For most Americans, Thanksgiving traditions have long centered around hearth and home—fires crackling, families gathering, and tables set with the season’s bounty. But among the earliest pioneers of U.S. skiing, a new ritual quietly took shape in the early 20th century: the Thanksgiving ski holiday.

Before chairlifts, before manicured pistes, even before most Americans had seen a pair of skis, an adventurous community of New Englanders and Rocky Mountain locals celebrated the long weekend not in cities or towns, but deep in the mountains. Thanksgiving proved to be the perfect moment: the first dependable snows, cold nights, and a generous block of days that called for travel, camaraderie, and exploration.

The First Turns of the Season

In the 1920s and ’30s—when American skiing was still in its infancy—clubs like the Dartmouth Outing Club, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and early Rocky Mountain ski societies planned annual Thanksgiving outings into the hills. Participants would leave early on Thursday morning, traveling by rail, snowshoe, or “ski-shoe” hybrid until the snow grew deep enough to glide.

These pilgrimages were often the first true turns of the winter. Families of skiers tested handmade wooden skis, waxed over cabin stoves, and navigated ungroomed terrain that demanded a blend of mountaineering skill and sheer enthusiasm. Thanksgiving marked not only a holiday, but a ceremonial opening of the ski season—a return to the high country after a long summer absent from snow.

Cabins, Communal Tables & Mountain Feasts

Gatherings were simple but spirited. Skiers would arrive at rustic cabins—places like Mount Moosilauke’s Camp Dartmouth or the early lodges of Colorado’s Estes Park—where wood-fired stoves warmed frozen hands and boots steamed dry on racks overhead.

Thanksgiving dinner was communal, improvised, and unforgettable. Turkeys were roasted in cast-iron ovens, pies were ferried in from town by those fortunate enough to have a driver, and the toasts were many. After dinner, tales of “first descents” were shared around the fire, along with plans for the next morning’s tours across sparkling early-season snowfields.

A Tradition Rooted in Adventure

Long before skiing became a mainstream winter pastime, these Thanksgiving expeditions bound together the earliest American skiers. They blended alpine sport with fellowship and gratitude—values that continue to define the culture of the mountains today.

For American skiers, Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday. It is a declaration of the coming winter, a celebration of the peaks and forests that has shaped their lives, and a reminder that alpine sporting adventure—like gratitude—is a dish best served and shared among friend and family.