Does She Ski, Skid? Shush, I m Shur Sh
used!
The Swooping Thrills Of Alpine Sport
Has Captured West Coast Enthusiasts
yy' '''''''' r' ' '''"" --j j4L.
By Judith Wales
WHEN the hunting season is over and the
echoes of football have died away, the
West Const doesn't just sit and twiddle Its
thumbs. Instead, it waxes its skiis and takes to
the snowflelds. About the first of December be
gins the great caravan back into the mountains.
From the misty forests of the Northwest to the
sunny orchards of California, it moves along
Cars, special busses, snow trains, all bristling
with skiis like a Viking conquest, wind their waj
up grades nnd through heavily timbered avenuoi
into a land of enchantment. There, until the,
middle of May, and in some sections even into
July, the mountain slopes reverberate with the
gaiety nnd enthusiasm of thousands as the;
skim like bir;ls down the swift terrains, or floun
der on their backs in a hopeless but good nat
ure:! scrnmblo of their under-pinnings.
In the lodges, inns, and. cabins that nestle
among the trees, there is the clank of wood nnd
tho tramp of heavy shoes. At night, glowing
fires and the best of companionship multo plons
ant end of the healthily robust days. Ski clubs
have grown apace; have chartored courses and
provided them with instructors. The United
States Forest Service, in sympathy with the
wholesome pull toward the snowflelds, has
rallied like a big brother everywhere, and has
cleared terrains, modified hills, and scooped out
bowls that tho country may have its fun. It has
helped mako possible ski trips of several days,
by means of a net work of trails dotted with
snug, well provisioned cnbins where one may
bnsk before a fire and then fall away to tho
soundless slumber of the mountains.
Railroads and bus lines have plowed through
primitive areas seeking the best terrains, nnd
manufacturers, with their ears to the ground,
have learned to turn out equipment that a few
years ago could be had nowhere this side of
Europe. The most discriminating may now go
forth nttired in tho smnYtcst of toggery, with a
local trade mnrk. Rusiness is thankful for skiing,
for statistics inform us that it docs more for
tho money coffers than oven golf, which has long
been the fair haired child.
A Nil all this in a very fow years. For we can
rcmomber a llttlo while back when young
sters whittled out some crude boards, daubed
them with bee's wax filched from their mother's
pantries and disported themselves on the hills
back of town. Now and then some grown up
lover of tho out of doors would dare to join
them, but for the most pnrt tho mature remained
below to bnlnnce their bank books. A pair of
skiis strapped to tho running board of a enr was
as wllil and curious a sight as a fresh slain bear
brought in by some intrepid hunter. So the snow
fields were left largely to reckless youngsters
and tho Laplanders.
It was n littlo more than a dozen years ago
that the first pair of skiis mado their slender
and hesitant tracks on Mt. lininier, In western
Washington, but a few hours from both Tacoma
and Settle. Hut so fast has tho sport taken hold
and developed that last winter from Seattle
alono five contestants, two men nnd three wom
en, products of the slopes of that majestic old
mountain, were sent to the XI Olympic Winter
Games at Garmisch-rartcnkirchen, Germany, in
the Itavarian Alps. There, in the most thrilling
experience of their lives, in the midst of superb
winter pageantry, they competed with the best
In the world. And we are told by one who ob
served them, that they compared well with
Europeans who have been racing down mountain
slopes almost since they could stand on their
two legs.
Each year In January cruises go out from the
East coast, cross the ocean, and trek up into the
Austrian Tyrol that lovers of the sport may en-
(Above) Executing a turn at high speed
on the slopes of Mt. Baker, Washington.
(Below) For sheer beauty of sport noth
ing excells the sight of one who takes off
from the lip of a hill and soars to a poised
landing in a shower of blinding snow. Has
Gragc in a jump at Mt. Rainier.
Joy swooping down those slippery peaks. There,
at Sankt Anton, they may attend the famous
school of Horr Hannes Schneider, said to be tho
most expert skiing Instructor in the world, and
prideful of the reputation that no one has ever
been hurt in his classes. There, with other de
votees of the snowflelds, from every nation, they
tour through superbly picturesque country and
live at quaint villages, where even the help at
the inns, and stocky blacksmiths fly down the
slopes like winged Mercuries.
Londoners brave the dreaded winter Channel
crossing nnd the long trip through France with
its poor accommodations, just for a few exhil
arating rides down the Alps. Africa, Australia,
New Zealand, all profess a growing devotion to
tho terrains. And Japan, known as the land of
cherry blossoms, has turned with enthusiasm to
the snow.
Why then, all this fervor for skiing? Is it just
a fad of tho moment? So we hied ourselves
around to Bee.
IF THERE is anything a skier likes to talk
about, it is skiing. Ask any of those, man or
woman, who have over flown like magic down
tho slopes of a mountain side and they will tell
you it is the king of sports. It is strange how
that intimacy with tho lofty mysteries sets them
apart with an air of confidence and poise. Their
faces will light up as they ascend the imaginary
heights again. They will forget the dull accounts
they nro pouring ovor, tho knotty brief they are
wrestling with, and the irate customer waiting
outside. They will take you along snowy ter
rains into a world of clean white beauty and in
toxicnting freshness. They will make you leel
tho exhilaration and wonder of it as they skim
along like a bird exulting In the skill of the
human body.
Skiing, all agree, is an amateur sport in the
strictest sense of the word. Those who take to :t
do so for the pure pleasure it gives. And even
though there is spectacular performance that de
lights great throngs, C-.e greatest delight still
remains with tho performer and his achieve
ment. For that reason, the sportsmanship runs
high, and an Indefinable quality of friendship
distinguishes those groups which for a common
lovo of the snow have been brought together.
Around their great fires at night there is good
talk. There are tips on trails and things to do;
there Is an exchange of wax and help with a
stubborn binding as men and women mix in
wholesome comaraderie. No more friendly
sportsmen ever lived than those who have taken
the mountain tops for their province.
Even the most expert, unjealous of his love,
will tell you that anyone who wants to can have
fun on skiis. It takes some confidence, physical
balance, and a sense of humor which helps to
unscramble our under-pinnings when we get the
spills that are sure to come. And no quibbling
at the climb back up which tests heart and lungs,
for skiing is a down hill sport. Then one learns
to stand, and, what Ismore Important, to stop,
in case a mountain or something gets in the
way. Next, he may learn to turn and climb.
, 1
M n ft hii
f 'xuk& ..r
After that he understands why the world' has
taken to its upper slopes.
BUT, of course, to become highly skilful, takes
many years of arduous practice, and a'
knowledge of snow craft and mountaineering,
for the wise take no chances. Not until then may
one hope to whizz down the long terrains at 60
miles an hour and swerve away from the tree
or boulder that suddenly rises up to confront
him; or run the dizzy, zigzag down hill Slalom
race; or to let loose and sail over the crest of a
hill. For jumping is the most dangerous nnd
spectacular of all skiing. In the sheer beauty of
sport, nothing excels the sight of one who takes
off from the lip of a hill and soars through the
air with exquisite poise and lands 160 feet be
yond in a shower of scudding snow. The longest
jumps go close to 200 feet, although there are
a few records of more than 250. The United
States nnd Norway are given almost the entire
credit of developing the jump.
According to those who know, skiis should be
long enough to touch the cup of the hand held
straight overhead. The best are of hickory, liht
and toujh, although other woods are used. Re
cently it has been discovered that plywood, a
product of the Northwest, Is extremely satisfac
tory. Then, a pair of light poles, a quantity of
wax (always wnx) and one is ready to be off
to the most refreshing and rejuvenating sport
he has ever known, where he may even wrestle
with a blizzard and have no fear.
SKIiNG Is ns old as the hills themselves. As
far back ns 3C00 years ago, Xcnophon,
famed Greek historian, wrote of a trip to Asia
Minor where he saw horres trottirg e.mily over
soft snow by me.-.ns of light disks attached to
their hoofs. And Procopins, Byzantine chronicler,
told tales of strange people far to the North,
named "Skrid-Kinnnr", or "sliders". No doubt,
long before the Christian era, skiis were the
main means of transportation for the Finns rnd
Laps, and there is the story of an early Swe iish
king who used them to flee his country when in
danger. England has been "shoeing," as It is
called there, for more than 300 years, and as a
result of the move recent populrr'ty, has one of
the larg.-st ski clubs in the world.
Wherever snow conditions have made ordin
ary transportation impossible, the slick woods
have been put into use. Hunters, trappers, mail
carriers, explorers, nnd armies have found them
indispensable. In Russia there is a record of a
march made by troops from Finland In full
marching oruer, and in only 29 days. As early s
1710. Norway and Sweden equipped their armed
forces with them, and in 1!02 France and Italy
put their first soldiers aboard them, high in the
Alps. They were a definite part of the Amundsen
and Pyrd expeditions, and recently, when the
National Geographic Society sent a group to ex
plore and map the rugged mountains of the
Yukon, it was accomplished largely on skiis. In
all the Scandinavian countries, parts of Canada
and the United States, and even across the high
Andes between Chile and Argentine, mails skim
over the snows by means of swift runners,
usually Norwegian.
But it seems that man does not always know
A sweeping view of one of the long open
fields for which Mt. Hood in Oregon is
noted.
llllilll
when he Is having fun, for it was not until the
winter of 1860, in Telemark, Norway, that skiing
was first taken up as a sport. And not until so
recent as 1883 was the first pair taken into
Switzerland. Those were a gift to a monk in a
high Alpine monastery. Being a wise monk, he
learned to use them well, as did others of that
monastery, and from that modest beginning did
Switzerland grow to be one of the most famous
skiing centers in the world.
IN THE United States it did not begin to take
any hold until 1910, and it was long after that
before it had any general following, through the
East and the New England states, little knots of
true sportsmen paid it homage. It came to the
Pacific Coast slowly, for it is hard to connect
winter snorts with a land where the whole year
round there are flowering orchards, sunshine,
feathery mists, and dripping ferns. So it was
well into the 1920's before a few enthusiasts
began trying the "hickory slabs." Others fol
lowed exhuberantly. Winter seasons in the
mountains began to grow. Boarded up inns nnd
lodges opened again, brushed down the cob webs,
and restocked. Stacks of wood began to be piled
around summer coftages, and a sack of potatoes
left In the kitchen for later use. Roads have been
built in, and trains have changed their schedules.
Now, in all accessible snow regions of the
Coast, the winter season exceeds that of the
summer. Christmas and New Year with snow
on the window sills and icicles hanging from
the eaves bring joy to countless thousands who
annually look forward to that respite from
hectic life. Business men toil into the back coun
try to wrcstie with the majesty ol the elements,
and come down refreshed. Whole families bur
row into snow submerged cabirs to enjoy the
peace and relaxation the winter stillness give3.
Because of the loftiness of the penks and the
nearness to the ocean, the precipitation along
the Coast is heavy, thereby making a deep and
lasting snow. This is particularly true of the
Northwest where on Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker
it reaches an average tiopth of 18 to 21 feet.
Switzerland itself can boast of only 7. And the
Padfh slope is blest with a season as long as
r-ny in the world. For in some sections it begins
ns early as the last of November or first of
December. For several months then, one can
lock forward to the belo-.ed "powder," that fine,
dry snowthnt is the hope and joy of every de
votee of the sport. A hard crust, and a fow
inches of fresh fall on top that is all one could
nsk for a glorious day of living.
Then In March and April comes the spring
season, when the more skilful don their sun suits
and a protective cream and mount to the higher
levels. With every wefk-end they go up and ap
until, in May and June nnd even into July,
bronzed bodies race about like elfs in the vast
expanses that lie between glaciers as high as
11.000 feet. Spring skiing is one of the most
thrilling experiences of the sport. For when the
avcrago man is digging fishing worms, winding
up his pitching arm, or oiling his golf clubs, the
ski convert lifts his eyes and considers the
mountains. With new supply of wax and the
faithful old bindings he will rise at 3 a. m. and
ride forth into the rapturous dawn of birds in)
blossoming orchards. Then he will ascend far no
into the freshness of the snow slopes, and there
in an earthly paradise, unused save by a ;e
mortals, he will fly along the slopes like the
gods themselves. And return to his task re
freshed in body and spirit.
If it is Coast skiing one wants, he may take
his choice. Beginning at the South, way down in
lower California, there is Old Baldy which rears
up above the orange groves and entices pleasure
seekers to its friendly sides all winter. Made
readily accessible now, too. At famous Yosemite
National Park, which is said by discriminating
Europeans to compare favorably with the Alps,
up until as late as the season lasts, there is an
elaborate program, with efficient instruction.
Everything in convenience and accommodations
may be had, including an Up-Ski lift on one of
its runs which saves legs and lungs.
THE lover of the big trees may go to Sequoia
National Park, setting of the famous mov
ing picture "Sequoia." There, in a cottage racked
in a snow drift, and with a pair of swift run
ners, one may live like a Viking. Mt. Shasta, to
the north, prideful of her 14,000 feet, spreads
out swift and sporty terrains, and fosters tall
tales of wild experiences down her slopes of Ion
glaciers and yawning crevasses. Mystical Mt
Lassen stretches out gentle inclines that last
out the day and stamina for one who runs them.
And to her north, one may find the tearing Ha
zard he has been longing for. In the Tahoe coun
try, toward the east, any week-end will find the
hill sides alive with gaiety.
Up the coast to Oregon, and there is lovely
Mt. Hood, only one hour from Portland. Ung,
swift terrains of several miles, jumping hills,
and Ski-Bowl, good for much hilarity. Last June,
the Cascade Ski Club dared to stage the first
mid summer ski tournament in the United
States, along with the Portland Rose FesUval
In Washington, all winter activities center A
Mt. Rainier, that majestic 14,000-foot peak be
loved by the Indians as "The Mountain That
Was God." It was there skiing history was made
in the Northwest, and there on every weekend
gather thousands to enjoy its Alpine-li.e ter
rains and its festivities. The best jumping i B
Washington is at Snoqualmie Pass, close to
Seattle and Tacoma, and to the east of the st"
are Cle Elum, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, the i Dig
apple country, where a delightful net wort o
week-end trips is always in the main
Wenatchee, one may go up into the hilU
airplane to which have been attached
once atop, he may slide down again all tne J
to the airport. Yes, that is really true. Farther
to the north Mt. Baker, as yet mM7
plored, with her sweeping sides and WIS
beauty, invites those who want the w0"
to themselves. Also, to cheer hearts and leg
Ski-Esculator will tote you up and depose J
at the summit all fresh for another
It was in the picturesque setting of ML
that "The Call of the Wild" was filmed.
And we could go on and on, for B '
veloped the boundless enthusiasm of tM 1 1
able skier, that thing which causes
slopes of the whole world to verberKe
wholesome happiness omni
winter. But the reason for it all is
up by the remark of one who has n
of the best courses of Europe and he
applause of the throngs When '
right in the eye and said, rt hfJi-
most about it?" he, witnoui inr ,
tancy. and with that expression of in"
who
nswered b "
get to the higher levels, ans
rightly,
"After all. when the contests are o"
whf
the trophies are hung up, the Krf'1'e. ' hMi.
of skiing is simply touring through tw
ment of the mountains; to "P"" .,. to
esty, the awe, the tenderness of their
stretch the soul In their quiet """ t
exult in the invigorating air and exerc
alone is enough."