Back when you could go skiing in Pine Hill, NJ

The legendary Ski Mountain is not a South Jersey urban legend. It was real, and it was spectacular.

Ski Mountain was where you could actually go skiing in Pine Hill, Camden County.

In the '70s and '80s, it was my White Unicorn, or whatever the appropriate analogy. I was never allowed to go there. My parents were too afraid something tragic would happen and I'd get hurt. I mean, because, like, Who goes skiing in Pine Hill?

But plenty of people did. I bet high schoolers from Highland and Overbrook were up there like Lane and Charles from the movie "Better Off Dead."

OK, Ski 'Mountain' was pretty much a 200-foot hill, but when it got snow it was just enough to race down. I mean, that's what it looked like. Whenever we'd drive down West Branch Avenue, there would come a stretch (in front of Chalet Apartments) where you could just see the peak of the hill, the ski lift, and some skiers. I wanted to know what was going on up there so badly! Ski Mountain became this elusive thing to me, my brother, and all my friends who weren't given permission to find out for ourselves.

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And, for a few summers (after the snow melted), Ski Mountain turned into Action Mountain with water slides. I wasn't allowed to go there either.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a Ski Mountain group page on Facebook where former employees and skiers share memories. Jake Barbour, who gave me permission to use his Ski Mountain sign photo, said his parents were the mountain's caretakers and actually lived there!

These days, it's the site of Trump National Golf Club. The golf course was built on the old Ski/Action Mountain in the late 90s. I did make it there once before Trump owned it, I think for a Father's Day brunch. But it wasn't the same because I wasn't on SKI MOUNTAIN.

What are your memories of Ski Mountain or Action Mountain in Pine Hill? I'd love to know!