Memorabilia
If you have some Big Valley / Hahn Mt. memorabilia you'd care to contribute, please contact me.
A 9" x 12" cardstock flyer advertising the initial opening of Big Valley. Image courtesy of Cindy Yerger Kell.
A 45" x 21" Big Valley poster. The date (printing date?) at the lower right corner reads 10-28-71. Image courtesy of Cindy Yerger Kell.
This 10" x 14" poster is an artifact from my parent's old desk drawer. It's a simple b&w poster, but it looks like I was feeling artistic with a red marker.
Big Valley patch. Another artifact from my parent's old desk drawer.
Big Valley pin.
"House of the Turtle" menu. The House of the Turtle was an under 21 dance club held Saturday nights at the lodge over the summer of 1970 or 71. Described as a "hippy thing", there were live bands and a natural/organic menu. The non-alcoholic smoothie-type drinks appear to have been popular. Click the picture for larger image. Menu contributed by Pam Wheeler.
Hahn Mountain patch. Image contributed by Woody Bousquet.
Hahn Mountain hat. Yet another artifact from my parents.
Hahn Mt. bumper sticker. Image courtesy of Linda Peters.
Novelty license plate.
Season passes.
Instructor name badges.
Hahn Mt. Ski School lesson ticket. Image courtesy of John Cecci.
Hahn Mt. Ski School class schedule from the '80-'81 ski season.
A Hahn Mt. racing bib. Image courtesy of Don Hartman.
A page from the 1974 book "Kempton Centennial 1874-1974" featuring stories of past and present life in Kempton and surrounding Albany Township. Pictures show the ski school desk on the main level of the lodge, the lodge with original vestibule and small deck, the ski shop in the basement and the T-bar. Click for larger image.
A Ski Magazine article from February 1977. Click for larger image.
A newspaper clipping from 1980 provides some interesting insight about the transition from Big Valley to Hahn Mt. Click for larger image.
Another relevant clipping from 1982. The picture shows the old T-bar at Heidelberg. Click for larger image.
A short article from the January 1984 edition of Ski Magazine. The article is upbeat, but this was to be Hahn's last winter. The new "snow-making pipes" were inadvertently allowed to freeze and no new slopes were constructed. Click for larger image.
This newspaper clipping is from what would have been the 85-86 ski season. The end of the article indicates that there were plans to reopen Hahn Mountain. Unfortunately, those plans never materialized. Click for larger image.
Here's an article about my grandfather from the spring 1976 edition of Empire Steel News. Keep reading for the Hahn Mt. connection. I'm the grandson with the broken leg. Note that Hahn Mt. was in Berks, not Schuykill county. Click for larger image.
A 1979 Air Products news letter article about the Ski Patrol and Hahn Mt. Click for larger image. Images courtesy of Ed Conaway.
A closer look at the above photo montage. Click for larger image. Images courtesy of Ed Conaway.
NSPS procedures back from the Big Valley days. Click for larger image (lots of fine print so the image is huge). Images courtesy of Ed Conaway.
Hahn Mountain employed about a half-dozen gas and diesel powered Hedco snow machines. While surfing the Internet I discovered snow machine-like equipment that is used for dust suppression at demolition sites. One company (CompanyWrench.com) rebuilds old Hedco snow makers into dust suppression machines. One of their rebuilds is shown below. But check out the unmodified unit to the right. It appears to still have its original engine cowling and sled. Who knows? Perhaps these are the very same units that once made snow at Hahn Mountain.
Company Wrench dust suppression machine.