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Caberfae 1/21/09

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ciscokid
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Oct 09, 2006
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Location:west Mi.

Posted: Jan 22, 2009 - 6:45 PM GMT

Edited: Feb 20, 2010 - 4:10 PM GMT

First visit since the grandsons first lesson on 12/11 to get the Silver Streak $15 ticket/rental bargain.
Took advantage of this deal to try out a couple length skis. Dalbello seems to be the common "bigfoot boot",even went up to 16's!(also rented Dalbellos at Camelback) The Elan's were roughly a few yrs old and not even compareable to the new Rossi's at Camelback.(of course for lift ticket and rental for $15 in contrast to $33 rental alone you get what u pay for.

Good conditions but once again I-75 the only double black closed after snow report always says 100% open.(narrow maybe 20 ft wide nice pitch off the manmade summits of north and south peaks(ala the Mt Trashmore thread last yr)

I did some historic research of this oldest midwest ski area and will upload some pics soon. Reamains of Dopplemayer rope tows exist as well as the cool retro 40/50's Jetson skyview cafeteria. Many photos are on Lauries teachski Mi postcard site.

I enjoy going to this old school retro area not only for the cost factor and proximity(80 mi. each way) but for how it retains its charm(ala Black NH)always guaranteed to see some straights skis!

Video of lost lifts within the ski area and my favorite Jetson/Great gorge like cafeteria
YouTube
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ciscokid
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Posted: Jan 24, 2009 - 4:41 PM GMT

Edited: Jan 26, 2009 - 4:45 PM GMT

sorry for the reflection of the ugly guy in the first pic,(aerial circa 50's)

How's that for a retro cafeteria?

C
heck Lauries site for weedywart and his wife riding the old Dopp

3rd pic I-75

ticket price incorrect, for the small mi thread question

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mapnut
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Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 3:08 AM GMT

So Kid, is that two abandoned lifts side by side in Picture 5?

tom durgin
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Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 3:36 AM GMT

Truly, that is an ugly lodge. Are the trails as flat as the one picture makes them out to be?

mapnut
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Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 6:01 PM GMT

Edited: Jan 27, 2009 - 6:09 PM GMT

Ciscokid, is this topo map wrong? It shows ski lifts covering twice as much area as shown on the trail map. In other words, the whole northern cluster of ski lifts seems to be the golf course. Did they have ski slopes there at one time and convert it to a golf course?

Caberfae trail map

Another really funky aspect of this place seems to be the man-made peaks. Do you have any photos of those?

ciscokid
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Posted: Jan 31, 2009 - 2:48 PM GMT

Edited: Jan 31, 2009 - 3:03 PM GMT

Quote:

So Kid, is that two abandoned lifts side by side in Picture 5?

Map yes study (if u can see it in the reflected pic off the bar)to see the old layout, if u look on lauries postcard mi site look at the man + wife with the floppy hat(weedywart) I believe that is the tow

Im sure there are other lost lifts to be found but w/o a snowmobile not reachable. Bulldozed dirt from that northeastern area to form the artificial n+s pks.

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ciscokid
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Posted: Jan 31, 2009 - 2:52 PM GMT

Edited: Jan 31, 2009 - 3:08 PM GMT

Quote:

Truly, that is an ugly lodge. Are the trails as flat as the one picture makes them out to be?

Tom the old area is flat that is most likely why the pile yards and yards of bulldozed dirt to up the vert and the 20 something old north and south peaks to about 480 vert(manmade of roughly 150-200)Skilifts .org shows installs of 1984 and 92 I believe and about the 480 vert.The only true steep run is I-75 off the north peak quad but is closed(no blow) 90% of the time

They had a bunch of ropes there in the 40s/50s and 2 hall (operating) after that overhead lift in lauries postcard Mi similat to Mt Snow

I for 1 thing the "ugly old lodge" is strikingly retro cool!(unused but not torn down)

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ciscokid
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Posted: Jan 31, 2009 - 3:00 PM GMT

Edited: Jan 31, 2009 - 3:09 PM GMT

Quote:

Ciscokid, is this topo map wrong? It shows ski lifts covering twice as much area as shown on the trail map. In other words, the whole northern cluster of ski lifts seems to be the golf course. Did they have ski slopes there at one time and convert it to a golf course?

Caberfae trail map

Another really funky aspect of this place seems to be the man-made peaks. Do you have any photos of those?

Map that indeed is an old terra! Yes the top(northeastern) several old lifts abandoned and was flatish natural original area,golf couse to the west and relatively new. If you look carefully on the reflected pic off the nice historic bar area you can dicern the original layout. To compete with their naturally gifted norther neighbors(Boyne 500 vert) they had to manmake some added vert. A CTEC quad(north peak) and Riblet trip (South pk) were installed in the 80s

Will take pix next time of the manmade peaks(above timberline

)

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ciscokid
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Posted: Jan 31, 2009 - 3:03 PM GMT

BTW the last pic of the ticket prices were from Mulligans Hollow sorry

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rickbolger
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Posted: Jan 31, 2009 - 5:23 PM GMT

Edited: Jan 31, 2009 - 5:25 PM GMT

Quote:

Truly, that is an ugly lodge.

jeepers, I was thinking how cool it looks.

edit: just saw Cisco's comment...I guess since we both grew up skiing out of the octagon at VV, our taste in ski lodges is forever warped!

nelsap
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Location:Saratoga Springs, NY

Posted: Jan 31, 2009 - 11:45 PM GMT

The former double chair at Caberfae is interesting. Does anybody know if it came from Mt. Snow, was a copycat, or the same manufacturer?

Double from Teachski.com

Jeremy

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Jeremy Davis

newman
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Location:The mighty SKI WARD Shrewsbury MA

Posted: Feb 01, 2009 - 2:08 PM GMT

I think when the Mount Snow guy had those chain drive lifts built, one was sold to that place in Mi.(new) I think that may have been talked about on SJ. Some sort of Mt Snow thread.

ciscokid
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Posted: Feb 02, 2009 - 3:38 PM GMT

I thought the Mt Sneax guy(you know his name) 50+ yrs back had his lifts built specifically just for Snow. Otherwise our lift experts can let us know this lift builders name to find out what other and how many he built making them not quite as unique as we had previously thought!

Rick thanx for reminding me of the former Great gorge/VV architecture memories

thanx President Jeremy for responding to this po flantlanders trip report, yes this Gaelic Caberfae has a long history(193

I'll get pix of the artificial peaks next time I go up for the 15$ silver streak program

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