History of Skiing in Strafford

Full moon skiing at the Lion' rope tow on Harrington Hill

People in Strafford have always enjoyed having winter fun. Elizabeth Harrington, the longtime caretaker of Barrett Hall, once recalled on how when she was young when there was a full moon in winter people would hitch up their horses and take their sleighs to the Town House for a night of merriment with Irene Chandler playing the piano. There were times when people would stay up all night partying, planning to do chores in the morning before going to bed.

Night skiing at the Lion's rope tow on Harrington Hill

In 2021 a winter full moon became another time of memorable winter fun when Harrington Hill behind Barrett Hall and the Lions Club rope tow there were lit up for night skiing. While night skiing is not the norm, Strafford does have a long history of skiing beginning at the early time of that sport in Vermont.

Rosa Tyson

Possibly the first in Strafford to really embrace the idea of skiing was Rosa Tyson. An avid outdoorsperson, Rosa according to her grandnephew Sherm Wilson likely took up skiing in the 1930's. So did Sherm's Dad, Jim Wilson when he lived at the Buena Vista Farm on the Mine Road in the late 1930's and did a term at Thetford Academy. Before the war, skiing with Rosa was bushwhacking around the hills. After the war a rope tow was put in on the hill across from Buena Vista for the use of the many guests who came to visit. Shem's brother Bob says there are still boot racks in the cellar of Buena Vista from that time for drying boots. Bob says that he remembers using the rope tow at Buena Vista up until the mid-1960's.

Buena Vista rope tow

At one time in the early 50's Strafford had two ski areas. The one for family and guests at Buena Vista and a commercial ski area built by Dewey and June Varney on Harrington Hill. The ski hill run by the Varney's, which was simply known as the rope tow, included two rope tows. One where the existing Lions Club tow is and one that ran from that to the top of the hill. The remains of the engine that powered the second rope tow are still in the woods. Earl Varney, Dewey's younger brother, remembers bringing 5-gallon cans of gas up the first rope tow on skis to the second engine. "It was quite the balancing act", he says. Earl also remembers taking a truck with a canvas back into Hanover to pick up college kids wanting to ski.

Barbara Murray's fondest memories of the ski hill when she was a girl were of the Canteen near Barrett Hall that June Varney ran and where Barbara spent most of her time when at the hill. It is no wonder since Barbara said her ski were pretty primitive and her boots held on by canning jar rubbers. Barbara says the ski hill was also popular with the Canadian miners who were then working at the copper mine. Local ski enthusiasts who frequented the Varney rope tows were Hazel Lewis, Marlene Ward, Charlie Brown, Jim Condict and Lib (Josler) Dodge.

While the Varney ski area only last a few years, the rope tow at Buena Vista continued in use. Then in 1964 the Strafford Athletic Association (SAA) was started, and Rosa Tyson was a leader in that organization. She offered the Buena Vista rope tow to the SAA and parts of it were moved to Harrington Hill the site of the old Varney operation. The rope tow there became a central part of winter sports in town. Fridays, the Newton School let out early and lessons were given. Weekend skiing and winter carnival events held there. Kendall Mix, Jim Condict, John Linehan, and Charlie Brown were particularly active in running the hill and giving lessons in the early days of the SAA rope tow. In the 1980's steep hikes in insurance were straining the ability of the SAA to keep the rope tow and pond open. In 1986 the newly formed Strafford Area Lions Club, which is part of a nationwide organization which provides insurance coverage for local club projects, took over the ownership and operation of both the pond and ski hill and have been in charge or running them for the last 35 years. Ski lesson for Newton School children moved from Harrington Hill pretty early on. It started first with a group of advanced skiers to the Pinnacle ski area in Randolph and later all the skiers to the Dartmouth Skiway which had more trails and snow making as well. Jim Condict coordinated the ski lessons first for the SAA and then the Lions Club for many years. Jim was a ski instructor at the Pinnacle area and then for many years at the cabot. Amy Huyffer took over the ski lesson program sponsored by the Lions Club from Jim, and she has been followed by Jason Loomis. Newton School Teacher and Lions Club member Diane White has for decades coordinated the registration and scholarship end of the program. Rod Maclay, owner of Harrington Hill and a SAA member and then Lions Club member has generously allowed the rope tow for the last few decades to be used on his property.

In the 1970's cross country skiing became popular in Strafford and two residents, Martha Rockwell and Donald Nielsen Jr. represented the United States in Nordic events in the Olympics during that time. Martha in cross country skiing events and the Nordic relay and Don in the Biathlon which combines cross country skiing and target shooting. Cross country skiing in Strafford in those days consisted of bushwhacking or using the snowmobile club trails and still does for many.

Young skiers queue at the Lion’s rope tow on Harrington Hill.

However, in 2013 the Strafford Nordic Center opened and once more Strafford has a commercial ski area. A joint project of Jere and Hilary Linehan, Amy Huyffer and Earl Ransom, and Rett Emerson, this premier center provides over 30 kilometers of groomed trails for cross country skiing over their hilltop farm properties. Its high-altitude location has made it a go to place in our area, especially when there is less snow elsewhere. The Strafford Nordic Center also provides school programs and elite training opportunities.

Over the years passing along of the care and running of the volunteer run ski hill on Harrington Hill is a tricky business. Sherm Wison recalls how John Linehan, who was in charge of the ski hill for the Strafford Athletic Association one day asked him if he would like to learn how to run the rope tow. they spent a couple of hours going over all the aspects of the operation. Then at the end of the instructions, John turned to Sherm and said, "It's all yours" and walked away. Sherm was able to recruit other to help including most notably Blake Spencer, Kent Penfield, Kevin Plunkett and Harold Kill.

It is extremely fortunate that a group of younger people in town, led by Willis Phelps have taken over the operation and it is now in the best shape it has been in for years. He, Cabot Teachout, Neal MacPhail and Jason Schumaker have all joined the Lions Club. They and other volunteers made improvements to the tow and hill and as seen in the cover photo on these Reports even instituted full moon night skiing. Winter fun and continued community involvement do not get much better than that.