Search DCSki:

Jump To:

Follow DCSki on Twitter!



Mid-Atlantic Lost Ski Areas:

North Mountain

Near Sonestown, Pennsylvania

Historical Overview - reported by M. Scott Smith, DCSki Editor

Bill O’Hara remembers a ski area named North Mountain, located in Sullivan County, near Sonestown and close to Eagles Mere. Bill says North Mountain operated from 1964 to 1984.

“They have a j-bar that is still there and have a Poma lift that was purchased from Snowmass, Colorado that was never installed,” Bill writes. “The area had a potential for 1,400 vertical feet! Plans to expand the summit were shot down by the local zoning board when they wouldn’t let the area expand across a ‘paper road.’ The owners operate the J-bar for family only now.”

Bill provides this link to a topographic map showing the area.

I have some new info for an area I visited in the summer of 2008.

North Mountain, PA

Kevin Whipple visited the site of North Mountain in the summer of 2008. Kevin writes:

    “Upon my visit in 2008, the j-bar was in place but looks like it may not have been run for a season or two. The slope it serves was still very clear and maintained. The upper slope that was cut for the second j-bar is also very clear and maintained. Speaking with the owner of the property, the second j-bar from Snomass still sits on property. The owner had a plan to put a chairlift to the top of the mountain which would have made it the PA vertical drop leader. He says he had access to the land in the adjacent canyon from the one the j-bar was built in as well. Talking to the owner about him hiking up and skiing from the summit over the ‘headwall’ was great. Sounds like this place had some real potential and an owner with some vision, but this was another one of those great ideas that would not make it through the local politics. I think a place of this size would have done wonders for this area’s winter tourism. It is a gorgeous section of mountains that offers alot of summer activities, and limited winter ones.

    Unfortunately, I had alot of great pictures that inadverantly got erased from the camera. Not cool, this was a nice trek from my house. Perhaps I can get back sometime. My visit to Keystone Mountain Park was on there too.”

Kevin provides the following images.
From the base of the J-bar. The main slope it serves is to the left. The liftline is grown-in a bit. It ran up the woods for a little ways above the slope visible in this photo. Photo provided by Kevin Whipple.

 
A 3-d view of North Mountain from Google Earth. The owner had plans to build into the valley to the left in this picture. Image provided by Kevin Whipple.

 
An aerial view of the area. Image provided by Kevin Whipple.

 
A topographic map of the area. The second J-bar was to run to somewhere near the top of the white area on this map. Image provided by Kevin Whipple.

If you have any additional information about this ski area, please contact DCSki's Editor, or add your comments by scrolling below. To view historical information about other lost ski areas in the Mid-Atlantic region, click here. Note that DCSki's Lost Ski Areas section contains recollections pieced together by DCSki readers. We try to continually develop a clearer and more accurate picture of closed ski areas, but understand that some of the details reported on this page may be inaccurate.

Reader Comments

The views and opinions expressed in DCSki Article Comments are strictly those of the comment authors and have not been reviewed or approved by DCSki. If you believe a comment is inaccurate or inappropriate, please contact DCSki's Editor.

Comments on North Mountain - posted by J Faust
February 2, 2011 at 10:51 am
I do remember seeing this area from Rt 220 sometime around the late 70's early 80's and thinking wow, what potential. I was always looking at mountains in the area where I think a good ski hill could go. I couldn't figure out how to get there back then. I think the bridge was out from earlier flooding. Too bad it never took off. This area needs something other than Ski Smallhill...
 
reopening 2013-2014 as long hollow.... - posted by john ohara
April 7, 2011 at 5:40 pm
My grandpa jack aqqiuered the land in the early 90,s but died in 2008 and the land was then transferred to me we are investing 2.5million$ for two lifts and a snow making sysstems.
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by trackbiker
April 7, 2011 at 9:34 pm
John, We'd love to hear more details about reopening. More trails? More vertical? Type of lifts? etc.
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by Woody
April 7, 2011 at 11:58 pm
John, that's great news! Always good to hear about a ski area reopening. So many have closed for good. Will you be open to the public?
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by Snowsmith
April 8, 2011 at 11:35 am
John - I think you will need more than $2.5 million to install 2 lifts and a snow making system. The previous owners were not allowed to expand the ski area due to a paper street that cut across the mountain. It seems the challenges are many. The best of luck to you.
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by John Ohara
October 14, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Hi guys it me again with a new update we have obtianed all the needed permits so far for land usage,we do have one road block there is a tiny mining claim next to our land and the owners are concerned that snow drainage my cause the tunnel to cave in,but still looks very promiseing yeah,as far as the 2.5million well our family is putting that up and 2.75million is being invested by a corp.that wished to be nameless or a silent investor.
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by Rob M
October 30, 2012 at 9:51 pm
This sounds great John! I live in the Phiily burbs but have come to Forksville for ages to visit family there and enjoy the outdoors. I always thought the area needed an economic stimulus in the winter. I read this over the summer and swung by in August. I'm an avid skier and instruct down here at Spring Mtn. I also do GIS mapping for a living. I looked at lidar contours of the site and can tell you it looks Fantastic! You have the PA vert king there for sure and I hope you become the Aaron Brill of the east!
http://www.silvertonmountain.com/page/mountain/features

If you need any mapping for any of your reports I'd be willing to help you out for a few tix :)
I assume you have help but I work for an engineering firm that can help you with any needs A-Z.
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by kevin
January 11 at 6:30 pm
in regards to the reopening posts... wow... the trials tribulations of trying to open a new ski area now-a-days... john ohara, if you see this, were you one of the folks in the restuarant when I came off the hill in the rain on my visit in '08??? i suppose that was jack i spoke to concerning his grand plans to build up the mountain... back when ski lift competition made for affordable ski lift options... and that silly dirt road that helped squash it... yall, thought i was pretty looney having so much interest in a dilapitated j-bar in your back field... lucky I wasn't shot... i thought jack had owned the land previous to the 1990's... perhaps I'm absolutely mistaken it was jack i spoke to... good luck... PA vert leader!
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by Huck Barbour
February 7 at 1:40 pm
There is no plans to re-open North Mountain...nor did anyone purchase or otherwise obtain permits. This land has been privately held since 1966. The natural gas pipeline has just been put through this area.
 
Comments on North Mountain - posted by Huck Barbour
February 7 at 1:43 pm
Kevin - you were not mistaken. You spoke to Russ Quava, who has solely owned this property for 40 years. There is no-one named Jack nor John O'Hara associated with this property.
 

Want to share your own comments on "North Mountain" with other DCSki readers? Enter your comments below.

   Your Comments
Share your comments on this with other DCSki readers by filling out the form below. Please note that DCSki reserves the right to edit or remove comments. By sharing your comments, you agree that they can be published throughout DCSki. Also note that embedded HTML is not allowed in comments.

Your Name:


Subject:


Your Comments:

DCSki is sponsored in part by the following companies:


Canaan Valley Resort: Canaan Valley Resort, located outside Davis, West Virginia features 39 slopes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced West Virginia skiing. With a vertical drop of 850 feet and the longest run at 6,000 feet, the experience is as challenging as you want it to be. Night skiing is also offered during holiday and prime ski weekends. The resort features a 150 room lodge and 23 cabins/cottages for your convenience. Additional winter sports include XC skiing, snowshoeing, snow tubing, airboarding and ice skating. An indoor swimming pool, fitness center, whirlpool and saunas are also available after a day on the slopes.

Liberty Mountain Resort: Located about an hour from both the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas, Liberty Mountain Resort is the perfect place for a mountain getaway! Whether you are searching for adventure or relaxation, our mountainside amenities are sure to treat you. Our mountain boasts over 100 acres of skiable terrain, including 16 trails, 3 terrain parks, and a large tubing hill. Our Ski and Snowboard Schools offer a wide variety of lessons for both beginners and advanced. Boulder Ridge Snow Tubing features 15 tubing lanes, party rooms, and food and beverage, creating a fun atmosphere for everyone. Take a "snowcation" by lodging in the slopeside Liberty Hotel and dining in one of many eateries, including the popular McKee's Tavern.

Seven Springs Resort: Seven Springs Mountain Resort is the perfect place to escape with your family this winter and reconnect! At Seven Springs, you'll find a mountain of fun - skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, snowmobiling, snowshoe tours, a luxurious spa, sporting clays, delicious dining, nightlife and more. Enjoy a mountain of fun on 285 acres of slopes and trails including beginner trails, black diamond slopes, mogul runs and five terrain parks. Come up to Seven Springs this winter and make a new memory. What are you waiting for? You really should be here!

Whitetail Resort: Head to Whitetail for some of the best skiing and riding in the mid Atlantic Region! Enjoy nearly 1,000 feet of vertical and the Region's only High Speed Quad Chairlift. Spend less time on the road and more time carving down some expert terrain like Bold Decision or intermediate favorites Limelight and Snow Dancer! Don't worry, there is plenty of fun to be had for all ability levels, and for freestylers be sure to check out Jib Junction Terrain Park (not for the faint of heart)! We even have Park Place 101 for the beginner freestyler! Don't forget about Whitetail Adventure Tubing, fun for all ages!

Wintergreen Resort: Wintergreen Resort is an 11,000-acre, four-season resort located in the Blue Ridge Mountains three hours from Washington, D.C. With accommodations ranging in size from studio condominiums to 9-bedroom homes, your winter escape has all the comforts of home. Enjoy skiing and snowboarding on 26 slopes and snowtubing in Virginia's largest park; Ridgely's Fun Park for young children; ice skating, a zipline; indoor tennis; a spa with indoor pool and hot tubs; and a variety of enticing dining options. Overnight packages offer great value and savings, call 800-266-2444 or book online - www.wintergreenresort.com. For more information, call (434) 325-2200.

Advertisement