First Tracks at Birdseye Mountain....

First Tracks — The Beginner Tow at Birdseye

Birdseye Ski History Series

Birdseye Mountain, Castleton, Vermont

By Edward J. Davis Sr.

Every mountain story begins somewhere small.

Before the T-Bar.

Before the Meadow Lift.

Before the long night runs under the glow of vintage lights.

There was a rope.

“First Tracks — The Beginner Tow at Birdseye” captures the humble beginnings of skiing on Birdseye Mountain in the early 1960s. The simple rope tow—hand-built, pulley-driven, and powered by local ingenuity—introduced generations of children to the slopes of Castleton, Vermont.

Here, young skiers learned balance, grit, and courage. Cold hands gripping the rope. Wooden skis cutting first lines into fresh Vermont snow. This was not corporate skiing. This was community skiing — families, neighbors, and a mountain that shaped character.

Founded in 1961 and opened in 1962, Birdseye Mountain Ski Area became a place where lifelong memories were made. This artwork honors that beginning — the first pull up the hill where confidence was born.