Nakiska, near Kaninaskis. Say that 48 times fast.
They's some mighty boring names out there. Mt Snow. I mean, come on, people. Beaver Creek? Copper Mountain? Winterplace? I live in Sleepeatplace, then. Willamette Pass? Is that, by chance, in Montana, near some random place? Nope. It's on. . . . .wait for it. . . . . .Willamette Pass. Good job guys. I know nobody gave (or gives) a toss about whether some stocky, bald, angry 40 something is going to smile ever so slightly at the lyricism of a given place name, or run name, but still. Thankfully, not everybody went on break.
Where is it at? Mt Washington? Let's call it Mt Washington. I'm goin on break.
Herewith, some best ski area names. Fun, lyrical, weird, or otherwise interesting for one reason or other.
Nub's Nob, MI. Yawgoo Valley, RI. Frost Fire, ND. Hoodoo, OR. Mt Cheeseman, NZ, not cos it's original, as it's on Mt Cheeseman, but, dag. Good call just the same. Whakapapa. Talk about lyrics. That's right out of a late 50s rock song.
Bogus Basin, ID. You can't call us biased, cos there's a few conspicuous names not here. Mt Ashland, for one. It's not bad, but, well, just a name. Crystal Mountain, Mt Baker, Buck Hill, all solid places, with great memories. Mt Bachelor, Copper, Welch Village, all of em. Timberline, while accurate, not interesting. Bogus, though, is fun.
How else can I make the joke about wanting real road work?
There's Trollhaugen, WI. Of course. Craigleith, Craigieburn, and Cairngorms. Doesn't matter where they are, they sound legit. Granlibakken, Tawatinaw Valley, Rotarun, Skaneateles, Quoggy Jo, Cataloochee, Nakiska, Calabogie, Boogie Mountain, all just sound fun. Neither of us cares that Rotarun is a platter on the side of a small hill near Hailey, ID,
Some names just ring true, like SkiLand, or represent in a simple way, like Smuggler's Notch. Others are just fun, like Wild Mountain--Amy disagrees--Troll, Snow Snake, Mt Ski Gull, or Sky Tavern.
Some, however, make you wonder. What is a Revelstoke? A Catamount? I learned recently that it's a real thing, just like a bearcat is real. It's a cougar, if you are wondering. Although it could be a lynx. Or a chupacabra. Taos, you ask? I don't know either. Nor can Amy and I agree on how to actually pronounce it in the first place. But it's memorable.
Many of these words and names are Indigenous words or names, some of which likely mean "Snowy Mountain". That's fine. They sound nice, enticing, descriptive, many things. Certainly better than naming a giant 4300 metre volcano after Boring Admiral Peter or a ridgeline with great views and conspicuously skiable pitches after a prostitute's profile. (Thanks, Targhee.)
Can't ski on a nighthawk, but it's a rad bird just the same, and a good name, too, also
Nighthawk, Skeetawk, Kicking Horse, Steeplechase, and Hogadon, they just roll off the tongue. Or Loup Loup and Batawa, which is not near Matawa, WA. Or Skamakowa, WA for that matter. Saskadena Six is a rename, but a historic name, too, much better than the interloper, Suicide Six. Even without the comparison, I wanna go just hearing the name. Same with Massanutten, although the joke writes itself with this one. I'm pretty sure there's a there there, although it could be a mass of nothing. Some day we'll find out.
Mt Eyak and Hyak. Speaking of poorly renamed places, there's the dreamy Moon Valley, which is now known as a mostly boring Titus Mountain. Hyak, if you don't know, is now "Summit East", being east of Snoqualmie Summit. Sheesh. No, Boyne, it just isn't. IT'S F(*&#$)(*& HYAK AND Y'ALL CAN TAKE A LONG WALK OFF A DIVING BOARD INTO A HOT VAT OF ACID BAT TURDS.
Beartown, Owl's Head, Attitash, or as it was once, Attitash Bear, I don't know, there's just something about the words. Jiminy Peak, Chicopea, Treble Cone. I like ambition, too, like The Remarkables, or Big Snow American Dream. Anyway, some food for thought.
Stone Ham, QC. Not just a pretty face. Also hungry-making. Like Mt Packing Ham.
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- Joke's on you. I know it's Stoneham. And Pakenham. Feigned ignorance is one of the best ways to push buttons. I'm the youngest, so that's my job. Pushing buttons, I mean. Feigned ignorance is just a bonus.
- If you don't know Mitch, then you need to. Appliance Naming Department. Look it up, kids. It, too, is on the internet.
