18 replies to this topic

[hyak.net]

This is the first time I've actually seen pictures of the lift system used at the Snoqualmie Ski Bowl from 1938. This is much better then your average rope tow as I had first thought they used in the early years. Just thought I'd share.

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[iceberg210]

Yeah those were the days (fifty years before i was born)

Where exactly was Snoquime sky bowl ?

[vancouverguy]

Here. This is from Jack's site. The Snowqualmie Skibowl is in red.

[hyak.net]

The Snoqualmie Skibowl (later named Milwaukee Ski Bowl) was just south of the current Hyak Ski Area (called Summit East by Booth Creek), part of the Summit At Snoqualmie ski areas. Hyak utilizes the North/NW slopes (hidden valley on east site was once lift served by Hyak) of Mt Hyak and the Snoqualme Ski Bowl was on the South/SW slopes of the same peak. I hope this isn't too confusing...
The picture shown has the currently used terrain in green, hidden valley in yellow (no longer lift served, but talked about re-opening) and the old Snoqualmie Ski Bowl in red (lines are approximate).

[liftmech]

Part of the old Milwaukee (Snoqualmie) Ski Bowl was considered part of Hyak for years. It was the clearings you can see just to the left of the red boundary line from the current ski area, and was called Powder Bowl 1 and 2. My dad tried to get back in there a few years ago, and although the traverse in and out is still there, the clearings have begun to grow in and aren't really passable anymore. He said they were the secret patrol pow stash when he worked there in the late 60s and early 70s.

[iceberg210]

Would it be smart to reopen the red area once more or is it relativily flat and simply doesn't have the terrain?

[liftmech]

It's not flat, not at all. It actualy has some good steeps and trees. I wonder if it is no longer part of the permit area, or if Booth Creek has too much to do elsewhere? I know that Hyak has been embroiled in so many changes in the past twenty years that they just haven't had the time or energy.

[floridaskier]

Are the runs still cut enough or are they too overgrown to open back up without considerable effort?

[Bill]

Its overgrown and there is a house where one of the lift lines used to go. I will try to grab some pictures of the area this spring on one of my hikes.

[hyak.net]

I was told by a long time rider (Greg Craven) that he used to ski above the cliffs then cut through a chute and return down at the lower double tow (no longer there). He said the ski patrol used to bust them quite a bit too since they were not suppose to be skiing above the cliffs (out of bounds).

The Hyak Ski Corp sold off much of the land to the south of the Dinosaur chair for cabins, but the lower section is still used for x-country. (prior to 1970 there were no cabins on the slopes and all that land was ski runs. There were no trees there either)

The bowl facing south from the top of the mtn is now a spray field for the Snoqualmie Pass sewer system but I'm sure its still skiable in the winter. In the summer you will notice all the warning signs if you hike up saying it is a sewer spray field, or something like that.

I have aquired a nice overhead photo from around 1970 and you can see the trails much better since the trees had not yet grown in as they are today.... Its now been 53 years since the Milwaukee Ski Bowl shut down and trees grow quite a bit in that much time...

[Snoqualmie guy]

How is the back side? Is it still skiable or is it overgrown?

[liftmech]

It's been almost twenty years since I was back there, but if you go late season (prepared to hike out) I imagine the showpack should have smashed down the brush. Anyone know when Hyak quit operating chair 1?

[hyak.net]

 liftmech, on Apr 24 2007, 06:05 PM, said:

It's been almost twenty years since I was back there, but if you go late season (prepared to hike out) I imagine the showpack should have smashed down the brush. Anyone know when Hyak quit operating chair 1?

I believe the Dino last operated in 1988. Booth has X-Country trails crossing the backside which makes hiking out much easier and I've been down that side many times over the past 8 years. The trees are growing pretty fast, but the main trails are still easy enough to maneuver.

This photo was taken near the backside load area last year;

[JustJeepIt]

I hate seeing lifts idle and not being used in the winter :( Is it just too old or were there problems with it or what?

[SkiBachelor]

 JustJeepIt, on Jun 29 2007, 05:31 PM, said:

I hate seeing lifts idle and not being used in the winter :( Is it just too old or were there problems with it or what?

That's the Dinosaur lift at Hyak that had the rollback.

[liftmech]

That's not why it quit being used though- that happened in 1973 and if they quit operating in 1988 or so...

Nice shot of the overhead powerline protective frame near the top of the pic above.

[SkiBachelor]

It quit operation because the owners ran into financial trouble and decided to shut the lift down for some period of time. Then they went under and Booth Creek has never had the desire to fix it since the costs outweigh the benefit.

[Kicking Horse]

 JustJeepIt, on Jun 29 2007, 06:31 PM, said:

I hate seeing lifts idle and not being used in the winter :( Is it just too old or were there problems with it or what?

I hate to say this. But, I enjoy OLD lifts. Either running or not. Let them stand and rust away. What harm is it doing by just letting it stay and rusting away?

I think there would be more damage to the earth to remove the lift then to just let it stand.

[JustJeepIt]

 Kicking Horse, on Jul 1 2007, 09:42 PM, said:

I hate to say this. But, I enjoy OLD lifts. Either running or not. Let them stand and rust away. What harm is it doing by just letting it stay and rusting away?

I think there would be more damage to the earth to remove the lift then to just let it stand.

I have to disagree, once the old lift has been removed, you put a new one in its place, or plants trees where the old lift line used to be.