All information is pulled from “Lost Ski Areas of Colorado’s Central and Southern Mountains” by Caryn & Peter Boddie.
Breckenridge Ski Resort opened in 1961, but have you ever wondered what skiing areas of the past in Summit County looked like before that?
While gift shopping at one of my favorite local bookstores, “The Next Page” in Frisco, I found a lovely book on just that, “Lost Ski Areas of Colorado’s Central and Southern Mountains” by Caryn & Peter Boddie.
Most people know about Summit County’s mining history, but only a few talk about if they participated in skiing or when it came into the picture. So, who exactly, and how exactly did the people of Summit get stoked on powder?
Who Brought The Powder Panic?
The book has a quote from the Summit County Journal, 1917, “We can have no strawberry, peach, or watermelon day; we have no county fair; what would be more appropriate than turning our snow banks to some account other than swelling the streams below us?”
Skiing began as a more convenient way for miners to get around in the snow as well as mail carriers. It was practical. You may have heard of Father Dyer; there is a peak here named after him here in Summit. He was a Methodist Preacher and was also among these first skiers.
But then, from 1910 – to the early 1920s, the sport of it came into the picture…ski jumping. It was first brought by the son of a Norwegian immigrant, Peter Prestud, who came to Frisco, Colorado, and started building ski jumps in his spare time. According to the book, he most likely created his ski jump on the lower part of Mount Royal, but this was just the start. He also traveled by ski to Hot Sulphur Springs to compete on their ski jump before skiing back to Frisco.
The Evolution of Skiing: From Function to Fun
From the 1910s to the early 1920s, skiing transitioned from practicality to sport, particularly ski jumping. Norwegian immigrant Peter Prestrud, who settled in Frisco, was one of the first to build ski jumps in Summit County. According to the book, he likely constructed a ski jump on the lower part of Mount Royal. This marked the beginning of organized skiing competitions in Summit County.
Dillon Ski Jump
In 1919, Peter Prestrud also established a jumping hill in Dillon, which set a world record with a 213-foot jump. This jumping hill, now submerged underwater due to the construction of the Dillon Reservoir, is one of the many lost skiing areas of the past in Summit County.
Shock Hill Ski Jump
In the early 1920s, Breckenridge saw its own ski jump emerge in what is now known as Shock Hill. Though only two competitors attended the first amateur competition, it’s remembered as a prime jumping day.
Blue River (Slate Creek) Ski Jump
Not much is known about this jumping hill, but it was located in what is now Blue River and was once a hotspot for local ski jumpers.
Alpine Skiing Areas and the Rise of Rope Tows
The shift from ski jumping to alpine skiing began in the 1930s, with the installation of rope tows.
Keystone/Arapahoe Basin Ski Hill (Porcupine Gulch)
Located between Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, this small ski hill, nicknamed “The Little Sweden Freezer Company,” featured a humble rope tow. The engine for this old rope tow can still be seen in a museum in Vail.
Hoosier Pass Ski Hill
Hoosier Pass was once home to a rope tow and two ski runs, providing a more upscale ski experience. Today, traces of these skiing areas of the past are barely visible, but their history lives on.
Carter Park (Breckenridge Ball Park) Ski Hill
Once a popular spot, this rope tow hill at Carter Park operated for ten years before the tow rope was stolen in 1886, and it never reopened.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the history of Summit County skiing as much as I have. If you want to learn more, don’t forget to stop by the Next Page Bookstore in Frisco and pick up the book, “Lost Ski Areas of Colorado’s Central & Southern Mountains” by Caryn & Peter Boddie or order it here. I’m sure you will love it as much as I did.
