It’s Wayback Wednesday, sponsored by Jamie Lockwood, broker/owner of Sutton Group Muskoka Realty!
The Top of the World ski hill opened at Limberlost in 1934 at one of the highest points in Muskoka.
The run, which was on the hill between Solitaire and Buck Lakes, had roughly 300 feet of vertical drop.
When it first opened, guests were taken to the top of the hill by a converted truck with treads on its rear wheel base and metal skis in front. Skiers could sit in the truck, or be towed behind by holding onto ropes.
In 1939, Limberlost was the first resort in the region to open a mechanized ski tow lift, the remains of which can still be found on the property today.
The Top of the World closed in the 1970s, and today is enjoyed by backcountry skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer.
Photo: CN Images of Canada Collection; details courtesy of Huntsville: With Spirit and Resolve and Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve
See more Wayback Wednesday photos here.
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When I first started skiing at Limberlost in the late 1940’s there was a rope tow up the left side of this picture. Actually there were two. One would take you half way up the hill. Then you would let go of the first one and grab on the second one which would take you up the steeper part of the hill to the top. It was quite to hang on with small hands, especially when the rope was wet.
Some of the grooming at that time was done by sidestepping up the hill. If we were really lucky we were given free rides up the hill so we could side step down.
Later in the early 1960″s a T-bar was added and grooming was done with snowmobiles.
Great picture! Brings to mind a question maybe someone out there can answer.
First I see no lift. I know there was a lift toward the end of the ski hills use as I personally saw it.
I assume that at this date 1934 there was no lift so you walked up the hill one way or another. My Dad and his buddies used to do that in the day. Tougher lot than I ever was.
The other thought though is how did they groom the hill. I think it would have been necessary to sort of smooth it a bit and pack it down. Maybe not like they do nowadays with fancy big grooming machines but they would have had to so something and I’m wondering how they did it.