2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA5

Oregon
90th Anniversary Booklet/FINAL.qxp_90th Anniversary Booklet 12/6/20 2:05 PM Page 5

ABOVE: Prior to the early 1900s, the way to ascend a slope was to walk. That was
the way miners like these pictured above from 1906 had to travel if they desired to
get to higher elevations or to reach the mines. Can you just imagine the effort it
would take to load their mules to carry mining equipment or to merely carry their
longboards up the mountainside. Once on the slopes, it was much easier to put on
some " snowshoes, aka, longboards " to get to the nearest town for supplies. Then,
of course, they had to walk back up. Many of the miners wanted to add some
excitement to their off hours, so attached their longboards to their feet and
challenged each other to see who could get down the hills the quickest. Word got
out to the town folks how much fun it was to ride the slopes. But, those people had
to walk up the slopes to experience the fun. Clubs and organizations were forming
like the California Ski Association so they could gather with other like-minded
individuals. The rest - they say - is history! Read through these pages for the
highlights on the developement of the FWSA. Mammoth Area photo provided by Robin Morning

We've come a long way
since the early days of the 1930s
when the CSA was founded in terms
of ascending a slope. Image climbing
on board a Sled Tow, or an early rope
tow, a wooden framed single chair
lift or even a suspended bus?
Those were some of the available
options - but they were an
improvement over walking
up a slope which was common
at the turn of the 20th Century!
TOP RIGHT: Mt. Hood had a most unusual transportation system from the town
of Government Camp to Timberline Lodge in the early 1950s. It was a modified
bus that traveled along stationary cables suspended from towers similar to today's
gondola towers. The engine was inside the bus, not at any of the two terminals.
The ride was somewhat noisy. The Skiway tram operated only between 1951 and
1953. It couldn't compete against a ground bus that used an improved road to
Timberline and charged only 50 cents per ride, while the Skiway tram charged
75 cents - still a bargain by today's prices!!! More on skiing on Mt. Hood and
Oregon can be found on pages 58-61. photo provided by Emilio Trampuz
CENTER RIGHT: When Mammoth Mountain originally opened on November 25,
1955, people were lined up to board the rope tow. The Mammoth story begins
on page 48.

ABOVE: The first chairlift built in Utah - the Collins Chair, opened
at Alta Ski Area for the 1938-39 ski season. Rides were 25 cents and
a day pass cost $1.50 for a complete day of usage.  This photo was
taken about 1947. Mike Korologos describes Utah's Rich Skiing
History beginning on page 70.
Photo: University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections

FWSA 90th Anniversary Booklet / 1930 - 2020

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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide
