Off topic and most likely of interest only to me, but I saw a reference to a place in Chicago called Thunder Mountain when looking at an old thread over at epic. A quick google search turned up the following:

http://chicagohistorytoday.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/chicagos-ski-resort-thunder-mountain/

Basically, a big pit with a manmade hill from the excavation within the city limits of Chicago. 

#SkiTheSmallHills #LostSkiAreas #Midwest

Oh, those crazy Chicagoans,

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Trashmore_(Illinois)

I was in Evanston last winter and saw a few people boarding Mt. Trashmore. Most were sledding. Maybe a hundred feet of vert.

I did my first day on two planks in Buffalo Grove at Buffalo Park Ski Area 44 years ago.. I enjoyed it so much I did not strap on skis again for 20 years. It's now Raging Buffalo - self proclaimed as the country;s first "snowboard only" park.

http://www.ragingbuffalo.com/snowboarding-park-skiing-resort

For an ongoing travesty in Chicago skiing look up Villa Oliva. on Route 20 (Lake Street) near Elgin.

http://www.onthesnow.com/illinois/villa-olivia/trailmap.html

It makes Roundtop look like Jackson Hole.