When a ski area goes under — whether done in by finances, weather or unexplained circumstances — sometimes only lifts and structural remains are left to let us know that someone once schussed there. Other times, heaven forbid, the lifts have been sold and the buildings demolished, leaving only the memories of powder turns past to haunt the minds of the living. On the eve of All Hallows' Eve, Curbed Ski pays tribute to the ski areas that left us too soon. Hopefully, some troubled skiers and riders out there may be able to put to bed the ghosts of some truly epic turns.
↑ Geneva Basin, Colorado
Geneva Basin initially opened as Indianhead in 1963 but went into foreclosure only two years later. At its opening, it had a double chair and a T-bar with two Poma lifts installed soon after. Through the 1970s, Geneva Basin went through a number of different owners. During this process, maintenance must have slipped because in 1984 an empty chair dropped from the Duck Creek double, and the Colorado Tramway Board shut the ski area down. Geneva Basin was closed until the required fixes could be made. Those fixes never happened, and despite numerous attempts to restart the ski area, it never opened again.
↑ Silver Basin, California
This ski area on Eldorado National Forest land first opened in 1970 as Silver Basin, but it might be better known as Iron Mountain, which was the last name it operated under. Because of a series of bankruptcies, the ski area operated only about half the time between its opening and its final season in 1995. Eventually, the Forest Service reassessed what it wanted to do with the land and decided not to consider a proposal to reopen the ski area.
↑ Eagle Creek, New Mexico
In the early 1960s, this ski area opened with a chairlift and a couple of rope tows. It started as Cedar Creek Ski Area, changed its name to Ski Ruidoso in the 1970s and ended up as Eagle Creek in 1980. That's also around when it shut down for good. While it had amenities and snowmaking, warm temperatures and low natural snowfall led to its demise.
↑ Hogback Mountain, Vermont
Hogback Mountain was one of the longest tenured ski areas in Vermont, opening in 1946 with a T-bar and a rope tow. It operated continuously until 1986, when it became a casualty of rising insurance costs. Today, the land belongs to the town of Marlboro and is open to the public. Some lifts are still there and the trails are maintained, as well.
↑ Marshall Mountain, Montana
While it's still popular for mountain biking and weddings, Marshall Mountain hasn't started its lifts since 2003, when the owners ran into some tax trouble. Before that, the ski area had operated continuously since opening in 1941 — it even started night skiing by kerosene flames in 1958. Now, it's on the market for $2.95 million.
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