Skiing and Mining.

[GeezerSteve]

AFAIK Mt. Baker Highway was built for the purpose of providing recreational access per the vision of a guy called Bert Huntoon. The original lodge was developed by big B-ham money and originally for summer use only. Highway only access to mountain resorts was odd for the time: Most mountain resorts were accessible by RR. There is an indirect mining connection: B-ham was a coal town.

[TAFKALVS]

AFAIK Mt. Baker Highway was built for the purpose of providing recreational access per the vision of a guy called Bert Huntoon. The original lodge was developed by big B-ham money and originally for summer use only. Highway only access to mountain resorts was odd for the time: Most mountain resorts were accessible by RR. There is an indirect mining connection: B-ham was a coal town.

Twin Lakes road/Yellow Aster Butte is mining related for sure. Glad my memory wasn't too off on the Mt Baker Highway question.

[goldenboy]

A lot of the miners were from countries with a skiing background in Europe as well, and thus brought skiing to the mining towns.

[dunfree]

I think baker was mostly recreation access. Some of the other roads in the area were definitely mining though.

relevant


most of the ski areas in WA were built with the idea of urbanites skiing them. there were plenty of places off snoqualmie pass that prospered prior to and during WW2. Paradise had rope tows prior to the war; the Mountaineers and others objected to upgrades which lead to Crystal Mountain. There's still a mine shaft out crystal way.

[lifelinksplit]

Mining act has been used (abused?) For cheap backcountry ski operations in montana for quite some time. I mean it from like 1872 or some shit...

[Meadow Skipper]

Many ski areas in Colorado have major mining histories in their development (Crested Butte, Tellluride, Aspen, Breck, Silverton, etc.).

Add Taos.

I knew an early 70s Telluride ski bum that worked in the mine there. He sold his place and a business there for peanuts and moved away just before it took off - not the best decision from a financial POV.

Mining was pretty fundamental to California development, if not directly to skiing there.

[Sirshredalot]

A lot of the miners were from countries with a skiing background in Europe as well, and thus brought skiing to the mining towns.

The Norwegian immigrants are credited for that in Park City. I guess that back in the day, they used wooden skis and skins from animals they had trapped for transportation to mining claims. Pretty hard core.

[dunfree]

The Norwegian immigrants are credited for that in Park City. I guess that back in the day, they used wooden skis and skins from animals they had trapped for transportation to mining claims. Pretty hard core.

on the california front, snowshoe thompson was a norwegian ski pioneer in california https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowshoe_Thompson

[GPP33]

Add Taos.

I knew an early 70s Telluride ski bum that worked in the mine there. He sold his place and a business there for peanuts and moved away just before it took off - not the best decision from a financial POV.

Mining was pretty fundamental to California development, if not directly to skiing there.

A friend of my parents remembers when you could have bought most of the town of Telluride for back taxes. Old dude still kicks himself for not making that investment.

[cmcrawfo]

yep worked underground same year as my 1st ski pass

The 4 years I worked in mining, were my least productive powder farming

[Shredhead]

Aspen Mountain is riddled with mine shafts and partially hollow.
Biggest silver nugget in the world was mined there in the 1880’s.
Many of the best runs are the mine tailing dumps.

[cmcrawfo]

Speaking of tailings dumps.

The iconic Chads gap.

RIP tanner

[wickstad]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QsBZfRJihdw

Mining in Liberty carries on. No too far from Mission. Folks are still having a go on the Peshastin side as well.

[Jong Lafitte]

[Eastern Sierra Skier]

I think the relationship is probably more about old mining towns needing to find another source of income and pattented mining claims giving them land to build base facilities on.

Park City comes to mind. When my buddy moved there as a kid in the mid seventies he used to get beat up in school by the miner kids. None of them left now.

[snoqpass]

Alpental base area sits on old mining claims