This clippings file contains items from the following sources as
well as miscellaneous items found elsewhere.
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Library
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Name
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Source
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EvtPL
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Everett Public Library
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Clippings file: Skis and Skiing, Pacific NW
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OC-GWM
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Martin, George W.
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Clippings file: Olympic National Park
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PAPL
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Port Angeles Public Library
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Clippings file: Northwest, Mountains, Olympics
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PAPL
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Port Angeles Public Library
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Clippings file: Northwest, National Parks, Olympic
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PAPL
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Port Angeles Public Library
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Clippings file: Northwest, Skiing
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According to one economic survey, Seattle has the highest per
capita participation in skiing of any major urban area in the
United States. Attendance at Puget Sound ski areas in 1963 was
estimated at 620,000 and this year is expected to be 800,000.
Overall, attendance is growing at a rate of about 11 percent a
year. Mrs. Webb Moffett says, "Stretch pants gave skiing more
impetus than the Olympic Games." Says Jim Whittaker, "There is,
unfortunately, a little of this status symbol in skiing out here.
But not much." Olav Ulland, who has been in the ski equipment
business for 24 years, observes, "Nobody wants to walk anywhere
anymore." Bill Tanler writes, "More lifts and related ski
facilities have opened in the past three winters than were
constructed in the preceding quarter century." At Snoqualmie
Summit, the Moffetts have added a swing shift from 2 to 10 pm.
In the past, they used to shut down between 4:30 and 7 pm, then
reopen for night skiing.
An ad on page 5 says that Jim Whittaker and Ron Niccoli are
running the Snowcrest Ski School at Hyak.
In 1929, according to this article, Donald Thomas, Bartow Fite,
Cecil Willis and Maurice Vining built the first cabin at
Snoqualmie Pass. "In those dim and distant days [early 1930s],
only a few such as Hans Otto Giese knew how to ski; the rest
simply put on the boards, climbed as high as their wind allowed,
and came straight down the mountain. Ben Thompson, then winter
manager at Paradise, took pity on some, and introduced them to
the intricacies of the telemark, a turn that for some years was a
badge of distinction."
Charles Hurley, an early Paradise skier, claims to have been
unable to purchase wax in 1930 and made his own from phonograph
records, grease from logging equipment, and beeswax. Volney
Richmond, hearing of a new aid to climbers, visited the Seattle
Fur Exchange and secured from Michael Dederer the skin of a hair
seal, from which a taxidermist fashioned "the first climbing
skins of the Northwest." Canvas socks were also frequently used.
Clothes were often a pair of tin pants and hiking boots, with sox
always on the outside.
"The most famous era in Northwest skiing will forever remain
that of the buried cabin years, from 1932 through 1942" at
Paradise. Summer cottages, buried under 20 feet of snow, had no
light or air and, being heated by tin stoves, were always in
danger of burning to the ground along with the occupants.
"Youngsters today look askance at any climbing, and proper
clothes have become a must, with nary a sock ever showing. But
old timers still feel that today's skier will never experience
the thrill of climbing to Muir on a brilliant morning, gaining a
magnificent run, fully earned by one's own effort."
"Skiing operators who are more than a tankful of gasoline away
from major population centers are concerned that the ban on
Sunday gasoline sales will affect their businesses." Ski areas
closer to the Seattle-Tacoma area could actually benefit. "Webb
Moffett, operator of the Snoqualmie Summit skiing area, said that
is what happened during World War II gasoline rationing."
Snoqualmie had one of its best years during the war because
skiers were constrained from driving to more distant areas. Ski
area managers are lobbying Congress for favorable consideration
are discussing ways to create more car pools or encourage more
use of busses. Some ski areas are beginning voluntary cutbacks
on energy use, for example by cutting night skiing part of the
week.
This stock offering circular is to finance construction of Phase
I of the Crystal Mtn ski area. On the cover is a photo of Dave
Newton (who lent me the circular) skiing untouched powder from
Iceberg Ridge toward Green Valley. According to the Forward, the
U.S. Army trained mountain troops in the vicinity of Crystal
Mountain. Tacoma skiers became interested in the general region
in 1949. After several years of active consideration of the
area, Crystal Mtn, Inc. was formed in 1955. In July 1958, the
Forest Service called for proposals to build a ski area and the
corporation filed its proposal on September 15, 1958. A permit
has been issued to the corporation, requiring that it raise
sufficient capital and that an adequate road be built into the
area.
The circular describes the Phase I facilities and future
plans. It includes fine aerial photos of the ski area site from
several directions. The company officers are listed: Joseph E.
Gandy, President; Donald H. Amick, V.P.; Leo Gallagher, V.P.;
John Graham, V.P.; Francis A. LeSourd, Secretary; Melvin
Borgersen, Treasurer; and nine directors:
William M. Black,
Walter Little,
Dr. John E. Lucas,
Dr. J. Tate Mason,
James I. Metcalf,
John W. Mulhollan,
Dr. Warren Spickard,
Tedrowe Watkins,
R. Duke Watson.
The article describes Crystal Mountain as a "new all-weather resort" that
served over 135,000 skiers the previous winter. The article describes the
local efforts to establish the ski area, which raised over $850,000 from 750
stockholders, with 70% of them contributing no more than $1000 each. The
largest shareholder was in for only $15,000. Much of the work in clearing,
grooming and trail building was done by stockholders on a voluntary basis.
The ski area lost money during its first season in 1962, due to a poor snow
year. Crystal offered full-scale summer operation for the first time in
1965, when more than 60,000 visitors were served. (Clipping from Everett
Public Library. Photos by Bob and Ira Spring.)
Twenty years after Michigan-based Boyne Resorts bought Crystal Mountain ski
area from a group of 850 shareholders, John Kircher, area manager and son of
Boyne's founder, purchased the ski area from Boyne in late March 2017.
The writer argues that expansion of skiing at Hurricane Ridge is
a chicken-and-egg problem. Olympic Park superintendent Oscar A.
Sedergren said, "We could not possibly allow large expansion
until we're convinced the skiers will come." Sedergren indicated
that permission to add a chair or pomalift would be considered,
but only when there is enough demand from skiers. Currently the
slopes' concessionaire is required to remove the few poles used
for rope tows at the end of the skiing season.
"No successful ski area in the world is reversed like Hurricane
Ridge," says Larry Winters, who installed rope tows at the area
when it opened in the 1950s. Advanced skiers must take rope tows
from the Hurricane Ridge parking lot, on the south side of the
ridge, to the crest and ski down the opposite side where a
pomalift operates. Winters proposes developing a ski area on the
north side of the ridge, in Little River bowl, with a new
six-mile approach road from the north. Last fall, Winters, with
Dorothy Munkeby and Gus Haley of the Port Angeles Chamber of
Commerce; Stan Knapp, Olympic Conservation Council; Mr. and Mrs.
Avon Miller, Olympic Ski Lifts; rangers Jack Hughes and Jack
Rockwell, and two ski enthusiasts hiked in to inspect the area.
The Little River basin has been excerpted from wilderness
consideration in the Olympic National Park proposed master plan
"to leave open long range options for developing an alternate
transportation system to Hurricane Ridge." According to park
superintendent Roger Allin, a ski area in the basin is a
possibility, but the major stumbling block would be construction
of a road up to the area. Allin said a possible alternative
would be a gondola linking Heart o' the Hills, a Little River ski
area, and Hurricane Ridge.
This ad appears in the Seattle P-I on February 2. It announces
the "First ski tournament ever held in the Northwest," at Scenic
Hot Springs on Sunday, February 4, 1917. Five "handsome prizes"
will be contested for, with special contests for women. Twenty
skiing experts from Victoria, Vancouver, Tacoma and Seattle have
entered "to make this the greatest midwinter sporting event ever
held in the West." The Great Northern Railway is offering a
special $2.80 round trip rate. J.V. Prosser of Scenic can be
wired for more information. The ad includes a picture of a
skier.
The article appears next to an ad for the tourney, to be held
under the auspices of the Norwegian newspaper "Vestkysten."
Reidar Gjolme of the Pacific Norwegian-American line is receiving
entries from contestants. Silver cups will be awarded to the
winners. The article lists the entrants so far, including
Thor Bisgaard and eighteen other Norwegian sounding names.
Jumps of from eighty to 100 feet are expected, "although some of
the men who will compete have had many seasons pass their heads
since they essayed the flight through the air on skis." Among the
entrants are Ragnvald Flagstad and Olaf Pedersen, "who took part
in the exhibition of ski leaping at Seattle during the big snow
last winter"
(see lds-1916-big-snow),
and three young Norwegians recently arrived from Bergen Norway.
This article list nineteen competitors.
The trophies will be presented by Thomas Kalderup, Norwegian
consul. (In a 3/8/2010 email, Christine Anderson of the Sons of
Norway said that this should be Thomas Kolderup.) The article
lists nineteen entrants who will "don the skis at noon today and
whiz down the long incline to the take-off and soar into the air
in an effort to demonstrate that they have not lost their
old-time skill." Both the Times and P-I announce on page 1 that
President Woodrow Wilson has broken off relations with Germany.
The P-I headline blares, "WAR IS IN BALANCE."
Reider Gjolme of Seattle won the February 4 tournament at Scenic
with jumps of 70, 76 and 72 feet. Second prize went to Birger
Normann of Tacoma with jumps of 44, 34, and 32 feet. Soft snow
hampered the skiers and Normann was the only jumper to stand up
after his leaps. Third went to O.P. Sather of Tacoma with jumps
of 60, 68 and 76 feet. "The feature of the tournament was the
performance of Olga Bolstad, a small woman who cleaned up the
prizes in the women's events and was awarded honorable mention in
the men's events with an average of thirty-six feet." There were
nineteen contestants.
"The sum total of the accidents was one sprained ankle." The
record jump was 78 feet. Seattle photographer Frank A. Jacobs
took motion pictures of the tournament.
This half-page pictorial includes four photos of the Scenic ski
tournament by Frank Jacobs. They depict a jumper in flight,
another leaving the take-off, young Grethe Christensen on skis,
and a general view of the ski hill, with the takeoff on a cleared
slope surrounded by large trees.
An unpublished 1947 report of an informal survey of Olympic
National Park recommended against both Hurricane Ridge and the
now-closed Deer Park area for downhill skiing development. The
report recommended Seven Lakes Basin instead, although it
acknowledged many drawbacks, including poor weather and access.
Hurricane Ridge was developed in spite of the report, on the
basis of local considerations. This article has a photo of Heart
Lake Basin with Mt Olympus in the background. The article is the
first of two parts. The remainder of this article and the sequel
(Sun 1/2/61, "Park Sees Potential for Hurricane Ridge, Drawbacks
to Seven Lakes") mainly rehash material in earlier Sun articles
(see onp-hart-lake-dev).
At Congressional hearings on the state's pending wilderness bill,
Phil and Steve Mahre, members of the U.S. Olympic ski team, urged
Washington's senators to redraw the boundaries of the Goat Rocks
wilderness area to allow the White Pass ski area to expand. The
Mahre twins' father manages the ski area. Rep. Sid Morrison,
R-Yakima, had previously proposed this change, but it was
vehemently opposed by environmental groups.
In 1984, Congress designated that an 800-acre slice of the Goat
Rocks Wilderness by studied for "possible development" as a ski
area. Last summer, the U.S. Forest Service gave preliminary
approval to the White Pass Ski Company's plans to expand alpine
ski operations into that area. The Forest Service decision
"suggests that the tens of millions of acres currently under the
[Wilderness Act's] protection nationwide may not be as insulated
from economics as was once thought." Ray Paolella, a Yakima
attorney who objects to the wilderness development, says, "This
is the first time in the history of the act that land was taken
out for private, commercial interests." The company's master
plan, amended after 1984, shows numerous ski runs and lifts
extending into the wilderness area adjacent to the 800-acre
parcel. Karen Fant, executive director of the Washington
Wilderness Coalition, says that conservationists had to accept
the Goat Rocks removal to obtain support of Rep. Sid Morrison
for inclusion of the Cougar Lakes area in the 1984 Washington
Wilderness act.
U.S. Forest Service officials denied all appeals to the proposed
expansion of the White Pass Ski Area. The proposal would nearly
double the ski area's size by expanding southwest into the
Hogback Basin. This area was removed from the Goat Rocks
Wilderness Area by the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act. Opponents
of the plan are likely to try to stop the project in the courts.
A federal judge ruled on September 10, 2008 that the White Pass ski resort
can expand into the Hogback Basin, an area popular with backcountry skiers.
The expansion project is expected to begin in April 2009 and last about two
years.