Powder Ghost Towns, Part V

“That rubble is what the owners left when they walked away from Ski St. Mary’s,” wrote Sinjin Eberle, correctly identifying the final mystery resort in our series and thus winning a copy of Pete Bronski’s Powder Ghost Towns book. Here’s some info from Mr. Bronski about the erstwhile resort northwest of Idaho Springs:

St. Mary’s really has a two-part history. Skiing here dates back to the earliest days of recreational skiing in Colorado; by the 1920s, skiers were hosting July 4 ski tournaments on the glacier. Decades later, Ski St. Mary’s came into existence in neighboring (and private) Anchor Gulch. Like so many other Powder Ghost Towns, it went through a series of name changes and changes in ownership, but ultimately folded. Today, the Anchor Gulch property is the subject of a proposed redevelopment as a snow park (akin to the way Echo Mountain resurrected and repurposed what was once Squaw Pass ski area). Regardless, St. Mary’s Glacier remains a popular and accessible backcountry skiing destination steeped in skiing history.

The final installment of our Powder Ghost Towns video series features film and stills from the abandoned St. Mary’s, Adam, Baker Mountain, and Climax resorts. Pete notes that there has been an important change in the access to the old Climax Ski Area, located on Chalk Mountain at Fremont Pass. Click here for the update. Thanks for checking out the Powder Ghost Towns with us. Visit Pete Bronski’s website to learn more about the book, and search “Powder Ghost Towns” here to see all the stories and videos in this series.