Our kids usually want to ski in that window right after dinner and before bed and that short hour is a great way to burn off that extra energy during the winter school nights. A new, lightweight rope tow designed by a New Hampshire startup is being used in Vermont backyards, as well as at ski resorts as far away as Idaho and Japan. Jim Kenyon: Time for DHMC nurses to get organized? //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBBackyardRopeTow-jdp-vn-031918,ph04'); Similarly, at the Peacham slope, Sugar on Snow was an annual delight usually held in March, around Town Meeting time. You ought to be able to think of something to get us up these hills, said one of the New Yorkers, a stockbroker named Thomas Gammack. A Vermont-wide survey by the New England Lost Ski Areas Project shows many of these places starting in the 1930s and thriving, especially in the 1950s, before the big mountain lifts focused skiing onto higher slopes. ($110)Electri. var sellablestring = "COPYRIGHT VALLEY NEWS"; May not be reprinted or used online without permission. The creators of the first ski rope tow in the United States stole the idea from another person. The result was the first rope tow in America. We've been in the recreation business for over 80 years and want your Snow Valley Experience to the best it can be. Following the Great War, skiing enthusiasts abounded. In the mid-1930s, Woodstock had a lot of company. If you didnt have a strong enough grip (on the rope), the rope tow would tear up your gloves and jacket, said Frank Miller. Vermont Snowboard Shop Installs Rope Tow For Its Terrain Park. Elizabeth Hewitt covers the criminal justice system for VTDigger. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. Use of the tubing run requires a lift ticket and a tube which we provide at the . New restrictions will be in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. Story and photos by Brian Mohr As we were having our land in the Mad River Valley logged a few winters back, we couldn't shake the idea that the slope above our home had "rope tow" written all over it. The signs for it, made by his uncle Raymond Swasey in the 1930s, still decorate his home. We also specialize in coverage of state finances and the impact of tax and budget policy on Vermonters. It could have been a life-threatening accident. '"; This was especially appreciated by the students from the Peacham Academy, who often had not experienced the treat before. Skis at the time were eight to twelve feet long, four or five inches wide, without bottom grooves or wax, held to the feet with notoriously unreliable leather straps, affording the user little control or ability to steer. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; There is legislation that protects landowners from liability in regards to trails on their property, as long as (trail use is) free, McCusker wrote. Anyone can use the rope tow to ski, and it will stay that way.. James M. Patterson SKI HOURS of OPERATION: WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS: 12 noon - 4 pm WEDNESDAYS: 12 noon - 4:20pm* *Beginners lessons on Wednesdays for the season 1:00-4:00PM by donation Tickets / Passes SEASON PASS: Individual - $150 Family - $315 Weekend/Holiday FULL DAY: $15 (Full Hill), $5 (Little Tow) Wednesday FULL HILL: $10 (age 18+), $6 (under 18) LITTLE TOW: $2 Donald Gebbie Sr. died in 1980, while Madeline passed away in 2013. 1.0 out of 5 stars 1. The tow, originally called the Ski-Way, consisted of a continuous loop of rope running over a series of wheels and was driven by the rear wheel of a Model A Ford. She can be reached at emansfield@vtdigger.org. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum. I dont know when it started operation but I started riding it in the mid late 50s. Theres a certain mystique to rope tows, says Glenn Seward, a board member of Ascutney Outdoors, a nonprofit that helped reopen the Brownsville ski area after ithad closed in 2010. Charlie Lawrence, of Waterford, whose father Frank had helped install the rope tow as part-owner of Caledonia Sand & Gravel, remembers being captain of the St. Johnsbury Academy ski team and walking to the slope after school, wearing ski boots and carrying his skis. Elizabeth Royce gave a cab driver $100 in bills and asked him to go to the bank and fetch a crisp $100 bill. For safety, a gate of twine at the top of the ascending rope was designed to shut off the tow in case of an accident. Betsy (the motor) started right up, and we enjoyed our first rope-tow-assisted laps on the hill with our two girls Maiana, 4, and Lenora, 2. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum, The Early Days of New England Skiing - New England Historical Society. The creators of the first ski rope tow in the United States stole the idea from another person. When he began to ski there, the kids used simple wooden skis that each had a single leather strap to fasten around their snow boots. "The rope tow started in January of 1934. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. It was a wonderful hill, she explained. The tow, powered by a Model T Ford engine, hauled skiers up the 900-foot slope in about a minute. Up top, the rope threads along wooden towers, the mixed hardwood harvested from the McCuskers land. And you needed to get out of the way so as not to get skied over by anyone behind you, he said. John Grady, Davids dad, heads the list, which also includes Tegu Tegu (owner of Tegus Palace movie theater in town), Harlan Haskins, John and Larry ONeil, Davids younger brother Alan, Gilford Mudgett, Leslie and Donald Moore, Wesley Calderwood, Alfred Sparrow (who owned the neighboring farm), and Earl Weeks. A handshake agreement with farmer and land owner, Eugene Eastman, was all that was needed to cement a partnership that lasted for the next quarter century. The next year, the Royces intended to rent Gilberts Hill again. But the days of local ski slopes eventually came to an end. We want to be carried uphill.. These double swivel sockets are designed to remove spark plugs in hard to reach areas and are especially useful on transverse mounted engines. Copyright 2023 Northeast Slopes. Vermonters are do-it-yourselfers. ALL-TOP AT11000-9CBS : Best 35,000 . The Olympic-size 90-meter jump will celebrate its 100-year history with a competition Feb. 19 and 20.). Or perhaps its a lazy Sunday morning. This is a natural snow hill with no snowmaking that rises approx 160 165 feet above the surrounding field. By all accounts, before 1900 the few skis used by Appalachian Mountain Club members and other came from Sweden or Norway, and were mostly found on the feet of Swedish or Norwegian immigrants. 1 Lift: 950 rope tow. Howard Krum and Mary Margaret Sloan purchased the historic, 112-acre property in 2017. fueled entirely by volunteers. By the 1960s skiing in Vermont had grown in popularity and small local rope tows and simple lifts were cropping up in almost every town. Under a system devised by Merrill, income from the leases funded a large part of each years annual state parks budget. VTDigger covers criminal justice issues including Vermont legal issues, Vermont courts and the Vermont Department of Corrections. Its also considered the worlds fastest rope tow, running at about 15 miles per hour normally butrecorded a speed of 27 miles per hour on a world record speed attempt. Harrington Hill can be accessed from behind Barrett Memorial Hall by heading through the gate into the upper parking lot behind the hall when the rope tow is running. Rope tows. Vermont Rope Tows are Here to Stay About 20 miles north of Ascutney is the legendary Gilbert's Hill in Woodstock. var sellablestring = "COPYRIGHT VALLEY NEWS"; Rope tows are a longstanding Vermont tradition, dating to 1934, when the first U.S. ski rope tow opened at Gilbert's Hill in Woodstock. All transcripts are in PDF format. New restrictions will be in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. Harrington Hill skiing is free so you wont find any discounts for this hill, but we do hunt for deals around the state and you can subscribe for monthly deals by entering your email below. But it was sporadic laziness that was our primary motivator. He went on to become a major real estate developer and business leader in St. Johnsbury. Vermont is home to the best skiing in the East, offering plenty of alpine and Nordic options. The McCuskers would like to open the front yard version periodically as a free community resource but would need liability insurance and a tramway license. The first American rope tow was constructed in 1934 in Woodstock, Vermont. He guessed that the slope never made money, but it was ideal for ski meets and Winter Carnival. That weekend treated us to snow. var photocredit = "'' 'Angus McCusker, of Bethel, makes hot chocolate with his son Elet, 3, after skiing in their front yard in Bethel, Vt., Friday, March 16, 2018. The main parts were 1,800 feet of rope, some pulleys and an old Model T Ford truck to power it. A skier can push the gate just a few degrees, or give the cord a tug anywhere along its length to stop the motor. Bethel Recent snowstorms and below-average temperatures may be causing some to pine for the arrival of spring, but Angus McCusker has a different perspective. This ski hill is located in southeast Vermont in the Village of Bellows Falls. Get it Tuesday, November 29 - Monday, December 5. The Vermont Land Trust, along with several Woodstock residents, hopes to buy the 100-acre parcel, which also links the Appalachian Trail with the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park. Skiing here goes back to 1969 when the rope tow was moved onto the land. Frank said the youths also skied at Websters Hill in Danville (to be described in a separate article). Dark when (I) came home. There were at least nine small rope-tow ski slopes in the area, including Danville (Webster Hill), Lyndonville (three of them), and three or four others over time in St. Johnsbury. So did others, like Ron Craigs father. Looking back from 1983, Lorna Quimby of Peacham and Shepard B. Clough of East Peacham (in the Vermont History journal) saw the in-migrants as academic and on vacation, and named the 1930s the time when, The two segments of the towns society divided in many ways.. The Northeastern Vermont Ski Championship Meet was held here, and the club began an annual Washingtons Birthday Ball at the St. J. Armory. The ski slopes also may have been affected when the Northeast Kingdom saw a flood of newcomers after the Great Depression, as land prices hit new lows. (In 1922, the Harris Hill ski jump was built in Brattleboro and named for Fred Harris. Families and young children thronged there. Topsham, VT 05076. There were also heaps of donuts and pickles, Frank added. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. Every once in a while the building would give a big bang and shake as someone slammed into it, he said. Are there any other places with free skiing in Vermont. The easy to use . About 20 miles north of Ascutney is the legendary Gilberts Hill in Woodstock. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Office is conveniently located off . VTDigger is now accepting letters to the editor. Bertram asked the Royces if they had a Montgomery Ward or Sears catalog, explaining he wanted to figure out how much it would cost to build a rope tow. Images: Suicide Six By Jared C. Benedict Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67100524. The hill was packed with skiers, Gary remembered. The skiers said they would be back in mid-February and asked the Royces to have something in place by then. This rope tow is on private land, currently owned by Cindy and Rod Maclay. In 1922 Fred Harris founded the Brattleboro Outing Club, the same year he served as the first president of the U.S. Eastern Amateur Ski Association. Using a color photo taken at the end of the slopes time, David points out the cabin at the center, the rope tow to the left, and the slope and jump to the right; a second jump was never completed. $30.99 $ 30. This ski area had a 980' rope tow. Gary worked in the warming shack with its oil stove during his junior year of high school, 1968-1969, where he ran the snack bar and sold tickets. Dreaming up the idea for the Red Bull Slide-In Tour, Zeb Powell envisioned an event that demonstrates his love for the East Coast and welcomes others to enjoy what he loves mostboarding and . Send requests to permission@vnews.com. It was such a great way to spend Sunday afternoon., Karen Moore, who now lives in North Kirby, recalls the 13 Ski Club in St. Johnsbury with the same kind of joy. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); If the T-bar cannot open, the Rope Tow may open to the public at no charge - goodwill donations much appreciated. Subscribe Today, Town Meeting preview: Three are running for a seat on the Weathersfield Selectboard, Town Meeting: Windsor Selectboard candidates photo from Capitol riot raised at forum, House, Senate negotiators strike emergency housing deal, restricting eligibility after May 31, MVCS girls basketball forfeits playoff game rather than compete against team with transgender player, Valley News Recent Obituaries: All of Valley News's Recent Obituaries. 5, Derby Road, Derby, VT 05829 | 802-334-1200. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. A few weeks ago, it was bare here after we had those 70-degree days. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. As we were having our land in the Mad River Valley logged a few winters back, we couldnt shake the idea that the slope above our home had rope tow written all over it. '"; We report on thelatest news in Vermonts mountain towns and resorts, cover the amazingadventures our state offers, and share the beauty of our mountains in every season. Each of us is spending $40 apiece to enjoy a weekend in Vermont, yet the most we can do in a day is to climb a hill half-a-dozen times. Vermonts ski season traditionally begins in December. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. VTDigger publishes Vermont business and economic news. Specs: Summit elevation: 1100; base elevation: 650. Weighing in at under 400 lbs, the entire system can fit in a standard pick-up truck bed, and be deployed by a minimum of 2 people*. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. (When the motor is at the bottom), the rope is being pushed up the hill. All Pick Up in Store Ship to Home Sort By: Compare. | Red Bull photo. Northeast Slopes is a Federal Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Corporation fueled entirely by volunteers '"; In an effort to offer affordable skiing, the rope tow was the only alternative. In 1934 a group of ski enthusiasts constructed the now-famous ski tow at Clint Gilberts farm north of Woodstock, thus eliminating the necessity of having first to climb the hill before skiing down it. Growing up skiing in Vermont, its hard to miss the story of Gilberts Hill in Woodstock, and how in January of 1934, it became home to our countrys very first mechanized lifta 1,100-foot-long rope tow powered originally by a Model T engine. Her father, Donald G. Moore, and uncle, Leslie F. Moore, were part of the 13 founders of the ski club on the Grady family farm across from todays Comfort Inn. The Royces had the tow set up on a sloping pasture they leased from local farmer Clinton Gilbert. Snowflakes drift down from the skies above. Galen McCusker, 5, of Bethel, gets air off a jump on his family's front-yard ski hill in Bethel, Vt., Friday, March 16, 2018. Hide contents from prying eyes while creating more usable, and easily accessible, storage space in your vehicle. The landscape of ice is a project of Ice Castles, a company . No lift tickets required! The Royces along with Bertram ran it that first year. The total cost came to $500, which the skiers gratefully paid. By the 1960s skiing in Vermont had grown in popularity and small local rope tows and simple lifts were cropping up in almost every town. In reality, Harris couldnt have been having more fun despite the falls, equipment failures and injuries. Tubing is happening at Ascutney Outdoors! To curl the tips, Garey stood the tall skis in the hot water reservoir of his familys kitchen wood cooking stove, tying the back end of the ski to the clothes-drying pole up by the kitchen ceiling. Our 500-foot tubing lift transports young and the young-at-heart uphill, and a slide down a groomed slope for hours of enjoyment. The McCuskers, indeed, have a passion for backcountry skiing, one of the drivers behind co-founding the Rochester/Randolph Area Sport Trail Alliance five years ago. All Rights Reserved. Stop by anytime that the hill is open to ski. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; Not Included On The Map The map does not include private backyard rope tows (there are many) and ski resorts that have gone out of business. The nonprofit has developed to advocate for sustainable multi-use trails and glades in central Vermont and is involved in several long-term projects to connect various trail networks and communities. Had to let go of the rope before the top of the hill so as not to become airborne and trip the safety! There are 14 rope tows in Vermont and three more being installed this year, with locations locally in Hartland, Killington and Tinmouth. Editor's Note: The following is Part 2 of a two-part series on local rope tow ski locations. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; Could clear 15 feet, he wrote in his diary on Feb. 17, 1904. var currentLocation = window.location; We want to get in all the skiing we can on these weekends. It's important to start towing with the rope taught. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1) { Engaging in any form of outdoor recreation was foreign to many. Mickey and his wife Ginny moved their family from Burlington to a farmhouse at the bottom of a 150-acre hillside farm on the banks of the Winooski River in Richmond. Youll find Harrington Hill on route 132 in South Strafford, VT, approx. Although snowshoeinga recreation adapted from Native American modes of snow traveling by white settlers, trappers, wood cutters, and farmerscontinued to be Vermonters main winter sport into the 1920s, ski meets and winter carnivals spread to the states college campuses. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. Tow Ropes are amazing but they are tricky to learn! When Shawn Heivly talks about skiing at the rope-tow slope on a Peacham hill, he remembers the "big fat rope" pulling him uphill and you had to hold tight or else fall. Yes. Here are some tips to help you ski or snowboard a Tow Rope!Join me in June at Mount Hood Oregon for Summe. Despite the short deadline, the Royces succeeded. Not long and sorely lacking in vertical persuasion, the tows would nudge a user's skill in the general direction of improvement, after many runs. SNOW GUARANTEE: All passes come with our snow guarantee if we are open 10 days or less, you are eligible for a season pass at price. The Model-T engine that powered the system, pulled four or five skiers up the 900-foot slope at a speed of five to ten miles per hour. '"; Stop by anytime that the hill is open to ski. When it comes to having a rope tow, its a moving machine and with that comes liability and regulations.. But the arrival of a Swedish student who turned up at Dartmouth College in 1900 carrying an eight-foot-long pair of skis rapidly changed all this. Ellen Arnold None, in short, would have the impact on Vermont that skiing would. A year later, that person got his revenge. Towpro is designed to be the most lightweight and portable surface lift on the market. Gilberts Hill remains highly accessible to the public through conservation and historic preservation easements. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBBackyardRopeTow-jdp-vn-031918,ph02'); The ski tow was a simple idea, all it required was a car engine, some rope, and a few pulleys. The result was the first rope tow in America. The Grady and Lawrence farms bordered each other. We had a ski team through Peacham Academy, said Frank. She can be reached at ehewitt@vtdigger.org. Hardack is free anytime that the rope tow is running. var currentLocation = window.location; They like situations where they can make things happen themselves, Krum says. Vershire, VT. Before 1970-1987. In 1958. And thats what we have up here., Ascutney Rope Tow/Photo by Nancy Nutile-McMenemy. Copyright 2023 Northeast Slopes. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; Providing quality and performance at a price you can afford is what we strive for, that's where the real value is. The DIY backyard rope tow is a Vermont tradition that's come full circle. Almost overnight, winter had gone from being a time to endure to one to embrace. As Frank Miller summed it up, There were few strangers in the crowd and we just made up our own fun. That, for everyone who contributed to the story of these slopes, seems to be the lasting gift from those good old days in the snow. Around 1969, Peacham Ski Area hosted a sanctioned race, said Frank Miller, a Womens Junior National race. Others on that list, towns like Sherburne (now Killington), Cambridge and Stowe, remain mainstays in Vermonts skiing industry. Angus McCusker, of Bethel, makes hot chocolate with his son Elet, 3, after skiing in their front yard in Bethel, Vt., Friday, March 16, 2018. Gary Schoolcraft, who maintains a large collection of photos from the Peacham Ski Area years, found that cars drew him away from skiing, but cant help enjoying the memory of family life out on the local slope. He figured their lack of skill with gripping the rope made them less able to compete against the Peacham kids. Only rope with nothing to grasp but the rope! The score from the popular Disney animated movie "Frozen" provides a fitting soundtrack. Vermont has more Towpro systems than any other state, Mayo said. Since no other options arose, and since snowmobiles were also drawing away the young people, along with the shift to lift-based ski areas, Peacham Ski Area closed in 1976. Last winter, the pair released United We Ski, a 35-minute film that depicts an endangered part of Vermont history: ski areas that only have T-bars and rope tows. Assume the efficiency of the Stration engine is U , and if F is the force exerted by the machine on the boy, the work done to tow the boy =5x746U joules=3730U Watts. This packing, Frank explained, would help preserve the snow cover from melting, as well as cover up rocks. Web Design by AMCK Web and Print Design, Corinth VT, Northeast Slopes is a Federal Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Corporation var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkBackyardRopeTow-jdp-vn-031918,ph04'); 200' Rope Tow ski lift and how it works. Skiers and Boarders grab the rope and are pulled to the top. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Since 1993 Century 21 Farm & Forest Realty has assembled a diversified team of experts familiar with a broad range of Vermont real estate; residential, commercial, timber tracts, vacation property or building lots. George Coppenrath of Barnet also mentioned the ski team, as well as the challenge of learning to grasp the rope tow and hang on. When the slope closed in the mid-1950s, he was still quite young, but he recalls his cousin Richard Grady summing up the reason: The downfall of the 13 Ski Area was, the war ended and the people had to go back to work.. And just in case, a stop gate was installed with the use of a wire and two electrical outlets, so if one of the boys forgets to disengage, the unit stops. Community rope tows had dotted the Vermont countryside thereafter, sometimes as a means for farming families to generate modest income during the winter months. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. Out There Outdoors. Although the local slopes were modest in size, they drew skiers from some distance. A Northeastern Vermont Skiing Tradition Lyndon Outing Club since 1937 Home Scroll Supper Club with VT Foodie Stand (Sunday 2/5 from 5 - 9 PM) We are delighted to host VT Foodie Stand for a pop-up dinner event at the Lyndon Outing Club on Sunday, February 2nd, 2023, from 5 - 9 PM. The rope tow is powered by a riding lawnmower initially gifted by Krickets grandfather, Richard Fellows. As skiers became more skilled and stronger, they might participate in packing the hill by side-stepping along the slope. Mark Bushnell is a Vermont journalist and historian. . }. Set contains 6-Point sizes 5/8" and 13/16". In 1949, Doug Wood, Francis Donahue, and Frank Lawrence, under the name Ski-Morr, Inc., installed at the slope a 1,530-foot tow rope, powered by electricity. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1) { Some people bemoan the fact, he wrote, but others point out that there is little pleasure or profit in playing host to an army of Sunday excursionists, who, as they say, leave nothing but dents on the slopes and little cash on the barrel-head.. By then the slope included a parking lot and access road, lights for night skiing, and both beginner and advanced slopes. It gives us a lot of flexibility, said Kricket McCusker. Today, youll still find Vermont rope tows operating at places like Cochrans Ski Area, Ascutney Outdoors, Bolton Valley, Northeast Slopes, local outing clubs and in Vermonters backyards. Pride in Vermonts skiing history undoubtedly fed our appetite for a rope tow of our own. var sellablestring = "COPYRIGHT VALLEY NEWS"; Article of note:An article on the town warning asks if voters will raise the business personal property tax exemption from $10,000 to $50,000 WINDSOR Both candidates in the lone contested Selectboard race want more funding for amenities such as recreation and the arts, but only one of Vermont House and Senate budget writers have hammered out a deal to extend emergency housing in motels for people experiencing homelessness through Vermont Superior Court Judge A. Gregory Rainville has withdrawn his application for retention, choosing instead to retire after facing tough Angus McCusker, of Bethel, secures his son Elet, 3, before riding up their front-yard rope-tow in Bethel, Vt., Friday, March 16, 2018. Jasper Craven covers politics for VTDigger. We both still ski!! But in 1904, Harris was a teenager who was only interested in fashioning a decent pair of skis. Frank Miller grew up nearby at what is now called the George Kempton farm, and echoed Garys observation, It was such a wonderful service for the town. What are the closest ski resorts to Harrington Hill and Strafford, VT? if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1) { Ski deals are what we do here and if you want to save money on Vermont skiing, you have come to the right place. Though the rope tow broke down frequently, that first ski season was a huge success. Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225. Electric motor, gear box and pully from a 110V boat lift (free)400'- 5/8" 3 strand polypropylene rope. Whether you're looking for a full resort experience or more of a homey, old-school vibe, Vermont has no shortage of terrain for beginners, intermediate and expert skiers and riders. There is also a lift. The addition of some solar powered flood lights even enables night skiing. As we got older, on Saturday nights, long after the public had left, we turned on the tow engine, set it to high speed and had a blast. I cant say Ive seen this happen on a logging job before, said Hallstrom with a smile. In the process, Vermont's ski industry was born. We've been working hard to create an exceptional Guest Experience by installing Southern California's first and only high speed 6 seat detachable lift, The Snow Valley Express. We're talking Woodward at Killington, the famous Rochester Rope Tow, Zeb leading riders down the hill at Suicide Six, and of course a mandatory stop at the TGR Killington Outpost shop, where athletes Zeb Powell and . Amongst heavy doses of Wisconsin cheddar and auto-serve yogurt, we hit crowded ropes, empty ropes . var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkBackyardRopeTow-jdp-vn-031918,ph01'); Parents could drop off children for the day. Tubing. Woodstocks own winter prosperity came despite one obvious disadvantage it was 14 miles from the nearest railroad station. Modern skiing, at least in our own little Vermont backyard, had just come full circle with its Model T-powered roots. One of the lamp hoods that lit the slope at night using 750-watt bulbs. George Kempton was coach. He recalled slalom, giant slalom, downhill, ski jump, and cross-country events. Theres no doubt that putting together a backyard rope tow requires a bit of mechanical know-how and a healthy respect for the laws of physics, but ultimately, its quite simple.