Prospect Mountain Ski Area was born in the late 1930's when the first rope tow pulled skiers up the mountain. Operations were interrupted by World War II, but then resumed in the 1960's when two T-bar lifts were installed. The first cross-country ski trails were built in 1980, at the beginning of the Great Northeastern Snow Drought. Eventually the lack of natural snow in the northeastern US caused the downhill ski operations to cease, while nordic skiing at Prospect continued to increase and become more popular. Now the entire operation is devoted to cross-country skiing in the winter.