With many skiers staying closer to home for a second winter, neighborhood ski resorts are enjoying a resurgence, especially in New England.
Small resorts are reporting larger crowds and a few resorts have even reopened. According to Jeremy Davis, founder of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving shuttered ski areas, about 12 small hills have reopened throughout New England in the past 10 years.
These resorts hark back to the old days of skiing: no-frills hills with little terrain and a loyal local following. Some are fairly large, with two dozen or so runs and more than one chairlift. Others are true backyard affairs, staffed by volunteers and funded by donations. Instead of chairlifts, they offer rope tows powered by off-the-shelf motors.
