bar with a chair attached to the haul rope, will you please post a copy here? The only picture I've ever seen was this one from the Lift's dedication ceremony.

TomWhite

I gave Jeremy brochures and a1969 ski atlas to put on the original site. My wife threw out scores of brochures I had from the 60s n 70s during one of our moves. If he doesn't have it in LM article, it's gone. Of course, the photo shows a single chair. My memory is a double in the background (on the downside) with two girls riding the T-bar near the top of Lower Wildcat.