Full circle at Mt. Ascutney
 

The Mt Ascutney resort in Vermont started with ski club trails in the 30's and rope tows in the 40's, then expanded through several owners into a mid-sized area (6 lifts including a HSQ, 1800 foot vertical) and was the closest resort in Vermont to the Interstate roads (7 miles from the nearest I-91 exit).

When I was growing up in Derby much further north in Vermont, Ascutney was always mentioned on the weekly ski report TV shows, but was too far south for the family ski trips - we never got south of Sugarbush or Waterville Valley. I took a side trip in 2005 when driving south on 91 just to take a look.

The operators failed to run the resort in the 2010-11 season after a couple of lean years, and eventually all the lift equipment was scrapped or sold off to other resorts. The Holiday Inn near the base is still open, I believe (their website still works).

Now the local towns are buying up the land and a non-profit wants to put up rope tows again --

http://www.vnews.com/home/19021609-9...scutney-resort