2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA9

90th Anniversary Booklet/FINAL.qxp_90th Anniversary Booklet 12/6/20 2:05 PM Page 9

Les Salm, Lake Arrowhead Fire Chief, built the first
two rope tows in Southern California - one at Fish
Camp (now Snow Valley) in 1932, the other at Green
Valley Lake in 1937. Dennis Jones built a sled tow
on Beacon Hill in 1936. John " Jack " Northrop of
aeronautical fame, outfitted Fish Camp and McGee
Mountain near Mammoth with two uniquely-designed sling lifts. Johnny Ellis installed his Lake Mary
tow in 1938; and that same year, the Sierra Club
built the Signal Hill ski tow at Clair Tappaan Lodge.
By the end of the 1940-41 season, it was estimated that there were more ski lifts along Highway
40 than any other winter sports area in the United
States. And by 1941, the Eastern Sierra had twelve
lifts operating, stretching from Lone Pine in the
shadow of Mt. Whitney and continuing for 200
miles north to Conway Summit. Hans Georg and
Dave McCoy pioneered ski tows and ski instruction
in the McGee Creek and Mammoth area, with
McCoy building Mammoth Mountain's first chairlift in 1955.
California's first ski boom took place in the
1930s, led by dazzling winter carnivals and fan-favorite ski jumping meets. By the end of 1937, the
State Chamber of Commerce reported that many
new ski areas were being developed throughout the
state. Between 1938 and 1942 more than 40 ski tows
and lifts were constructed. A number of California's
iconic ski areas were developed at this time. Sugar
Bowl led the way with the construction of California's first chairlift in 1939. Lynn Newcomb built
California's second chairlift at Mount Waterman in
1942. John Elvrum purchased Snow Valley in 1941,
but development of his historic area would have to

1946-47
1946-47
1947
1947
1947
1947-48
1948
1948
1948-49
1948-49
1949
1949-50
1949
1950
1950-51
1952
1952-53
1953
1954

wait until after his service in the 10th Mountain Division.
The establishment of ski areas was progressing
rapidly, but came to standstill at the advent of World
War II. Any chairlifts or other ski area improvements were put off because steel and other resources
were needed for the war effort. But once the war
was over and life began to return to normal, skiing
resumed in earnest and eventually surpassed its prewar popularity. Skiers returned and so did the
growth of the sport. A number of factors played into
this growth: automobile travel (no gas rationing,
better roads, more car ownership), the Forest Service
cooperating with private developers on forest lands,
winter roads kept open and free of snow, and the
advent of the ski lift. Ski tows and lifts were a relatively new phenomenon in the 1930s, but were no
longer a novelty after the war. During the 1946-47
season, there were at least 67 tows and lifts operating
in California. Many of the ski area owners who returned from the war picked up where they left off.
And others returned to start new areas. The founding of alpine ski areas flourished. More than 15 ski
areas went into business between 1945 and 1950.
In Northern California, Donner Ski Ranch
and Sierra Ski Ranch were both developed during
the 1946-47 season. When Vic West and Gordon
Stangland returned from the war, they brought instructor Lutz Aynedter with them. They began
clearing slopes in 1947 and The Nebelhorn opened
on Hwy 50 at Echo Summit in 1948. (See page 10)
Wayne Poulsen and Alex Cushing opened Squaw
Valley in 1949-50, installing a massive 8,000-footlong double chair.

Ice Lakes Chalet* - Highway 50
Peddler Hill* - Highway 88
Glacier Lodge* - Big Pine
Granlibakken - Tahoe City
Mill Creek Ski Bowl* - Big Bear Lake
The Nebelhorn-Echo Summit* - Highway 50
Blue Jay* - San Bernardino Mountains
Strawberry Lodge* - Highway 50
Flagpole Mountain* - Highway 50
Bijou Park Ski-Way* - South Lake Tahoe
Lynn Lift* - Big Bear Lake
Squaw Valley - Highway 89
Forty Niner Ski Tow* - Highway 49
Holiday Hill-Mountain High East - Wrightwood
Dodge Ridge - Highway 108
Snow Summit - Big Bear Lake
Papoose* - Squaw Valley
Mammoth Mountain - Mammoth Lakes
Kratka Ridge* - Angeles Crest Highway

In Southern California, Blue Ridge installed
California's third chairlift in 1947. John Elvrum resumed his ownership of Snow Valley and installed
a single chair in 1949. Sepp Benedikter and John
Steinmann built a chairlift and opened Holiday Hill
in 1950. Kratka Ridge was developed by the San
Gorgonio Ski Club in 1950 and would endure for
more than 50 years until it succumbed to dry
winters and lack of snowmaking.
Sugar Bowl Resort holds the honor of
having constructed the first chairlift in
California which opened in December
of 1939. It was several weeks later
before there was enough snow to use it.

1955
Heavenly Valley - South Lake Tahoe
1955
Rebel Ridge* - Big Bear Lake
1955
Cisco Tunnel Mountain* - Highway 40/80
1956-57 Pla-Vada* - Highway 40/80
1957
Powder Bowl-Deer Park* - Highway 89
1957-58 China Peak - Highway 168
1958
Shasta Ski Bowl* - McCloud
1961-62 Alpine Meadows - Highway 89
1962-63 Tahoe Ski Bowl - Lake Tahoe West Shore
1964-65 Homewood - Lake Tahoe West Shore
1965
Boreal - Highway 80
1967-68 Mt. Reba-Bear Valley - Highway 4
1970-71 Silver Basin** - Highway 88
1971-72 Tahoe-Donner - Truckee
1972-73 Kirkwood - Highway 88
1972-73 Northstar - Highway 267
1977-78 Ski Sundown** - Highway 88
1983
Iron Mountain** - Highway 88
* Indicates lost ski area ** These three areas were in the same location

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

Index
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - Cover1
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - Cover2
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 1
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 2
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 3
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - Index
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 5
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 6
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 7
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 8
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 9
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 10
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 11
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 12
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 13
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 14
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 15
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 18
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 19
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 20
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 21
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 23
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 24
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 34
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 37
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 38
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 39
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 40
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSACover1
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSACover2
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA1
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA2
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA3
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA4
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA5
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA6
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA7
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA8
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA9
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA10
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA11
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA12
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA13
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA14
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA15
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA16
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA17
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA18
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA19
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA20
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA21
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA22
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA23
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA24
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA25
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA26
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA27
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA28
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA29
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA30
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA31
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA32
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA33
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA34
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA35
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA36
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA38
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA39
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA40
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA41
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA42
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA43
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA44
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA45
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA46
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA47
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA48
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA49
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA50
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA51
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA52
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA53
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA54
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA55
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA56
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA57
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA58
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA60
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA61
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA62
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA66
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA67
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA68
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA69
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA70
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA71
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA75
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSA76
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSACover3
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - FWSACover4
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 41
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 42
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 49
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 50
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2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 55
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 56
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - Cover3
2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - Cover4
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