Names of Ski Areas

joshua_segal

It's interesting to me how just the name of a ski area can generate excitement. Over the years, we've had threads on sources of names and on areas that have changed their names.

But this thread is intended to ask: Name up to 3-areas whose name excites you and up to 3-names that might be a turn off. Also, include a reason why.

Names that excite:
- Stowe: Purely history and reputation
- Mad River Glen: Great imagery in the name even though it is just the name of a nearby river.
- Pico Peak: A great area but, the pure alliteration of the name was lost when they became Pico Mountain

Names that create "ho hum":
- Blandford: Named after the town. A bland name that eventually went NELSAP!
- Bolton Valley: A really good area, but who wants to ski a valley - and "Bolt on" just doesn't work for me. I'd like to see them change its name to something like "Ski Thunder-bolton"
- Mount Snow: The name of the mountain was changed when the ski area was opened. The problem is: every ski area is a Snow Mountain.

What can you add?

NewEnglandSkier13

We had a thread which generated a good list of names for the second category: https://www.snowjournal.com/discussion/225/the-worst-name-for-a-ski-area

joshua_segal

NewEnglandSkier13;c-67124 wroteWe had a thread which generated a good list of names for the second category: https://www.snowjournal.com/discussion/225/the-worst-name-for-a-ski-area

Good find, Sam. I totally forgot about that thread. I think this thread is slightly different in that I am looking for a purely positive or negative emotional response to a name.

For example, the name "Stowe" in itself isn't very exciting, but the history and reputation have made it exciting. And the name, "Mount Snow", isn't a bad name. It's just a boring name!

NewEnglandSkier13

Here are some of my other suggestions. Some are then are a little over the border in Canada, but we included those on the previous thread:

Exciting Names
- Lonesome Pine Trails (sounds like a very remote and beautiful place to ski)
- Owl's Head (suggests a steep and prominent mountain, which it is)
- Pinnacle (again suggests a steep end exciting mountain)
- Mont Bellevue (Who wouldn't want to ski somewhere with a beautiful view?)
- Powderhouse Hill (skiing and gunpowder? Sounds exciting)
- Quoggy Jo (Who wouldn't want to ski somewhere with such an intriguing name?)
- Camden Snow Bowl & Middlebury Snow Bowl (I've always loved the name "Snow Bowl" and the imagery that it suggests.)

Less Than Ideal Names
- Crabbe Mountain (What do crabs have anything to do with skiing?)
- Baie des Sables (A sandy bay doesn't sound like a fun place to ski, unless you're water skiing.)

Could Go Either Way
- Lost Valley (sounds like an intriguing place to ski and discover, but will it be difficult to find?)

lotsoskiing

Sun Valley runs counter to the Bolton Valley argument?

joshua_segal

Good list Sam: Interesting that Pinnacle, NH dumped their name for Granite Gorge, which at least has alliteration as opposed to my example above of Pico Peak losing its alliterative appeal in going to Pico Mtn.

Also interesting is, that you found "X Snow Bowl" exciting and I found the inclusion of "Snow" in a ski area's name to be boring.

I never heard of your 2 "less than ideal" area names. Perhaps, that's why!

Interesting that Powderhouse made your list, but Gunstock did not. I left my lists at "3-areas" but I always liked the name of NY's Dynamite Hill.

joshua_segal

lotsoskiing;c-67127 wroteSun Valley runs counter to the Bolton Valley argument?

Good point. I tend to focus on New England specifically and the northeast in general. I suggest that Sun Valley is in the same category as Stowe: history and reputation makes the name. Only one area can be first on the list of mega-resorts!

NewEnglandSkier13

joshua_segal;c-67128 wroteGood list Sam: Interesting that Pinnacle, NH dumped their name for Granite Gorge, which at least has alliteration as opposed to my example above of Pico Peak losing its alliterative appeal in going to Pico Mtn.

Also interesting is, that you found "X Snow Bowl" exciting and I found the inclusion of "Snow" in a ski area's name to be boring.

I never heard of your 2 "less than ideal" area names. Perhaps, that's why!

Interesting that Powderhouse made your list, but Gunstock did not. I left my lists at "3-areas" but I always liked the name of NY's Dynamite Hill.

I was referring to Pinnacle, Maine, but you did remind me that is what Granite Gorge used to be called as well! Gunstock is also an interesting name, I just tend to focus more on Maine and nearby Canadian ski areas that I frequent and didn't want to make the list too long.

joshua_segal

NewEnglandSkier13;c-67130 wrote
joshua_segal;c-67128 wroteGood list Sam: Interesting that Pinnacle, NH dumped their name for Granite Gorge, which at least has alliteration as opposed to my example above of Pico Peak losing its alliterative appeal in going to Pico Mtn.

Also interesting is, that you found "X Snow Bowl" exciting and I found the inclusion of "Snow" in a ski area's name to be boring.

I never heard of your 2 "less than ideal" area names. Perhaps, that's why!

Interesting that Powderhouse made your list, but Gunstock did not. I left my lists at "3-areas" but I always liked the name of NY's Dynamite Hill.
I was referring to Pinnacle, Maine, but you did remind me that is what Granite Gorge used to be called as well! Gunstock is also an interesting name, I just tend to focus more on Maine and nearby Canadian ski areas that I frequent and didn't want to make the list too long.

Names do repeat: I think there were as many as seven areas that went by the name Hidden Valley. Beyond the Maine and the NH Pinnacles, there was also a Vermont Pinnacle and an Pinnacle-Addison in NY.

bousquet19

joshua_segal;d-4448 wroteIt's interesting to me how just the name of a ski area can generate excitement. Over the years, we've had threads on sources of names and on areas that have changed their names.

But this thread is intended to ask: Name up to 3-areas whose name excites you and up to 3-names that might be a turn off. Also, include a reason why.

(Snip)

Names that create "ho hum":
(Snip)

- Mount Snow: The name of the mountain was changed when the ski area was opened. The problem is: every ski area is a Snow Mountain.

What can you add?

*****

Actually, the name “Mount Snow” ❄️ creates some excitement for me joshua_segal because of the origin of the name. The mountain itself is Mount Pisgah, but the family that farmed the base is the Snow family.

That makes Mount Snow one of the handful of areas named after its property owners. Others east of the Mississippi include Pat’s Peak, Cochran’s, Perfect North … and one whose name escapes 😉 me. (But that’s another thread. I don’t want to hijack this one.)

Woody

trackbiker

Maybe a little off the original theme.

Names that were Ho-Hum to more exiting names:
- Little Gap (The area with now the most vertical in PA) to - Blue Mountain
- Doe Mountain to - Bear Creek
- Masthope Mountain (Indian name for "beads of glass") to - Ski Big Bear

Names that were exciting to Ho-Hum:
- Thunder Mountain to - Berkshire East
- Suicide Six (Politically Incorrect) to - Saskadena Six
- Haystack Mountain to - Hermitage Club (Home of hermit or a secluded home)
- Deer Run to - Scotch Valley (lost)

Stan51

Not sure which category... Birch Hill to Thunder Ridge

lotsoskiing

Stan51;c-67136 wroteNot sure which category... Birch Hill to Thunder Ridge

Big Birch in between

To me, Hogback does not inspire...

rickbolger

the all time rename was when Montage Mountain briefly became SNOT MOUNTAIN

lotsoskiing

rickbolger;c-67138 wrotethe all time rename was when Montage Mountain briefly became SNOT MOUNTAIN

Snöt

riverc0il

rickbolger;c-67138 wrotethe all time rename was when Montage Mountain briefly became SNOT MOUNTAIN

That is a strange one. It appears to be a Swedish word, past tense for blowing your nose (based on a quick google search, but I couldn't find much, I am sure there is more to it). Perhaps that is a three-way clever name? Of course, with the umlaut, that letter is not an O nor does it make an O sound. So, maybe not that clever.

trackbiker

snö is Swedish for snow. The moose antlers forming a "T" is just bad design.
The group that owned it at the time also had a lot of other bad ideas. Like making a competition size half-pipe in the banana belt.
Skied there this past Sunday. It's under much better management now.

ski_it

Maybe they thought the antlers looked like a W?

riverc0il

trackbiker;c-67149 wrotesnö is Swedish for snow. The moose antlers forming a "T" is just bad design.

Thanks for the clarification! That makes more sense. And, yea, that is a poor design!

joshua_segal

I thought that the moose antlers were intended as a stylized "W".