From The Poor House to The Craigmeur Ski House!

Back in 1930’s a few like-minded snowsports enthusiasts
decided to create one of the very first ski clubs in New Jersey.
They disbanded a few years later
for reasons unknown but were
revitalized in the 60’s under
the guidance of a man named
Conwell Martin. Martin worked
at the now defunct Craigmeur
Ski Resort in Newfoundland, NJ.
If you’ve ever driven up Green
Pond road in between Route
80 and Route 23, you no doubt
know exactly where it is as it still
stands today. The club originally
organized trips all throughout
New York, Pennsylvania and NJ
but eventually set their sites on
acquiring a physical ski house of
their own in Vermont.
The house they found was originally used
as housing for the poor in West Rutland
back in the late 1880’s. This use lasted
until the 1950’s after which the poor
were moved to a nursing home. After
purchasing it and many years of upgrades
and improvements, (most all of which
was done by the resourceful members
themselves) the house is in fine form
today. I recently attended a club meeting
to get a better feel for the group and I
can tell you they represent a wide array
of people yet all of them had one thing
in common- they were very friendly and
welcoming.
To be fair, one of the original member’s
sons Jim Hollister is a friend and he had
been trying for years to get me to check
out the club his dad Russell helped
create. I’m glad I finally did because what
they have is very special and I wanted
to make sure all of my readers had a
chance to learn about them. They are always looking for new
members and joining The Craigmeur Ski Club might just be
for you. It’s perfect if you are single or married and is also very
kid-friendly. OK, pets are not allowed but the club truly does
offer a lot, besides impressive
camaraderie. For one thing,
they decided years ago to
have other events throughout
the year to keep their members
engaged. Things like clam
bakes, camping and rafting
trips still happen to this day in
the off-season.
To join as a member you first
have to attend 4 meetings but
they make that very easy as
they meet every Wednesday
at 8pm at The Exchange in
Rockaway, NJ. If you fulfill the
requirements, the cost is just $55 for a
family or $35 for a single which quite
frankly is ridiculously affordable. The
club’s shareholders are basically in
charge of running the club, taking the
laborious mechanics off the backs of the
members themselves. Another win!
One of the best features of this club
is that the ski house has its own cook
on the weekends so you do not have
to concern yourself with breakfasts or
dinners. That alone is reason enough
to join! As far as resorts go– Killington
and Pico are a short 25 minute drive
with Okemo being a 40 minute ride
and Sugarbush an hour and fifteen
minute trek. There are 12 bedrooms
and the house sleeps 52 people in
total. Reservations are taken one month
in advance and they can be made via
phone, email or in person at a meeting.
If the Craigmeur Ski Club is something
you think might interest you, I urge you
to attend one of their weekly meetings.
You will not regret it. Click www.craigmeurskiclub.com to learn
more about this great group of snowsport enthusiasts.
Craigmeur Ski Club members at a recent meeting