Ski Lift No. 1 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Boat Tow
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West profile of bottom lift station, 2010
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 Location in Colorado
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| Location | Aspen, CO |
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| Built | 1939–47 |
| Architect | Bob Heron (designer), American Steel and Wire Company, builder |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000866 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1990 |
The Ski Lift No. 1 in Aspen, Colorado, is a very old and important ski lift. It starts on Aspen Street and goes up Aspen Mountain. This lift was built in the late 1940s. It stands where Aspen's very first ski lift, called the Boat Tow, once was.
In 1990, this historic lift was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It's one of only two ski lifts in the entire country to get this special recognition! The lift was built using old motors and parts from Aspen's silver mining days. Its creation helped turn Aspen from a quiet town into the famous ski resort it is today. It also made downhill skiing popular in the western United States after World War II.
When it first opened, people said it was the longest ski lift in the world. It closed in 1971, but its parts are still on the mountain. It's one of the few single-chair lifts left in the U.S. You can find a small park and a special plaque at its bottom station.
Contents
What is Ski Lift No. 1?
The bottom part of the Ski Lift No. 1 is on South Aspen Street. It sits on a small flat area at the base of the mountain. Around it, you can see chalet-style homes and condominiums. There's an open space in front with a concrete area. This is where one of the old "boat" sleds used to be displayed.
How the Lift Works
The bottom station is a steel structure shaped like an "L". The long part runs along the ground for about 30 feet (10 meters). It's about 10 feet (3 meters) high. In the middle, a support holds a large wheel called a bullwheel. The lift cable loops around this wheel. The lift got its power from an engine in the shorter, 20-foot-high (6-meter) section.
Along the long cable, single metal chairs hang at regular spaces. The cable is held up by 49 towers. It climbs to its top station on a "false summit" between two areas called Spar and Keno gulches. This spot is about 10,480 feet (3,194 meters) high, which is 2,540 feet (774 meters) above the base.
A Look Back: Skiing in Colorado
The story of Ski Lift No. 1 is connected to the history of skiing in Colorado. It's also linked to how Aspen started as a mining town. The lift's opening in 1947 changed both the city and the sport of recreational skiing in the U.S.
Aspen's First Ski Adventures
People in Colorado have used skis for travel since at least 1857. Miners in the Rocky Mountains needed them to move around in winter. They even had fun races. Aspen's first settlers in 1879 learned to use these "Norwegian snowshoes" from Swedish immigrants. This helped them survive a winter with 52 feet (16 meters) of snow!
In the 1880s, during the Colorado Silver Boom, Aspen grew fast. Miners working on the mountain found a way to slide down on long boards. They used a metal pole between their legs to brake. This was an early form of skiing, mostly for getting to town quickly. After the silver market crashed in 1893, Aspen had "quiet years" of slow decline.
In the early 1930s, Alpine skiing (downhill skiing) came to Colorado. A group from Denver, called the Arlburg club, made the state's first ski trail near what is now Winter Park. The next year, the second U.S. national downhill ski championships happened at Estes Park.
The Start of Modern Skiing
In 1936, skiing arrived in Aspen. Billy Fiske, a bobsledder, and Ted Ryan, a wealthy heir, wanted to build a ski resort like those in Europe. An Aspen man showed Ryan photos of the area, and Ryan saw great ski terrain. He and Fiske visited the remote town.
Local miners' sons, Frank and Fred Willoughby, took them up the mountain. Fiske bought land and planned a ski lodge called the Highland Bavarian. It was built that year and offered guided ski tours.
One of the first guides was Swiss ski champion André Roch. He became friends with the Willoughbys. Aspen's population was very small then, and many buildings were empty. Roch helped start the Roaring Fork Winter Sports Club. Frank Willoughby became its president, and Roch taught him and his brother to ski. This was the true beginning of skiing in Aspen.
The lodge opened in late December, making Aspen the second European-style ski resort in the U.S. Over a hundred visitors came that winter. Roch marked out a challenging ski route, hoping it would attract big races. The city's Lions Club raised $600 to build the first lift.
The Original Boat Tow
That first lift was the Boat Tow. It was inspired by a similar lift Ryan saw in Austria. Two old hoists from an abandoned mine were used, powered by an old Model A engine. It opened in early 1938. Skiers rode up in 12-by-3-foot (3.7 by 0.9 meters) wooden sleds that held four people. The ride took three minutes up a 600-foot (180-meter) slope. This allowed them to ski one of the steepest trails in North America.
A hundred people paid 10 cents a ride or 50 cents for the day. Many drove a long way from Denver to try it. Aspen soon hosted the annual Southern Rocky Mountain Alpine Championships. This brought many people, including radio star Lowell Thomas, to Aspen.
Further ski development stopped during World War II. Billy Fiske joined the Royal Air Force and was one of the first Americans to die in the war. Other early leaders also joined the military. During the war, soldiers from the Army's Tenth Mountain Division trained nearby. One instructor, Friedl Pfeifer, believed Aspen could become a famous ski resort. After the war, he and other veterans returned to develop the ski area.
More lodges were built, and more trails were cleared. Pfeifer started the Aspen ski school, where other Tenth Mountain Division veterans worked as instructors. Walter Paepcke, a businessman, saw Aspen's potential. He invested time and money into the new Aspen Skiing Company.
The Big Ski Lift No. 1
Everyone agreed Aspen needed a better lift that went all the way to the top. This would make it a serious resort. Frank Willoughby mapped out a route in 1945. Chairlifts had been used before the war. In 1946, Oregon's Hoodoo opened the first double chair. Pfeifer planned two chairs: a long one to the false summit, and Ski Lift No. 2 to the mountain's 11,212-foot (3,417-meter) summit. A lodge called the Sundeck was built there.
Building the lift cost $250,000. Most of the workers were local. Frank Willoughby used a bulldozer to widen roads up the mountain. Bob Heron, an engineer, designed the lifts using old mining hoists. American Steel and Wire, which built other chairlifts, put it up. When it was finished in late 1946, Pfeifer and his daughter took the first ride on one of the 124 single chairs.
People immediately understood how important it was for the old mining town. A local newspaper writer said it meant "a new, good, and profitable way of life." Residents proudly said Lift No. 1 was the longest chairlift in the world.
The lift officially opened on January 11, 1947. Important people like Governor-elect William Lee Knous came on a special train from Denver. Knous broke a bottle of champagne over a chair to celebrate. About 2,000 people watched a parade, fireworks, and ski jumping shows. This day is seen as the end of Aspen's "quiet years." It marked the start of Aspen becoming a famous resort.
A year later, the lift was featured in Popular Mechanics magazine as an amazing engineering feat. Just as planned, it helped the ski area grow. Over the next 20 years, many lodges and chalets were built. New lifts were added, and Ski Lift No. 1 closed at the end of the 1971 season.
The Lift's Legacy
A new double chair, Lift 1A, replaced it nearby. Lift 1A only went halfway up the mountain. Later, it was replaced by a gondola that went all the way to the summit. In 1999, trees and bushes around Lift 1's base were cleared to show the original structure again.
It is one of only four single-chair lifts still existing in the United States. The area in front of the lift's bottom station is now called Willoughby Park, named after Frank Willoughby. For a while, one of the original lift boats was on display there. A special plaque is on the bottom station. The Aspen Historical Society has suggested creating a skiing museum in the area, possibly including the lift itself.
A Ride on the Lift
Riding to the base of Lift No. 2 took about half an hour if there were no stops. But it often stopped! A local journalist remembered singing "Nearer My God to Thee" to pass the time. Blankets were put on the chairs to keep skiers warm. Many still stopped at the warming hut at the top before going to the summit. Lift No. 2 was not as well designed. The wheels sometimes dripped oil and grease on passengers. The resort promised to dry clean any stained clothes, and they had to do a lot of it!
Sometimes, a dog even rode the chair. According to a former instructor, a St. Bernard named Bingo often climbed the mountain to join his owner for lunch. The lift operators would sometimes let Bingo ride up on the chair.
See also
