In 1965, Eastern Montana launched a ski resort, predating Big Sky Resort by seven years. By 1970, it offered two rope tows powered by tractors, a warming shack, ski rentals, lessons, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
Open on weekends, it attracted hundreds of skiers when the snow was sufficient. Named after nearby springs, it eventually included a campground bearing the same name.
Question: What was the Name of the Eastern Montana Alpine Ski Resort, named for nearby springs?
Answer: Lemonade Springs, Between Ashland and Broadus, Montana.
Background:
Winter sports play a significant role in Montana winters. Ice skating was once common in almost every city park. Each community features sledding hills, ranging from small ones for young children to larger and more challenging ones for teenagers and adults.
Other popular activities include goose hunting, ice fishing, hockey, snowmobiling, and both Alpine and Nordic skiing
Alpine Skiing has significantly supported the economy of Central and Western Montana. It began in 1935 with Showdown in the Little Belt Mountains and Karst Kamp in Gallatin Canyon both claiming to be the first ski hill.
In 1936, the first downhill race occurred at Moose Creek, and the Bozeman Ski Club was founded. Showdown, Montana's oldest ski Resort, started with a single rope tow that conveyed skiers 1,400 feet to the summit.
Lemonade Springs was Eastern Montana's only ski resort. Located in the Custer National Forest between Ashland and Broadus, next to Highway 212, it operated on Herald and Ed Hansen's property.
The resort functioned intermittently from 1965 until 1974 or 1975. Lemonade Springs offered two rope tows, a small warming shack, ski rentals, ski lessons, and hot cocoa.
According to Eastern Montana newspapers, the resort attracted over 100 skiers when conditions were favorable.
Lemonade Springs is reportedly named for the distinctive taste of its water. While the spring remains in use, only memories persist of the Ski Resort and the 50-unit campground that once existed there.
