Northfield
Jaycees
Cook's Hill
Northfield, VT
Mid 1960's-1971
According to VT Tramway reports, the Northfield Jaycees operated a 600' rope tow in Northfield from before 1970 to 1971. Several NELSAP readers remember this area:
Jay Pedley: Northfield Ski area was called Cook's Hill. I don't recall the date of it's beginning but my guess is that it began in the Mid Sixties. It was started by the Northfield Outing Club and run by them for several years. I didn't recall that it was taken over by the Jaycees but that is quite possible as they were active at that time. Ron Davis and I were instrumental in it's beginning as Ron owned an auto dealership in town, thus having access to the mechanical pieces necessary to build it. Through a lot of volunteer labor from the Outing Club members we built a small rope tow which was used heavily on weekends by many town children as well as adults. This survived for several years and was finally dismantled when the Northfield School System purchased the land for school expansion.
Kerstin Piel-Lefavour: My family and I lived nearby the ski area which was called "Cook Hill" from 1963 to 1970. It was a small hill located by the high-school and used mainly by families on weekends. My six children learned to ski there and have all become excellent skiers. The slope consisted of one open "face" and a rope tow which parents took turns in starting up on Saturdays and Sundays. (Many a pair of mittens were worn out after a winter of skiing!!) There was also a small ski jump adjacent to the slope and it was very much in use by hopeful young future "medallists." Unfortunately the ski area was closed when the new elementary school was built at the bottom of the hill. Many families were saddened by its closing. It was truly a wonderful place for children of all ages (and their parents) to spend time on the slopes during the, at that time, snowy Vermont winters.
If you know more, please let us know.