red oak ski lodge

travcojim · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:43 am Post subject: red oak ski lodge

I have not been over in this area in years but I once owned some land out of red oak and back up on top of one of the hills, was an old ski lodge that someone was going to turn into a big ski resort, there was an old lift and at the bottom of a really big hill an old army truck.
anyone ever checked this place out recently? I don't know if I could even give you decent directions to it. i know it was east of red oak and turn back north on a dirt road that leads back into the hills and then head for the biggest hill and it was there. it was rather secluded back then,

OKCEXP · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:36 pm Post subject: RE: red oak ski lodge

where is red oak? so you owned it who bought it from you?

Jesta · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: red oak ski lodge

Ski Lodge in OK..... cant understand why it didnt take off and do well Rolling Eyes

piplnr65656 · Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:30 pm Post subject: RE: red oak ski lodge

Do they still have any coal mines open around red oak? There used to be a page dragline and some hyd. loading shovels and truck sitting just east of town for sale. I was wondering if they ever sold the dragline or if they scrapped it.

FiReDiVeR · Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:28 pm Post subject: Re: red oak ski lodge

Where is this place?

piplnr65656 · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:05 am Post subject: RE: red oak ski lodge

It is south east of fort smith AR on 270. About 40 miles as the crow flies.

Jesta · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:46 am Post subject: Re: red oak ski lodge

Southwest of Ft Smith if you want to go to Red Oak Oklahoma, southeast if you want to go to Red Oak Arkansas.....as the crow flies. Cool

FiReDiVeR · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:59 am Post subject: Re: red oak ski lodge

Willard · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:00 am Post subject: Re: red oak ski lodge

piplnr65656 · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:35 pm Post subject: RE: red oak ski lodge

Sorry, yes south west to red oak Oklahoma. I had just woke up when I posted that and was not fully awake yet.

Yogiabb · 0-99 Poster Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 3 Usergroups: None

I have a friend at work who went by it a few weeks ago. Near Red Oak. South of the town of Lequire 3 or so miles and a few miles to the east on a dirt road. He had never heard of it before seeing it. He mentioned the lift and the lodge.

OKCEXP · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 10:58 am Post subject: RE: red oak ski lodge

was it standing? would it be worth driving from okc?

Yogiabb · 0-99 Poster Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 3 Usergroups: None

My friend said that it was still standing. He didn't drive down from Tulsa for it. He went to visit some people he knew that lived in the area and they showed it to him. He told me because I do geocaching and he thought it would be a good place for a cache.
Since I haven't seen it myself I would hate to say "Yea sure, drive on down there and take a look, you'll love it!" Plus, when we were looking at a county map he wasn't totally sure where it was.
For me, I'm not making a special trip. I'm not going there until we visit my in-laws.

travcojim · Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 3:00 pm Post subject: RE: red oak ski lodge

sorry I have been away from the computer for a while, I did not own the lodge, I had some land about a mile before you got to it, sold it long time ago. From what I knew about the place some investment guys owned it, i wish i knew which comany because I would not use them if I ever had the chance to invest in something. But.. I am sure it is still standing, it was built out of logs and built to last. It would take a hurricane to know that place down. The only thing i can remember about getting to it with out actaully going out there and re tracing my steps is from the town of Red Oak, the road that leads to it is north off the main road, just east of town, about a mile before getting into Red Oak. I know that is vauge, but this was in the early 80's, As far as a good place for a cache, depending on who owns it not, it would be a intrestering one. At least finding it would be fun. Next time I have no where to go on a weekend I will make the trip over and see if I can find it and maybe I can post Cords. I am in Northwest Arkansas now, so it would be a full day trip for me, but it could be fun.
Afterall, how many times can you tell someone your going to run over to Oklahoma and check out a ski lodge?

Yogiabb · 0-99 Poster Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 3 Usergroups: None

This past weekend I got a kitchen pass to go check this out. I didn't have very good instructions but I gave it a shot.

There is now a State Highway 82 between Lequire and Red Oak which is nice but the road I suspected would take me to the lodge is very rough. I got about a half mile up it and then walked for a ways. I called it quits when I got to another crossroads. I don't mind wild goose chases in a car but up and down hills on foot is another matter especially since I wasn't sure that I was on the right track.

I got back to work and compared notes with my friend. I think that I got within a quarter mile of the place. I also exchanged emails with somebody who lives in the area and had been there several times.

So based on what they tell me and looking at Google Earth I think the coordinates are
35° 2'33.82"N
95° 3'58.64"W

You get there via a oilfield lease road to the east off of Hiway 82 within a mile south of the Haskell Latimer county line.

Proceed at your own risk! Again, this is just where I think it is based on conversations with ohers. I have not seen it myself. There are no public roads to the place and it is on private property. The lease road is in incredibly bad shape. The local guy also reminded me that the last two Latimer County Sheriffs are in prison for various offences.

Myself, I'm scheduled for another kitchen pass in July so I'm going to check it out again.

The local guy said that some investors from Texas were building the thing. I guess that they got Oklahoma confused with Colorado or something. He doesn't know who owns the land now.