[mcdude]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

I believe Belknap was the old ski area where the ski jumps are. They even closed the road off, except when they were rebuilding the bridge into Gunstock.

Railroad Joe: I think it was actually Mt. Rowe, not Belknap. See.....
http://www.nelsap.org/nh/mountrowe.html
but the confusion arises because it was known as the Belknap Mountain Recreation area but was actually originally on Mt. Rowe. In the postcard below Gunstock is on the left and Mt. Rowe is on the right.

"

Anyone who has skiied Gunstock can recognize the basic configuration of the trail map. It has been much improved and expanded and the new quad lift brings you to the top in seven minutes! "Recreational area near Laconia, NH. Showing chair lift on Rowe Mt. (3,200 ft) in center and ski trails with 4 ski jumps 10- 20 - 40 - 65 meter; with 5 meter ski jump at right. Lake Winnipesaukee is background."

Phelps Slope, Belknap Mts., Recreation Area, Gilford, NH. "One of the most popular of the several ski slopes at the million dollar Belknap Mts. Recreation Area which is less than 100 miles from Boston and 7 miles from Laconia, NH on Route 11A".

From the gunstock website, "

Gunstock wasn't always about snow, lights, lifts and action. It took the vision of the Belknap County Legislators in 1935 to propose the "Belknap Mountain Recreation Area."

On the heels of the Great Depression, Belknap Mountain was born of the WPA's (Works Progress Administration) New Deal program created during President FDR's administration.

The project took three years to complete and employed 300 local workers. Amenities included ski trails, a single chairlift (one of only three in the east), rope tows, cross country trails, toboggan runs, sliding hills, a ski jumping complex, a campground, picnic area, base pond, nature trails and a base lodge and smaller buildings build to timber cut and stone quarried on-site.