Andy Wertheim: More On The History Of Alpine Meadows

Hello Skiers and Riders,

Skiing today was a carbon copy of yesterday. Sunny with a little breeze on top and smooth groomed runs on Alpine and Wolverine (cut thin by a race course), D8, and Sunspot.

Yesterday I received a number of comments that included some reader’s recollections of historical data related to Alpine Meadows.  It was great hearing from all of you.  This morning my group of long time Alpine Meadows skiers had the privilege or skiing with Larry Haywood who filled in a few blanks with regard to background of runs at the ski area.  Below is a recap, to the best of my memory, of his interpretation of the historical data as well as some of your comments.

D8: This run was named after a Caterpillar Bulldozer (D8 model) that was being driven by Lowell Northrop (we think) when he was building a road across D8 for the purpose of construction the original Summit Chair Lift.  While building the road the machine lost traction and flipped over on the steep slope now known as D8.

D7 and D6: were other models of Caterpillar Bulldozers, thus the adjoining chute names.

Peter’s Peril: Named after Peter Klaussen, long time resident of Squaw Valley, and instrumental in the layout of Alpine Meadows Ski Area and the first general manager of Alpine.

Alpine Meadows: Alpine Meadows Ski Area was named by the wives of some of the original investors in Alpine who were surveying the mountain for development.  The wives were picking wildflowers when they came up with the name.

Art’s Knob: This was named after a member of the Alpine patrol.  Art Johnston.

Foster’s Folly: This is the ridge line along the east side of Gentian Gully near Broccoli Tree where a good size cornice broke that injured Bill Foster (an Alpine patrolman doing AC work).

Gentian Gully: Obviously named after the flower that blooms in this area in the fall.

Butcher Block Rock: Someone thought it looked like a Butcher Block (not sure who).

Deer Camp: This was named after a Deer Camp where Howard Carnell, as young boy living on the Westshore of Tahoe spent time hunting with his father.  Howard Carnell later became the general manager of Alpine Meadows Ski Resort.

Lower Saddle: This was called Ward Bowl at one time before being renamed Lower Saddle.

Roundhouse: We believe the lift was named after a proposed restaurant to be built at the top of the lift that would have been named Roundhouse (similar to a restaurant in Sun Valley).

Kangaroo: A number of years ago skiers skied through the gully between the Kangaroo Lift and Kangaroo Ridge and jumped off the lip heading toward the Summit Chair.  It was called the Kangaroo jump.  People do not do this anymore and it is often roped off.  The lift was named after the jump.

Red, Green, Yellow, Blue Trails: These trails now called Werner’s Shuss, Charity, and Dance Floor, and Yellow were named after the colors of the surveyor’s ribbon used to survey the trails when Luggi Foeger helped lay them out.  Luggi ran the original Alpine Meadows Ski School.

Bernie’s Bowl: This was named after Bernie Kingery who was the mountain manager in 1982 when he was killed in the huge avalanche of that year.

Ward Peak: It is believed that Ward Peak was named after John Ward who was a silver miner in the area or Ward Rush who homesteaded 160 acres in the area in 1874.

Scott Peak: Scott Peak was named after the Scott Family who ran a dairy operation in Squaw Valley in 1880.  They also owned the Deer Park Springs Inn in Alpine Meadows.

Weasel Run and the original Weasel Chair: See comment below by a reader of Unofficial Alpine indicating it was named after an over the snow vehicle (see more below).

Reilly’s Run: This was named after John Reily who might be called the original developer of the Alpine Meadows Ski Area.  John Reily gathered the original investor needed to build the Alpine Meadows Ski Area and later attempted to expand with the development of property and ski lifts on the backside of Alpine Meadows (Alpine Peaks where the Sherwood Chair exists today).

Bobby’s Run: We think this was named after Bob Everson who was marketing director of Alpine Meadows in 1981 before he was killed in a boating accident.  He was the person who suggested Snowfest which continues to this day.

Poma Rocks: This is area above Kangaroo Chair that must have been named after the old Poma Lift that existed before it was replaced with the existing chairlift.

Hanging Tree: Not shown on the official maps.  This is a tree on the bottom of the ridge between Beaver and Estelle Bowl where a patrolman kicked off a slide that left the slope a sheet of ice.  As he realized he was going to take the big ride down an icy slope he reached out and grabbed the tree trunk and hung there saving himself.  Thus, the name Hanging Tree.

Howard’s Hollow: This is where the upper terrain park is located and it was named after Howard Carnell.  Perhaps this is where he camped when hunting with his father before Alpine Meadows Ski Resort existed.

In case you do not read my reports on the Unofficial Alpine website, I am reprinting the following comments relating to the history of Alpine made by readers.  I find these fascinating.

1-In recent history, I remember the ramshackle houses that used to exist across the river from the River Ranch. This was in the 70’s before they built the condos that are now there. Randy Sharp and Bob Stokes had a blacksmith and lamp manufacturing business in one of the buildings and they kept horses in that location also. I think they even had a sleigh. There was a small pond and tennis courts and the location was one of the local hangouts; it was known as “Rat Ridge”. That’s where I first met Dick Tash – who was a singer in a pickup band that used to play impromptu concerts on the porch of one of the houses.. I am not sure of the year when the houses and the shops were torn down for the condos – maybe 1979 or so. By: DrX

2-Weasel was named after the military halftrack/halfski vehicle used to take early skiers/investors up the hill. It is buried under the lawn in front of the breezeway. The runs of the rainbow mentioned above were named after the color of the surveyors tape used to mark the trails for cutting. Part of the comment by 13dc relating to the history of Alpine.

3-Thank you Old Goat for confirming the D8 story.

4-Purecarver suggested reading Eddy Ancinas’s Book the history of Squaw and Alpine that has a lot of good information on both.

More to come.  Keep the comments coming.

Enjoy your day.

Andy Wertheim

Edit: In double-checking some of the questions posted over the last couple of days, I ran across this little gem of a site: MountainMinds.net Does anybody know who’s that is? – Mark