The Magic of Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond
March 08, 2025
Listen to the Podcast
Cochran’s is a small but mighty ski area.
The ski area was started in the 1960s by Mickey and Ginny Cochran. With a vertical drop of 350 feet, the ski area includes a t-bar, rope tow and base lodge. It’s also where thousands of local children have learned to ski over the past 60 years.
“I describe this place as magical. I feel like this place has retained the soul of skiing,” says the Cochran’s daughter, Barbara Ann, a 1972 Olympic gold medalist.
-Skiers of all ages enjoy a Friday afternoon at Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond.
A Place for Everyone
After moving to Richmond in 1960, Mickey Cochran carved trails on a hill behind the family’s home. He built a rope tow outside the back door of their house.
Eventually, he expanded with more trails on a taller hill—what’s now the Cochran’s Ski Area people know and love.
-The Cochran family moved to Richmond in 1960. The ski area has been an integral part of the community for more than 60 years.
After Mickey Cochran died in 1998, Cochran’s became the nation’s first non-profit ski area, continuing the family’s legacy of providing access to winter recreation for local children and families.
“It was really a mom-and-pop kind of a ski area, and now it’s even more community-based,” Barbara Ann Cochran says. “I think there’s a lot of goodwill here, and you see so many kids 10 and under skiing here and loving it.”
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-Barbara Ann Cochran at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan. Wikimedia/UPI photo
Happy Vermont Podcast
In this episode of Happy Vermont, Barbara Ann Cochran talks about the early days of Cochran’s Ski Area, her racing career and what makes Cochran’s an extraordinary place.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or I Heart Radio
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Where in Vermont? Test Your Knowledge of Vermont Geography
I started a game on Instagram Stories last year and want to share it here with you. Can you name the town in the photo below?
Share your answer by commenting below or emailing me at [email protected]. Winners will be mentioned in my next email. Thanks for playing!
David Quesnel
Posted at 10:21h, 09 Marchit begins with an A, I peddle thru here often,
Erica
Posted at 10:24h, 09 MarchYes, Dave! Give me the name of the town — you’re almost there!
a fan of old buildings
Posted at 13:37h, 09 MarchIt’s the old beautiful town hall in Addison behind the sign. It badly needs the town government to move the long delayed restoration project forward. This building will be a gorgeous space for the town clerk and community events.
Erica
Posted at 14:16h, 09 MarchIt’s a beautiful building and I hope it gets restored.