DCSki reader Avery Zucco sent the following information about a lost ski area in Pennsylvania:
“I wanted to send in some info on a lost ski area in PA which isn’t on your list yet on DCSki. This was the former Kahkout Mountain in the Winona Lakes community near Bushkill, PA. The area is clearly visible from satellite and aerial photos. It appears to have opened sometime around 1972 when the double chair lift was installed. The lodge at the top doubled as the community center and is still in use. The ski area was constructed by the same developer responsible for Shawnee Mountain and Big Bear Mountain at Masthope, however unlike those areas Kahkout Mountain was fully private for the entirety of its operation. It was also developed by the same company as the nearby Pocono Ranchlands private ski area, which is still in operation. Kahkout closed in 2008 as the community no longer wanted to put the money towards the operation of the area, which had seen patronage decrease and was now only operating a handful of days each season.
There were about five different ways down the mountain. Looking at satellite photos from left to right there is an out-and-back easiest way down, two advanced trails and then two intermediate trails. The advanced trails were actually quite steep and have a good sustained pitch. There was also an open area at the top with a handle tow below the lodge used as a learning area. From top to bottom the ski area had about 475 feet of vertical drop, which isn’t too bad.
The lift is still intact and standing complete with the chairs. Although it was damaged by a fire in 2012. The trails are still clear and the snowmaking system is clearly in evidence. They drew water from the adjacent Bushkill Creek and appear to have operated fan guns. It must have been a fun little area to ski back in the day, and its a shame its now closed.”
I commented on Avery's youtube video on Kahkout as well.
I worked at Kahkout Mountain when I was 18 as a snowmaker in 1994 with Jeff Loquasta (RIP he died in a motorcycle accident on Coolbaugh Drive in 2002) and Seth Richards. Kahkout had all fan guns, used a four wheeler to get around the mountain (no snowmobiles) and the water was pulled from the creek at the bottom. Jeff grew up directly behind the bottom lift shack and pump house. It was a lot of fun and made me want to be a snowmaker at a bigger mountain. I left Pennsylvania and went to Vermont to make snow for 8 years at Smugglers Notch.
I had started at Winona Lakes as a lifeguard in the clubhouse at the top of the mountain before the snowmaking. I had heard the clubhouse burnt down. After snowmaking stopped that season I worked the one lift there as a liftie until the season ended. Small mountain but it was actually pretty steep in sections and fun. I read it closed for good in 2008. Hate to see all these small ski areas close up. I rode every small mountain I could in the Pocono region when I grew up in Stroudsburg in the 80s and 90s.
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