“The ski area got its name from founder Wallace “Bunny” Bertram, who said shredding these steep slopes in the times of wooden skis would be suicide.”
Over the weekend, I used one of Indy Pass days over at Suicide Six Ski Area in Vermont. Compared to the crowds at other local mountains last weekend, I think I made the right choice. While there were some lines, they moved quickly thanks to the quad chairlift that services the summit. Plus conditions were pretty decent thanks to a couple of inches of snow that hit the mountain on Friday. The highlight of the trip though was checking out Suicide Six’s base lodge, which is practically a museum.
For those who don’t the history of skiing in the Woodstock area, it’s immense. The countries first rope tow opened in 1934 at Clint Gilberts Farm, located close to Suicide Six. The first rope tow at Suicide Six opened in 1936, and the ski area has evolved into one of the pivotal landmarks in New England skiing.
The ski area got its name from founder Wallace “Bunny” Bertram, who said shredding these steep slopes in the times of wooden skis would be suicide. The ski area has also hosted the oldest ski race in the country: The Fisk Race. The mountain was bought by Laurance Rockefeller (a member of the Rockefeller family) in 1961. It was one of the first ski areas to embrace snowboarding and has hosted the Snow Surfing Championships at the resort since 1982(it won’t be held this year due to Covid). It installed a Leitner-Poma fixed-grip quad that goes to the summit in 2016, and it is now owned by the nearby Woodstock Inn.
The walls of the lodge feature vintage photos, old trail maps, trail signs, and murals that detail the early history of the mountain. Services and seating inside the building are currently limited due to the rapid spread of the Omnicron variant, but you can still walk around and check it out. Other lodge amenities include a small retail shop, rentals, bathrooms, a food court, and a bar. The outside portion features a nice open fireplace and various fireplace heaters in between tables.
Image Credits: Suicide Six Ski Area, Ian Wood
