Happy Anniversary, Belleayre!

By T.M. Bradshaw

Belleayre Ski Resort officially turns 75 this winter, although some hardy souls skied there before there was an organized, official “there.” Earlier skiers enjoyed time on Belleayre, but it was primitive, a wilderness experience of long hikes up the mountain and no amenities. E. Maltby Shipp and his son Oliver first skied the mountain in 1930 and later became enthusiastic supporters of the state development plan.

The Catskills had for decades been a summer vacation destination, originally reached by Hudson River boats in conjunction with jarring stage coach rides. Then, in the 1870s, various railroad lines, especially the Ulster & Delaware, expanded the geographic range westward and improved the journey.

When skiing as leisure time sport began its boom in the 1930s and 1940s, it became obvious that the Catskills had the qualities necessary for visitors to enjoy the area in winter as well. Ski clubs formed and private ski venues opened. In October of 1937, the Catskill Mountain News reported that seven ski trails in the Catskills would be constructed on state land utilizing labor from Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps, which had been employing about 6,000 men in New York in 33 camps since 1933. Ski enthusiasts backed the plan, but commented on the relative difficulty of these forest ski trails when compared with the easier open slopes often found on private ski areas. Numerous private ski areas dotted Fleischmanns, Pine Hill, and Phoenicia and the New York Central ran special “snow trains” on weekends when the weather promised good skiing.

There was a regular column in the Catskill Mountain News titled “Mountain Dew” signed simply “The Mountaineer.” that was a potpourri of elements—jokes, descriptions of natural beauty, hunting and fishing stories, and short character sketches of locals. Two people connected to Belleayre Mountain were described in the Mountain Dew column. One, Fred Andrews, at the time of his death in 1941, was the oldest Forest Ranger in the state. He had been roaming the mountain and skiing there for years ahead of any official developments.

The other man, much younger, was Bob St. Louis, who became a Conservation Department employee and who had been an instructor at the Otto Schniebs American Ski School. According to The Mountaineer the two roamed various locations appraising their qualities for skiing. They always came back to the north side of Belleayre Mountain. They attempted to drum up enthusiasm for a ski center there, but were told it would be too expensive and require an amendment to the state constitution. Bob St. Louis became a lieutenant in the World War II ski troops. But the idea about Belleayre had taken on a momentum of its own.

As enthusiasm for the sport continued to grow, the need for larger facilities with amenities became clear. Senator Arthur H. Wicks of Kingston sponsored legislation implementing a plan to create a state facility on Belleayre. After being passed by the legislature for two successive sessions the matter went to the voters in November 1947. They approved the first step toward creating a state-run ski center on Belleayre Mountain—appropriation of $60,000 for “expenses for a study, survey, and plan … for a ski development of Belleayre Mountain in Ulster and Delaware counties.”

On April 8, 1949, the Catskill Mountain News reported that an appropriation of $260,000 to begin the actual development of Belleayre Mountain had been approved in Albany. In July of that year the News reported that “A mountain dream has come true,” as work had begun, with an anticipation that the new ski resort would open the following winter with two rope ski tows, four ski trails, and a chair lift. The article noted that the chair lift would operate year-round, with an expectation that it would be busier during the non-ski season with people utilizing it to enjoy picnics with spectacular mountain views. State Conservation Department engineerWinthrop Howe supervised a crew of about 140 men to transform the site.

Arthur G. Draper, a forester in the New York State Conservation Department since 1937 was named superintendent. Draper was superintendent at Belleayre from its opening until moving to a similar position at Whiteface in 1957; Draper died in October ’60. Like Bob St. Louis, Draper had been a member of the 10th Mountain Division during World War II.

Belleayre’s grand opening took place on January 21, 1950, with three trails, a towrope, and the first chairlift in New York State, an innovation some members of the public viewed with caution. The weather had to cooperate, of course, and https://www.belleayreskipatrol.org/bellehistory https://www.belleayreskipatrol.org/bellehistory early in the year it seemed like it might be a problem. The January 6, 1950, Catskill Mountain News reported that near-summer temperatures were being experienced; on January 4 it was just shy of 70 degrees in Margaretville. The following week the headline read “Grand Belleayre Opening Next Week Saturday Snow or No Snow.” The article went on to note that Lieutenant Governor Joe Hanley and State Senator Arthur Wicks would be featured speakers. The story continued the following week with an announcement that Conservation Commissioner Duryea would make some introductory remarks and introduce the other speakers. Once Lt. Governor Hanley flipped the switch to start the state’s first chairlift, the 12-minute round trip rides on it would be free that day and there would be skiing if there was snow. Another smaller item on the same page noted that it was a “soft winter,” with temperatures that week in the fifties and that any snow that fell in the intermittent cold snaps “is erased with rain.” The Belleayre opening did happen the following week, with a crowd estimated at 2,000. Of that number, 670 took advantage of the free ride on the chairlift. The following day 150 people paid seventy-five cents each for the ride to and from the summit. Senator Wicks was unable to attend the opening, but was represented by Fred Stang.

It was in the “Mountain Dew” column that followed the opening ceremonies that “The Mountaineer” told the story of the earlier search for just the right location of the state ski development. He ended his column by including those pioneers in the fruition of their vision this way, “Last Saturday, when Commissioner Duryea at the opening ceremonies said, ‘It is a dream come true,’ my thoughts went back to the skier and the ranger. Somehow I felt that Fred Andrews and Bob St. Louis were not far away.”

Other improvements quickly followed. In an article in American Ski Annual and Ski Journal, Arthur G. Draper, superintendent at Belleayre, described how early in January 1953 an innovative snow packer saved the day when a good base of snow was frosted by an overnight icy rain. Early the previous spring, while at a Conservation Department Automotive Maintenance School, three ski center employees discussed the need for a tractor that could be used year round on a moderately steep mountain. Tractor dealer Clyde Tinklepaugh let them experiment with a wide gauge Oliver crawler tractor. Its tank-like treads easily handled the terrain for mowing and other tasks; it was turned into a snow-packer by modifications requiring less than $100 worth of materials.

A large, two-story ski lodge opened on July 4, 1954, a significant upgrade from the original ski shack shelter. The lodge’s main lounge boasted huge picture windows on three sides and paneling of knotty pine salvaged by the State Conservation Department from trees downed in a 1950 Adirondack storm. A giant stone fireplace capable of utilizing four-foot logs added to the charm of the lounge. Outdoors, the number of trails had grown to 10; now there are 61. A ski school had been established and was under the direction of Olympic skier Dorothy Hoyt Nebel, who was featured in the Guide in a two-part article in December 2023 and January 2024 (available on issuu.com). Nebel had also been instrumental in redesigning a number of the trails at the facility. She ran the ski school for 17 years, with particular attention paid to helping young skiers develop their competition skills. The Dot Nebel racing trail on Belleayre was dedicated in February, 2001. Competitions were held on Belleayre’s slopes from the very beginning.

The 75th anniversary of the opening will be celebrated with a gala banquet, “Wintershine,” in the Overlook Lodge on January 11, 2025, complete with music and dancing. Other events throughout this anniversary season will include unveiling a special anniversary logo, games of Belleayre trivia, and photo displays of events and skiing legends from Belleayre’s history, all organized by the Coalition for Belleayre.

T. M. Bradshaw shares other thoughts on history at tmbradshawbooks.com.