Furnace
Brook
Heavenly Hill
Quincy, MA
Before 1952-At least 1971
The cover of the Heavenly Hill brochure in the
early 1960's. Courtesy of the New England
Ski Museum. |
Thanks to a New England Ski Museum brochure, we now know a great
deal more on this ski area that operated in Quincy. A rope tow, length
840', was in operation before 1952 on the Furnace Brook Golf
Course.
On February
20, 1952, they had good conditions on packed powder surfaces with a 4-8
inch base. Check out the ski report below, provided to NELSAP by
David Vaillancourt.
In 1960, Dixie and Bill Ellis
purchased the ski area and renamed it Heavenly Hill, as, according to
them, it had a spectacular view. It offered rentals, night skiing, and a
convenient location. Rates were only $1.50 per day or night
session!
According to Massachusetts, A Guide to the
Pilgrim State, (provided by Betsy
McDonough), the area was still open in 1971. It
likely closed shortly thereafter. |
| Here are the directions to
Heavenly Hill: |
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Chris
Lundquist found this area during April of 2002, near a school close
to the golf course. He found these two rope towers near the bottom of the
slope. |
| A view looking up the liftline.
Grown in, but still visible.
|
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|
Allan has many memories of Heavenly Hill:
Although I first skied in my back yard in West
Quincy, it wasn't until I was 13 that I got a "real" pair skis (wood
skis/cable bindings) and started taking lessons at Heavenly Hill. This would
have been in 1966. Classes were first given at a local grammar school on
Beale Street in Quincy. There was a carpeted ramp that went from the stage
in the school auditorium to the floor.....a vertical of about 3 or 4 feet!
Kids learned how to snowplow on this ramp.
Yes, there was a rope tow and I remember the
place being "packed" when the area operated. I took one lesson at the ski
area. It was after a snowstorm and after taking the rope tow up we were
asked to side step down (and back up) to pack the snow down so we could ski.
There was no snowmaking and certainly no snow packing machines.
I remember Bill Ellis - a middle aged man. I
think he had some sons. And maybe it was one of his sons who gave me my
first (and only) lesson on Heavenly Hill.
I skied there day and night - whenever
possible.. I now snowboard on the golf course (was there on 11/27/2002 at
night with my nephew)...but we now have to walk up the hill which at my age
(49)- gets a little tiring!
I really wish Heavenly Hill were still
there....it was a perfect place to learn to ski - very gentle and very short
commute!
|
Rob Quinn has more memories: I was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, but at
age 3 my family moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where I grew up with no
recollection of ever having seen or played in snow. In June of 1969, after
graduating from high school, I moved back to Quincy, where my cousins and many
of my new friends enjoyed winter sports such as skating, sledding and skiing,
all of which were foreign to me. As my first real winter arrived, my friends
introduced me to skiing at Heavenly Hill, which happened to be located just down
the street from my new girlfriend's home. I recall many trips up the rope tow
and down the hill on borrowed skis, as well as innumerable crashes,
collisions and near misses as I struggled to figure out how to "fly" down that
hill with unresponsive wooden boards strapped to my feet. By mid-winter I had
graduated to the Blue Hill Ski Area in Canton, MA (still operating today), which
seemed immense compared to Heavenly Hill, and then to Wildcat Mountain in
Jackson, NH, where the rudimentary skills I first learned at Heavenly Hill stood
me in good stead as I tackled Wildcat's Polecat Trail, and beyond. I have deep,
fond memories of my escapades with friends skiing and sledding on sunny
afternoons at Heavenly Hill in the winter of 1969-70. I remain an avid skier
today, mostly at central Vermont mountains, and at Wildcat when I get the
chance. Both of my children ski and/or snowboard with me, as occasionally does
my wife, who no longer lives in the shadow of Heavenly Hill, but with me.
Has anybody skied here? If so, let us know.
Last updated: Dec 20, 2011
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