Area outside Lenhartsville

Near Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania, the ski area now generally identified as Hahn Mountain began as Big Valley Ski Area, opening around the 1969-70 season. It was a compact operation with a T-bar, double chairlift, rope tow, small lodge, and just over 500 feet of vertical drop. Though its runs were short, readers remember challenging terrain, including the upper trail called Big Valley, which offered useful preparation for larger mountain trips. The area was later acquired by the family behind Hahn Fire Equipment in Hamburg and renamed Hahn Mountain.

The hill remained important to local skiers, including one reader who learned to ski there in 1973 and later taught at the area for eight years. Its former trails are still visible from Pinnacle Rock on the Appalachian Trail, and recollections have noted that much of the lift equipment remained on the site years after operations ended. The area stood near a local rod-and-gun club, though accounts differ over which one. Another recollection raises the possibility of later motocross use, but that connection remains unconfirmed.