Welcome to the West Point Ski Area - trail map from mid-sixties

My favorite part:

I didn't think I really had the skills to pass the USSA basic test, but my dad wore a blue parka and gave me the 'benefit of doubt'. The test was conducted on the hill when it was closed due to blizzard conditions.

These ratings are only for this hill, do not assume these runs are equal in difficulty to runs marked with green squares, yellow triangles and blue circles at other ski areas.

Has anyone reading this skied here? I have met a few, a lot of military here in DC area and on our local slopes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeddyO 

I never skied there; didn't the name go back and forth from West Point to Silvermine?

I may have erred with capitalization in the thread title. I used caps because it was a title, not because this is the actual name of the ski area. The actual name is Victor Constant Ski Slope.

"The West Point Ski Slope was dedicated in 1946 in memory of Capt. S. Victor Constant, Dept of MA&E, who as coach of skiing, designed and supervised construction of these slopes and tows and by his skill and leadership, developed recreational and competitive skiing into major activities at the Military Academy."

Oh by the way, the trail map with rules and regulations on the back is from the 1960's. They have a chairlift now and a base lodge but less terrain. The poma was removed, and the glade in no longer skied. The trees separating Long Run and Engineer Trail are gone. Engineers Trail was the most difficult run, it's now gone. I never skied Engineer Trail, it was beyond my ability. My favorite was Wildcat which is gone now too.

I think I skied Silvermine once.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mapnut ...I don't think that lift shown serving a glade west of the main area ever existed.

 

Mapnut, if you're referring to the Poma serving the Rod Smith Glade, it most certainly existed. It would not appear on the trail map if it wasn't there.

Rob, yes my dad helped design the glade. I was there when he and a few friends were marking trees to be removed. He also was instrumental in the installation of snowmaking and lights for night skiing. We lived less than a mile from the hill.

Hmm, no evidence of the Poma in this photo, but trust me it was there. I rode it many times.

I guess someone excited about the new snowmaking facility took this photo from Storm King Mountain. Probably my dad. A photo that has been in the family collection for about fifty years.

The Silver Depository, the "Fort Knox of Silver" now mints coins for the U.S. Mint and is the second largest depository of our nation's gold.

When this picture was taken, the lodge was a log cabin which may have had electricity, but I remember it was pretty dark inside. Picnic tables, a roaring fire, stuffed moose head above the fire, bathrooms. Nothing for sale in there. The lodge was on top of the beginner's slope, not accessible to nonskiers.

When I lost my season pass, my dad got angry and made me buy a new one with my allowance money. It was $3.50.

That was seven weeks of allowance. A lot of money.

Probably early season, early snowmaking, 1963?

A more recent trail map.