Photos of abandoned Iron Mountain, CA ski area

Spooky

Spooky... and sad.

Thanks for posting that.  Although I never skied there, I had many friends who did.

JF

exactly how'd everything just disappear and everything getting vandalised?

Cool, as sad as it is to see useful things abandoned, I have this weird fascination withthem and ruins and such.

(Damn external links take me away from the site....so tired of that...really, mods how about it? Fix it its broken!)

Although I have never skied there I have a fond connection to the area because my Father managed the resort for one season back in the mid 70's when it was still called Silver Basin Ski Area.  As I recall they typically got a ton of snow there (even more than Kirkwood).  It was too bad it never could stay afloat.

Thank you for posting these pics! I have been looking everywhere and am not able to find a lot of info about the resort. My father moved us to California in 1988 when he was contracted to rebuild the resort. All of those lift houses, the lodge, restaurant, Inn, etc. were redone mostly by my father's company. Somewhere there's a picture of me being lifted by the crane that hoisted the tower on top of the restaurant. It was nice in it's day. I was 11 years old when the resort reopened and I first learned to ski on the little rabbit run. Man this brings back memories!! Too bad it's no longer running, I'd have liked to have been able to go skiing there again! :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Jones 

How about a co-op.  Is there any good terrain?  How's the snow and what's the altitude?

What's the terrain like is a good question. Snow should be about the same as Kirkwood gets. I got the impression from the forest service link above that the terrain was uninspiring.

I spent a LOT of time snowboarding at Iron Mountain from '88-'93 while in school and the terrain is at best Moderate.  Really only 3 truly steep areas, all very short.  However, with that said it was always fun, never crowded and incredibly affordable, thus part of its demise.   Midweek with a HS or College ID was like $8!  

Mostly the area now is for snowmobiling, there's great terrain in here for cruising a powder day if you can have someone pull you out or hike/ski out.  There are a few areas that can be prone to avalanche, especially the "Cliff" area at chair 4.  Elevation info is about 7700' at top of Wildcat chair, down to 6400' at bottom of Chair 4.    

Stopped by, hiked and rode a bit there a week ago after riding at Kirkwood in the morning, fun as always.   Still looks like the pics above, BUT they have removed some of the chairs over the past few summers.  Someone was living onsite in summer 2009, looked like they were actually working on the lodge as well.  

I use to work at Iron Mountain as a ski instructor. I believe the The GM's name was Corky, Ski School director Stewart and the three full time instructors were Mikey, Lisa and myself. Too bad they couldn't keep that place going, it was a fun little resort. My buddies use to take us up on the piston-bully late at night when there were full moons and we would ski the back runs while they groomed. Fun times!

Forgot to mention I met my future wife at Iron Mountain...we eventually married and have been together ever since!

I  know it is an old post but I was up skiing yesterday and stopped by on my way home to check this place out.  I did ski it once years ago.  Anyway I skinned out and the buildings are still being destroyed.  Can't (well actually I can!) believe that people are destroying the place.  It is hit hard by snowmo's.  One of the buildings is burnt to the ground and I'm sure it won't be long for another to join its demise.  Truly sad!

I did ski a bit while there.  From the little I saw / remember it is shallow terrain but I did find a fairly steep section.  After two laps there and on the hike out i noticed the sign. Not patrolled.  The area was actually between two lifts...

Will be heading out there again before this storm gives way to the global warming.

ra

July 18, 2011 . The snow has finally gone, If you think the abonded Ski resort is eiree in the winter. Try a windy afternoon in July. Very spooky. If i stand still looking out towards Pyamid peak

I can almost here the voices and feel the buzz that was once there. The building with the ski boots is gone. It burnt to the ground last winter. slowly but surely the weather and Mother Nature

are taking hold ....What a SHAME . I live in Placerville. 3 weeks ago you still could not get through Mormon Immegrent Trail. And they closed it due to lack of snow??

Gia

So the 3 story main day lodge where the cafeteria, ski rentals, etc. was is the building that burned down? 

Sad...

I skiid this place in the mid 90's i believe it may have even been their last season.  Very sad to see this place today!  I live within 20 miles so I do go out and look at it every now and then.  To my surprise as mentioned a few posts ago I noticed the lodge was burnt to the ground when I went out there yesterday!  I wonder if they're trying to clean the place up or if someone burned it for fun??  I was actually upset to see that!  Also the roof has partially collapsed on the motel, probably from the amount of snow this year!  At this point, they really need to just take the place down...

Motel 7/31/11  Partial roof collapse, deck on second floor has been unstable for a few years now...

Lodge 7-31-11  You can see the first step remaining that went up to the cafeteria on the second floor.

Lodge 7-31-11  If you look closely in the center of the picture you can see the "blue" lockers, or what's left of them.