Abandoned Adk Ski Areas - Schenectady Ski School - Maple Ski Ridge History - Freddie Anderson Part 3

The dawn of commercial ski areas was in family-founded rope tows and ski areas. We cover the Adirondacks and Schenectady County, Part 3 of the Freddie Anderson oral history. Founding of Maple Ski Ridge, Founding of the Schenectady Ski School. Eagle Mountain, Cobble Mountain, Mount Whitney Ski Area, Darby Hill, Hickory Hill, Wolf Hollow. Schenectady Wintersports Club, Lake Placid Club. Riding the trolley to go skiing in the Rotterdam Hills in the 1930s-40s. Freddie describes the success of the ski school which she founded and has brought many people to discover the love of the sport. Freddie lived the transition from human-powered skiing without lifts in the 1930s, to family lifts on farm fields, to the age today of corporate-owned mega ski areas. Some family owned areas continue operate and make skiing accessible to the middle class while cut-throat corporate entities like Killington and Vail have abandoned the middle class. Maple Ski Area is one of the best areas for learning as it provides easy to moderate trails in an efficient topographic layout with lower overhead than the large ski areas. Hickory Hill provides the same grass roots skiing for advanced skiers. West Mountain came later but also is a good value.