Apple Hill Ski Area, Orefield, PA

There's a certain distinction in abandoned places among those which are remembered and those who gradually become obscure and unknown. Some places develop a kind of second life among the memories of those who passed through them. Just outside of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley is one such place. Apple Hill Ski Area introduced skiing to the Lehigh Valley, opening in 1962, and was the conduit through which thousands got their start on the snow and formed a community that would keep this diminutive ski area's memory alive long after the lifts stopped spinning. 

In 1962 the owner of Kramer's Music House in downtown Allentown purchased an apple orchard outside of the city. Here he planned what would be the Lehigh Valley's first ski area. A Hall t-bar was installed on the side of a short, but steep hill on the property. Slopes and trails were laid out between the groves of apple trees, and a striking ski lodge was built. The lodge at Apple Hill really was, and still is impressive. A large a-frame structure with a steeply pitched roof and a round fireplace, complete with conical flue it is a prime example of mid-century American ski architecture. Upstairs was a cafeteria where patrons could watch skiers descend while sipping their hot chocolates, and downstairs was a ski and rental shop where many a first pair of skis were purchased. They even served apple cider from their own trees. Apple Hill was about as down-home as you could get. Minutes away from the growing Lehigh Valley suburbs and with an atmosphere you can only find in the real small mom and pop operations. The ones where the owner know the locals by name and probably works the fryer on weekends to boot. 

The actual hill at Apple Hill is not particularly large. It stretches for a little over 200 vertical feet from top to bottom. One steeper pitch straight down along the t-bar line, and a gentler out and back trail wound down from the field at the top. Snowmaking was installed at Apple Hill from the beginning as it was a necessity to keep skiing given the area's lack of natural snowfall and low elevation. While this brought in business during the 1960s and 70s, competition soon arrived as more ski areas opened in the region. By the time Apple Hill closed in 1978 there were now three more ski areas operating in and around the Lehigh Valley with Doe Mountain (now Bear Creek), Little Gap (now Blue Mountain) and Hahn Mountain all opening over the previous decade. 

After the ski area shuttered the property was simply left abandoned. There have occasionally been plans to develop the land, but as of now none of these have come to fruition. The apple orchards are of course gone, but the old farmhouse is still there, empty and like something out of a cheap horror movie. A pile of broken stadium lights marks where the parking lot was situated and walking towards the main slope the remnants of the ski area are instantly recognizable. The t-bar drive house has a distinctive steep pitched roof, and is repeated in miniature in the housing for the drive of one of the rope tows immediately adjacent. A good deal of ski area bits and pieces remain: coils of snowmaking hose, components of the t-bar hangers and grips and a large ski school sign remain propped up next to the old Hall drive system. 

The haul rope is still stretched over the t-bar towers, although the tow line has since grown in along with the main steep slope. Walking up is difficult among the riot of brush, grape vine and sumac. About half way up the tow line is the remains of a booster pump for the snowmaking system. The hydrants are there in the woods, although they can be hard to spot, being relatively small and sometimes half covered in debris. The top of the hill is an open field and walking across you would have come to the start of the intermediate run. This is actually mostly still clear. Looking back up the hill you notice light poles at intervals, old cable draped between them. The area was fully illuminated for night skiing, and it helps to describe where the edges of the slopes would have been. Walk down the hill a bit further and you see the lodge across the open field at the bottom. Next to which are more rope tow remnants. Lift attendant's shacks and metal and cement supports are all that remains. In all Apple Hill had 3 or 4 rope tows plus the t-bar. 

The base lodge has been heavily vandalized over the years. The glass wall facing the hill has been totally broken, and every step taken inside comes with the attendant crunch of broken glass. This was my second stop on the day so the afternoon sun was coming in through window, and the whole inside was illuminated with points of light reflected and refracted off the shards, painting the walls with a kaleidoscopic effect. While in an advanced state of decay, this is still a special place. The lodge at Apple Hill has real style and was more than just a utilitarian building. It was built to look good, and even now it leaves an impression. The round fireplace and wood paneling is reminiscent of Belleayre or Plattekill. It evokes a sense of alpine adventure and for a second you forget you're in the Lehigh Valley. But alas, you are in the Lehigh Valley, and that was ultimately Apple Hill's undoing. It was too small to compete as larger areas opened around it and there was no longer enough interest to keep the area running. Still, I think if you were to write a book on the history of skiing in PA, Apple Hill would have its own chapter. It's opening and introduction of skiing to this part of PA can't be understated. It's an important place. It's a kind of monument to the history of the sport and its testament are all those skiers out there today bit by the ski bug all those decades ago at Apple Hill.

A skier tackles the main slope at Apple Hill. The lodge is looking sharp and you can see one of the orchard plots behind which gave the area its name.

USGS topo actually had the ski area marked. You can see the top elevation at 652 feet above sea level, while the bottom sits just over 200 feet down the hill. The main slope, while short was quite steep as shown by the contours here.

Aerial photograph of the ski area while it was still in operation. You can make out remnants of snowpack from the ski runs in the photo. Labeled are the locations of lifts and the lodge. Apple Hill was an all surface lift hill, and only ever operated rope tows and a t-bar.

Recent Google Earth image with the approximate locations of the lifts labeled, as well as the location of the lodge. The lift lines are still mostly visible by following the vegetation, while the ski slopes have become overgrown.

Another aerial photo from a different angle while the ski area was operating. The snowpack clearly shows the beginner and intermediate runs as well as the tow line for the t-bar. Notice again the orchard groves which the ski runs ran between.

This photo was taken as the t-bar was being constructed. The main slope is in the background.

Patrons load up on the t-bar. The lodge is in the background. Looks like they had quite a crowd.

Advertisements from mid 1970s from the Apple Hill ski shop which was located in the downstairs of the lodge. $200 bucks for a pair of sticks. Not bad.

Inside the lodge today. Nature and vandals have taken their toll, but the bones of the old building still convey what a special place it was back in the day. The conical flu over the fireplace is classic 1960s. 

Drive house for the Hall t-bar, built in 1962. Still in pretty good shape all things considered.

Return terminal for the t-bar. The rest of the lift line is similarly overgrown. 

Looking towards the load area for the t-bar next to a split tower. The attendants shack has since collapsed. 

Half t-bar tower. This is just below the steepest portion of the lift line.