Middlebury Snowbowl: Preserving the Hubbard Cabin for the Next Generation

Long before modern base lodges, high-speed chairlifts, and computerized snowmaking, a modest log building nestled among the spruce trees welcomed skiers seeking warmth after a run down the slopes of the Middlebury Snowbowl. Boots thawed beside the wood stove. Race wax was scraped from skis. Lifelong friendships were formed over cups of hot chocolate. For countless Middlebury students, local families, racers, coaches, and volunteers, the Hubbard Cabin wasn’t just a building—it was where the culture of the Snowbowl came to life.

Today, that story is entering a remarkable new chapter.

After months of planning and preparation, the historic Hubbard Cabin completed one of the most significant journeys in the Snowbowl’s history. Carefully lifted from the place it had called home for generations, the nearly ninety-year-old structure was relocated to its new home adjacent to Starr Lodge. Now, crews are hard at work constructing the cabin’s new foundation—the next step in an ambitious restoration that will preserve one of the most cherished buildings in New England skiing while preparing it to serve generations yet to come.

The move was an extraordinary milestone.

The restoration is the real story.

Snowbowl General Manager Kim Essensa believes the project represents far more than the relocation of a historic building.

“Moving the cabin is really exciting for so many reasons,” Essensa said. “What I’m most excited about is the momentum and support this community brings. Its deep roots and our love of sliding on snow ties us all together, and this new life of the cabin signifies that.”

For Essensa, the Hubbard Cabin is both a symbol of the Snowbowl’s past and a reflection of where it is headed.

“This is just the beginning for us,” she said. “We are so lucky to be here.”

The Hubbard Cabin traces its roots to the earliest days of organized skiing at Middlebury.

Constructed in 1938 from spruce harvested on Worth Mountain, the cabin was built through the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps, members of the Middlebury Winter Sports Club, local volunteers, and members of the College community. At a time when skiing in Vermont was still in its infancy, the cabin became the Snowbowl’s original base lodge—a gathering place that reflected the resourcefulness, determination, and spirit of those who built the mountain itself.

Built in 1938, Hubbard Cabin is believed to be the oldest surviving original ski-area base lodge at an operating downhill ski area in eastern North America.

Skiing’s history, however, is filled with remarkable buildings and stories preserved in local memories, family photographs, club archives, and mountain communities. We invite anyone who knows of another surviving historic base lodge that may share—or challenge—this distinction to reach out and share its story with us. That conversation may help us better understand Hubbard Cabin’s place in skiing history while leading us to other connected stories about the people, places, and lodges that helped shape the sport.

Within its hand-hewn log walls, generations of skiers warmed themselves after cold mornings on the slopes. Coaches prepared athletes for races. College students forged friendships that lasted lifetimes. Families introduced their children to skiing, creating traditions that would span generations.

As the Snowbowl expanded and Starr Lodge became the mountain’s primary base facility, the Hubbard Cabin adapted. It served a variety of roles over the decades, including as a home for the Middlebury Ski Club. Though its purpose evolved, its place in the history of the Snowbowl never diminished.

Time, however, leaves its mark on even the strongest structures.

Years of Vermont winters gradually took their toll, and preserving the aging cabin became an increasingly urgent challenge.

Historic buildings often reach a crossroads.

The simplest solution is frequently to replace them.

Middlebury chose another path.

Former Snowbowl Director Peter Mackey believes that decision reflects something much deeper than the preservation of a historic structure.

“The cabin is a symbol of the longtime Bowl operational mantra of ‘fix, repair, reuse rather than replace,’” Mackey said. “The multiple functions the cabin has served epitomize that philosophy.”

That philosophy has quietly shaped the Snowbowl for decades.

Rather than discarding buildings, equipment, or traditions simply because they have aged, the mountain has long embraced thoughtful stewardship—maintaining what can be repaired, restoring what deserves to be preserved, and investing carefully in the future while honoring the past.

Mackey remembers that the cabin itself has continually evolved to meet the needs of the mountain.

“We found that the original location wasn’t functional when we renovated it to serve the ski club. In its new central location it will give the college team easy access to a larger self-contained space.”

His memories also capture the personality that made the cabin so beloved.

“There was an outhouse uphill of the cabin when it served as the Bowl warming hut,” he recalled. “We used to build a jump a bit uphill of the outhouse and tried to time our takeoff to fly by it as someone exited.”

Like so many stories associated with the Hubbard Cabin, it’s equal parts history and humor—a reminder that the building’s legacy lives as much in memories as it does in logs and timber.

For Middlebury alumnus and former College Trustee Churchill Franklin, watching the cabin slowly deteriorate over the years became increasingly difficult.

“Every day I skied at the Bowl the last few years I would look over at the sagging Hubbard log cabin and wonder when we would arrive at the Bowl after a big snow and find the roof collapsed,” Franklin said. “The cabin would become a pile of rubble and we would have missed the opportunity to save one of the oldest surviving ski lodges in the country.”

Franklin knew preserving the cabin would require vision—and people willing to tackle a challenge that many would consider impossible.

“Knowing Lou Nop’s ability to do ridiculous things, and knowing I could capture Mark Gale’s imagination and access his remarkable construction skills, it seemed too great an opportunity to let pass,” Franklin said. “Last week, that question was answered.”

Indeed, relocating a nearly ninety-year-old log structure is no ordinary construction project. Every stage demanded careful engineering, meticulous planning, and remarkable craftsmanship. The successful move represented countless hours of preparation by contractors, engineers, College staff, and volunteers who shared a common belief that this piece of skiing history deserved another life.

Although the relocation captured attention across the community, it marked only the beginning of the restoration effort.

Today, crews are constructing the cabin’s permanent foundation, laying the groundwork for the next phase of restoration. Over the coming months, the building will be carefully stabilized, repaired where necessary, and thoughtfully restored to preserve its historic character while preparing it for decades of continued service.

When complete, the Hubbard Cabin will become the home of the Middlebury College Alpine Ski Team.

For Head Alpine Coach Abby Copeland, the significance extends well beyond providing additional space.

“We couldn’t be more excited to move into the newly renovated Hubbard Cabin,” Copeland said. “This space honors the rich history of skiing at Middlebury while giving our student-athletes a place to build community, strengthen our team culture, and create the next generation of memories at the Snowbowl.”

The project will also benefit every visitor to the mountain.

By relocating the alpine team’s operations into the restored Hubbard Cabin, valuable space within Starr Lodge can be reimagined and enhanced to better serve recreational skiers, families, racers, and guests. What appears to be the restoration of one historic building is, in reality, part of a broader vision for strengthening the entire Snowbowl experience.

Historic preservation is often described as saving old buildings.

In reality, it is about preserving the stories those buildings continue to tell.

The Hubbard Cabin tells the story of volunteers who harvested spruce from Worth Mountain to build a ski lodge by hand. It tells the story of Middlebury students who helped establish one of the nation’s premier collegiate ski programs. It tells the story of generations of Vermonters who found community, adventure, and belonging on these slopes.

Most importantly, it reminds us that history is something we can continue to live—not simply remember.

Visitors who stop by the Snowbowl this summer won’t simply see a construction project. They’ll see the careful restoration of a place that has shaped nearly ninety years of skiing in Vermont.

The new foundation now taking shape represents far more than concrete and timber. It represents a promise that one of the Snowbowl’s most treasured landmarks will once again be filled with athletes preparing for races, teammates sharing stories after training, children discovering skiing for the first time, and families creating memories that will last a lifetime.

There is still much work ahead.

The relocation may be complete, but the restoration has only just begun. As crews continue building the cabin’s new foundation and prepare for the next phase of work, the project stands as a reminder that the Snowbowl has always been built by people who care deeply about this place.

Like the volunteers who first raised the cabin nearly ninety years ago, today’s effort depends upon a community that believes preserving history is an investment in the future.

Every contribution to the Snowbowl’s ongoing capital projects helps ensure that places like the Hubbard Cabin continue to inspire future generations of skiers, racers, students, and families. Together, supporters are not simply restoring a building—they are preserving a legacy that has helped define Middlebury skiing for nearly a century. Those who would like to help support this work can learn more and contribute at middleburysnowbowl.com/support 

As Essensa reflected, “This is just the beginning for us.”

Nearly ninety years after the first logs were lifted into place, the Hubbard Cabin is once again becoming something built by a community.

And before long, its doors will open once more.