History Lives At Cranmore Mountain
Celebrating Hannes Schneider, A Pioneer Of Alpine Skiing In North America.
Jubilation at the vintage fashion show at the Hannes Schneider Meister Cup. Credit: Tamsin Venn
Every year, the Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Race, sponsored by the New England Ski Museum and Cranmore Mountain, NH, celebrates the legacy of the venerable Austrian ski instructor. For 23 years, the Cup has drawn people to Cranmore from all over to race or just cruise on this low angle dual slalom course on the Alley, where the old Skimobile ran up.
Schneider and his wife arrive via train at North Conway, greeted by his new employer banker Henry Gibson, owner of Cranmore. Credit: NE Ski Museum
This year’s March event poignantly marked the 80th anniversary of Schneider’s arrival via the Eastern Slope Express 7 a.m. Feb. 11, 1939 at the railroad station that still sits in downtown North Conway.
Any major ski resort in the US would have been thrilled to hire Schneider as ski school director, but he chose to make Cranmore his home. His family followed him into the ski business and now four generations of Schneiders are part of the family narrative.
At the recent festivities, great grandson Hannes Schneider dedicated a plaque to his grandfather, Herbert Schneider (Hannes senior’s son), who served in the 10th Mountain Division and also owned Cranmore from 1963-84. His goal had been to make sure every kid in the valley had a chance to learn to ski.
Instructors from Army’s Mountain Warfare School stand to attention at beginning of festivities. Credit: David Eden
The organizers went all out. The weekend started with a reception and hearty dinner at Zip’s (Hannes’ nickname) Pub & Grill and torchlight parade. It continued Saturday morning at Cranmore’s base with dedication ceremonies, a vintage ski fashion show (one winner rifled through her mother’s closet for an award-winning outfit), silent auction, awards ceremony, bratwurst and beer, all serenaded nonstop by the oompah music of the Bavarian Brothers Band. One felt quite transferred to Austria, instead of a quaint North Conway. All proceeds went the New England Museum, the goal being to preserve the rich ski history in this region.
Schneider’s story is an intersection of politics and skiing. Here’s the short version.
Hannes Schneider ran a ski school in St. Anton Austria, where he promoted the new Arlberg technique and helped bring important tourism business to the region. As a high-profile critic of Hitler, he drew ire from the Nazi party who threw him into prison. With the intervention of a German skier friend who was also an attorney, and Harvey Gibson, an influential American banker, Hannes eventually found refuge in the US where Gibson set him up as ski school director at the new snow-train-served resort Gibson opened in North Conway.
For competing in the Ski Meister Cup, or any ski race, here’s general advice for seniors. If it’s a fundraiser for a worthy cause, it’s easier to justify having more youthful competitors heartlessly whiz by you on a parallel GS course.
In North Conway, visit the Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum, opened only a year ago, a companion to the one in Franconia.
Click here for more on skiing at Cranmore Mountain.
Click here for Cranmore’s website.
SeniorsSkiing Guide: June Is A Pleasant Surprise
In The Shadow Of Mammoth, June Mt. Features Dramatic Views.
June Mt has the views, plenty of groomed blues, and lots to choose. Credit: June Mt.
One of the most beautiful drives in ski country is from Carson City, NV down Rt 395 to Mammoth Lakes, CA. Passing Mono Lake and making your way through the passes that are open in the winter yields some of the most breathtaking views in the country.
As we made our way down 395 this year, we called an audible to swing on to the June Lake Loop on Highway 158 through June Lake to the June Mountain Ski Resort owned by Mammoth Mountain.
We had never skied June before, and stopping there gave me my 110th different area on my list. Providing wide open, groomed intermediate terrain with some nice glade skiing due to ample snow fall this season in the Sierras, it was a delightful pause to our tour of Tahoe ski areas, finishing at Mammoth Mountain. Not every day needs to be a hammer fest with maximum vertical feet quests and skiing the tough chutes and cornice drops that are typical with our hard charging senior group. The day at June was a welcome break to ski some delightfully groomed runs with low angle glade skiing mixed in.
June has a seven lifts, 41 trails, and about half are rated advanced, the other half blues and greens. The resort boasts 70 percent sunny days during the season. Rainbow Summit is at 10,ooo feet and views are spectacular. From there, you can run down Silverado, June’s longest run (two miles), to the mid-mountain chalet.
June has a mid-mountain “base” chalet as well as a base at the base. Credit: June Mt.
Perhaps the most visible benefit of the visit to June was the incredible scenery. Sitting at the enclosed deck for lunch, we were treated to vistas that reminded me of the great views of the Alps. The sharpness of the clear day vistas were enhanced by what seemed to be a close up and personal look at the most dramatic mountain peaks in the Sierras. As beautiful as the Minarets are from the top of Mammoth, the vistas from the top of June rivaled their big brother. Although there are no senior lift ticket discounts per se, the schedule of ticket rates are similar to Mammoth with a base price of 119.00 per day at June versus the 182.00 tab at Mammoth. If you order on line, you can receive up to 20% off for one day tickets and as much as 40% off for visits and purchases of 5 days or more. June and Mammoth are also on the Ikon Pass.
The town of June Lake is a little sleepy in the winter with the exception of the June Lake Brewing Company on main drag of Crawford Ave. Exceptional IPAs and other selections that are a staple for the outdoor set in the June Lake area. During the week, you basically have the place to yourself with no lift lines and quiet, scenic relaxing runs. We always make the Mammoth Lakes area a staple on our visits to the Sierras and the detour to June Mountain should not be missed by any skier venturing down 395.
Click here for June Mt. trail map.
Click here for June Mt. webcam.
June Lake provides a view as well as plenty of summer activities. Credit: June Mt.
Snow In Literature: A Contemporary
By W.S. Merwin (1927-2019)
What if I came down now out of these
solid dark clouds that build up against the mountain
day after day with no rain in them
and lived as one blade of grass
in a garden in the south when the clouds part in winter
from the beginning I would be older than all the animals
and to the last I would be simpler
frost would design me and dew would disappear on me
sun would shine through me
I would be green with white roots
feel worms touch my feet as a bounty
have no name and no fear
turn naturally to the light
know how to spend the day and night
climbing out of myself
all my life
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