SKIING
HERITAGE
SKIINSKIINsk
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June 13, 2005
Berthoud Lodge razed
Era ends as Forest Service clears an historic site.
Berthoud Pass, site of alpine skiing facilities since 1936, is "virgin" again.
The US Forest Service this week demolished the Berthoud base lodge, the last trace of one of Colorado's original lift-served ski area. Berthoud got its first rope tow in 1936, and installed one of the world'd first double chairs in 1946. Its two chairlifts were sold and dismantled in 2003.
Berthoud opened in 1936, at about the same time as Aspen, Monarch, and Winter Park. Berthoud's major advantage was its proximity to Denver. Its primary disadvantage was limited terrain. The construction of Interstate 70 in the 1960s and 1970s marked the beginning of the end for Berthoud, as the road provided easy access to other, larger ski areas.
From the mid-1980s on, the area closed and reopened several times, then expanded to become an experts-only area. In the late 1990s, owner Marise Cipriani repositioned Berthoud as a low-priced extreme-skiing outpost. However, Berthoud couldn't generate enough volume, and Cipriani shut down the lifts in 2001.
International Skiing
History Association
JOURNAL
OF ISHA, THE INTERNATIONAL SKIING HISTORY ASSOCIATION
The
International Skiing History Association is a not-for-profit corporation,
whose mission is to preserve and advance the knowledge of ski history
and to increase public awareness of the sport's heritage.
ISHA, PO Box 644, Woodbury CT 06798 (203) 263-2176