History

Back in the winter or 1937-38, Stevens Pass was started by two young men from Seattle, Don Adams and Bruce Kehr, both passionate skiers. With a permit from the U.S. Forest Service in hand, they cleared some big trees on Big Chief Mountain and built the area's first rope tow. An old Ford V-8 engine, assorted wheels and shafts and some sturdy rope they purchased for $600 were used to construct this fancy contraption that pulled skiers up the hill.

Their start was slow since the area, at that time, was not fully accessible in the wintertime. The road was closed at Scenic on the West side. Perseverant skiers either hiked six miles to the area or bought an eighteen cent, one-way rail ticket for passage through Cascade Tunnel on the Great Northern Passenger Train. From there, they were transported to the area on an old school bus. That first season, each ride on the tow was five cents and the partners gross ticket sales were just $88.

To read more, visit the Stevens Pass website.