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January 7th, 2010
There are very few people alive who can remember buying a $15 lift ticket to ski from morning ‘til dusk
In Tupper Lake. It's happening every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, thanks to a community with a "can do" attitude.
Big Tupper Ski Area has been resurrected after an 11 year hiatus. It took a dedicated army of community volunteers only four months to recondition Chair Two and the Mighty Mite, clear brush from the Mt. Morris trails, repair the groomers, locate a vendor to provide rentals, clear away decay and living things from the lodge and rev up the plumbing. Only four months -- but it was four months of nearly round-the-clock effort.
Providence seems to be rewarding the hard work with a bounty of natural snow.
Jim LaValley, a local realtor and one of the engines of the Big Tupper rebirth, said that skiing on all natural snow has been, "over-the-top great - people are comparing it with powder skiing out west."
That's good, since $15 lift tickets and the best intentions in the world aren't enough to make artificial snow on Big Tupper right now.
"We're retro," states Don Dew, describing the mountain's operation. The owner of a local lodging property, he is working full-time this winter as the ski center's administrative manager.
"We found some old ticket stock in the lodge that was still good and we're using that. People are saving their tickets as memorabilia. "
He interrupted the conversation to clean the bathrooms.
There is no fancy food concession. The VFW Post loaned the mountain its food cart, and the French Club and the junior class at Tupper Lake Junior-Senior High School sell hot dogs, chili, hot cocoa, coffee and snacks.
"We provide bilingual service," Advisor Linda Morneau explained proudly.
Locals who stored their old ski equipment in the attic or garage when Big Tupper closed have pulled it out, sharpened their edges and hit the slopes. Gear that might be cause for amusement in Aspen or at Whiteface is perfectly acceptable.
Chair Two accesses 11 of Big Tupper's original 14 trails, from difficult Black Diamond to the easiest terrain. The Mighty Might is a rope tow on the Snow School slope, where snowboarding and skiing lessons take place.
Cliff Levers, who left Tupper Lake when he was 17 and returned nearly 30 years later, climbed the 40 foot-high lift towers to assess their condition in September.
"I'd been an iron worker in Texas, so I'd lost my fear of heights. I greased the shivs (wheels on the towers that carry the cables)."
There was technical support from Watertown firm, Hall Ski-Lift Co., and from another Franklin County ski area, Titus Mountain.
Levers doesn't know how much time he spent climbing up and down the 14 towers. His girlfriend brought a grill to the mountain to cook his dinner on nights and weekends.
Kitty Villeneuve became a ski instructor at Big Tupper 31 years ago and she's back as head of the ski school. On the busy Martin Luther King Weekend, the 65 year-old grandmother lights up with enthusiasm. "I spent the day on my knees with five and six year olds and I'm going back and do it tomorrow."
Villeneuve is assisted by 8 snowboard instructors and 7 ski instructors.
The hundreds of Tupper Lake volunteers and others from farther afield can't tell you precisely how many hours they have spent and plan to spend at Big Tupper, but they can all tell you why:
"It's for the kids," Dew said.
"We need something for the kids," Morneau agreed.
"We have kids who have never experienced Big Tupper," LaValley explained.
"The best thing is the smiles on kids," Levers noted.
Children, grinning, red-cheeked and excited after a downhill run offer plenty of compensation for all the hard work, but there are other rewards for the community as well.
"I've had restaurants and grocery stores tell me that they are already seeing a positive impact on their businesses," LaValley reported.
Villeneuve recounted a conversation with a New Jersey man who was skiing with his three children, "He said he came to Big Tupper because he and his family could ski for the whole weekend for under $500. And that included lodging."
The ski center used to attract ski clubs from villages and cities along the St. Lawrence River and in Canada. Dew notes that some of them are coming back.
"We're seeing people having reunions on the slopes every day."
He also noted that when icy winds close down lifts at Whiteface in Lake Placid, skiers are driving to Big Tupper, buying a lift ticket as late as 3 pm. (the lifts close at 4 pm) so they can get in a couple more runs.
Starting January 29th, another Tupper Lake success story, the Wild Center, will team with Big Tupper on a program that will provide a free pass/admission for one attraction when a pass/admission is purchased at the other. The free visit or ski vouchers must be used within two weeks.
The ski mountain is now owned by developers who are planning to update the ski area, build homes, a restaurant and a marina. The project reviews and permitting process are complicated in the Adirondack Park, so in the meantime, the community's non-profit ARISE organization is renting the ski area for $1. ARISE is an acronym for Adirondack Residents Intent on Saving their Economy.
Most people in the community support the development project because of the jobs it will create. But they may look back with nostalgia on the time when they worked together to take back the mountain for their families.
"I did this for my five year-old nephew and my 73 year-old father," Dew explained, choking up. "You can't say it, you've just got to feel it."
There are very few people alive who can remember buying a $15 lift ticket to ski from morning ‘til duskIn Tupper Lake. It's happening every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, thanks to a community with a "can do" attitude.
Big Tupper Ski Area has been resurrected after an 11 year hiatus. It took a dedicated army of community volunteers only four months to recondition Chair Two and the Mighty Mite, clear brush from the Mt. Morris trails, repair the groomers, locate a vendor to provide rentals, clear away decay and living things from the lodge and rev up the plumbing. Only four months -- but it was four months of nearly round-the-clock effort.
Providence seems to be rewarding the hard work with a bounty of natural snow.
Jim LaValley, a local realtor and one of the engines of the Big Tupper rebirth, said that skiing on all natural snow has been, "over-the-top great - people are comparing it with powder skiing out west."
That's good, since $15 lift tickets and the best intentions in the world aren't enough to make artificial snow on Big Tupper right now.
"We're retro," states Don Dew, describing the mountain's operation. The owner of a local lodging property, he is working full-time this winter as the ski center's administrative manager.
"We found some old ticket stock in the lodge that was still good and we're using that. People are saving their tickets as memorabilia. "
He interrupted the conversation to clean the bathrooms.
There is no fancy food concession. The VFW Post loaned the mountain its food cart, and the French Club and the junior class at Tupper Lake Junior-Senior High School sell hot dogs, chili, hot cocoa, coffee and snacks.
"We provide bilingual service," Advisor Linda Morneau explained proudly.
Locals who stored their old ski equipment in the attic or garage when Big Tupper closed have pulled it out, sharpened their edges and hit the slopes. Gear that might be cause for amusement in Aspen or at Whiteface is perfectly acceptable.
Chair Two accesses 11 of Big Tupper's original 14 trails, from difficult Black Diamond to the easiest terrain. The Mighty Might is a rope tow on the Snow School slope, where snowboarding and skiing lessons take place.
Cliff Levers, who left Tupper Lake when he was 17 and returned nearly 30 years later, climbed the 40 foot-high lift towers to assess their condition in September.
"I'd been an iron worker in Texas, so I'd lost my fear of heights. I greased the shivs (wheels on the towers that carry the cables)."
There was technical support from Watertown firm, Hall Ski-Lift Co., and from another Franklin County ski area, Titus Mountain.
Levers doesn't know how much time he spent climbing up and down the 14 towers. His girlfriend brought a grill to the mountain to cook his dinner on nights and weekends.
Kitty Villeneuve became a ski instructor at Big Tupper 31 years ago and she's back as head of the ski school. On the busy Martin Luther King Weekend, the 65 year-old grandmother lights up with enthusiasm. "I spent the day on my knees with five and six year olds and I'm going back and do it tomorrow."
Villeneuve is assisted by 8 snowboard instructors and 7 ski instructors.
The hundreds of Tupper Lake volunteers and others from farther afield can't tell you precisely how many hours they have spent and plan to spend at Big Tupper, but they can all tell you why:
"It's for the kids," Dew said.
"We need something for the kids," Morneau agreed.
"We have kids who have never experienced Big Tupper," LaValley explained.
"The best thing is the smiles on kids," Levers noted.
Children, grinning, red-cheeked and excited after a downhill run offer plenty of compensation for all the hard work, but there are other rewards for the community as well.
"I've had restaurants and grocery stores tell me that they are already seeing a positive impact on their businesses," LaValley reported.
Villeneuve recounted a conversation with a New Jersey man who was skiing with his three children, "He said he came to Big Tupper because he and his family could ski for the whole weekend for under $500. And that included lodging."
The ski center used to attract ski clubs from villages and cities along the St. Lawrence River and in Canada. Dew notes that some of them are coming back.
"We're seeing people having reunions on the slopes every day."
He also noted that when icy winds close down lifts at Whiteface in Lake Placid, skiers are driving to Big Tupper, buying a lift ticket as late as 3 pm. (the lifts close at 4 pm) so they can get in a couple more runs.
Starting January 29th, another Tupper Lake success story, the Wild Center, will team with Big Tupper on a program that will provide a free pass/admission for one attraction when a pass/admission is purchased at the other. The free visit or ski vouchers must be used within two weeks.
The ski mountain is now owned by developers who are planning to update the ski area, build homes, a restaurant and a marina. The project reviews and permitting process are complicated in the Adirondack Park, so in the meantime, the community's non-profit ARISE organization is renting the ski area for $1. ARISE is an acronym for Adirondack Residents Intent on Saving their Economy.
Most people in the community support the development project because of the jobs it will create. But they may look back with nostalgia on the time when they worked together to take back the mountain for their families.
"I did this for my five year-old nephew and my 73 year-old father," Dew explained, choking up. "You can't say it, you've just got to feel it."
If you go:
Big Tupper Ski Area
Tupper Lake, New York
518.359.3730
• Hours of operation: 9 am to 4 pm, Friday through Sunday and holiday Mondays, conditions permitting
• Lift ticket: $15 per day; purchase online or at the lodge, most major credit cards accepted.
• FREE lift tickets available to Active Military Personnel
• 700 vertical drop
• 11 trails and Snow School Hill
• 1 chair lift and one rope tow
• Grooming (but no artificial snow)
• Snowboard and ski lessons available, call ahead for reservations
• Rentals: Snowboard or ski package is $20 per day
• www.SkiBigTupper.org for conditions, posted by 8 am on days of operation
• For lodging packages and information visit www.AdirondackLakes.com
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