Glendale Ski Area

The Glendale Ski Area was a small rope tow area that operated from the mid 1950's to the early 1960's. The area was started by Raymond Severance who was a carpenter and handyman, and was located 3 miles north of Newfane on South Wardsboro Road. Raymond cleared all the trails and owned all the equipment. It was one rope tow with a wide open slope. If you missed the bottom, you ended up in Smith Brook!

Gordon Sadler's family owned the land and had it leased to Raymond. According to Gordon, The area was insured through Lloyds of London. Unfortunately, the insurance killed it off, and the area reverted back to pasture.

Gordon Sadler has some more information on the area: I would like to contribute a ski area that was on land owned by the Ray Sadler family in Newfane, Vermont. It was located on Rand McNally maps of the era, about 3 miles north of Newfane on the South Wardsboro Road. The ski area was started by our next door neighbors, Raymond Severance, who was a carpenter and general handyman. He cleared the trails and owned all of the equipment. My family leased him the land at a nominal annual rental and required that he purchase liability insurance.

(Gordon answers more questions below)

Do you know when it operated?  Somewhere around the mid-fifties through the early sixties.
Do you know why it closed?  The insurance got too expensive.  Lloyds of London insured it.
Do you remember what lift was there?  One rope tow, powered by Chevy engine.
Do you remember how many trails? It was one trail, quite wide on the bottom.
Do you have any funny stories regarding the area?  Yes.  The run out ended in Smith Brook if you didn't stop in time.
Do you have exact directions?  Yes.  3 miles north of Newfane on the South Wardsboro Road, across from a white Cape and large barns.
What was your general impression of the area? It was very small, fun and full of locals.

At one time there was a little family run operation in Newfane, about three miles from the village up the Wardsboro Road. It was run by the Severances, but Pop was all I remember for a name. His son,Pete, who lived right there for many years after has also died and the place is now in pasture I believe. The place was known as Glendale and was noted on the State maps long after it had closed up.When the operation may have begun I have no idea, but had closed by 1970 +/-. There were two rope tows, home made of course and a little warming hut that I can only vaguely remember. There was parking for a few cars and the area was accessed by crossing a brook on a small foot bridge. Looking back on it I can't imagine that the tows could have been much more the 200 - 300 feet in length.