Southall
Ski Area
Whitehall, NY
1960-c1970
Thanks to Sylvia Britt who informed NELSAP of this lost area in Whitehall, NY! Here are her details:
Peter and Trudy Southall built a ski area for their three children in Whitehall New York in the winter of 1960-61. At first they skied on their hay fields using a rope tow powered by a 1949 4-door sedan Studebaker run in reverse. It was a standard. Peter, an engineer, welded a second wheel hub on the back axle and ran the rope between the hubs. It was 1000 ft. of rope, creating a slope of 500 feet. Two years later the children from town were regular paying customers and a ski area was born. By then the hay fields were replaced by trails cut in the woods across from the house. The tow was moved there. There were 3 trails. At first the cost was sharing in the price of gas used but later they sold lift tickets for $1 and later $2 per person. Many kids from Whitehall learned to ski on those slopes. By 1970, Birdseye had opened and the school in Whitehall began a ski club providing transportation to the ski area. This led to the close of Southall’s which developed instead into a campground. The car wheels that were used to guide the rope on its downward path are still hanging in the trees marking the path of the tow. The trails are overgrown but great memories still remain with the townspeople.
If you have more information on this area just let us know.
Last Updated May 31, 2006