MANY YEARS AGO...

On August 19, 1885, early German immigrants in the Seattle area formed a physical fitness club called the Seattle Turn Verein. It was created as a social, educational and gymnastics club which had indoor gymnastics as a core activity. The group purchased and owned property in Seattle which they used for their club.

During World War I, there were strong feelings against German related groups. So on July 15, 1918, the club was reorganized and incorporated under Sections 3740-3751, Remington's Revised Statutes, in the State of Washington, as the "Seattle Gymnastics Society". In the late 1920's, younger members of the club began skiing in the Cascade mountains.

Read the stories...
Our German Origins in the Turn Verein
Early Members
Early Skiing
The Original Lodge of the 1930s
Party On
Early Ski Tows
Early Lodges - Snoqualmie Pass
Original Members of the 1930s
Washington Alpine
Original Members of the 1940s
Silver Skis Races on Mt. Rainier
The Railroads
The Railroads Part II
Snow
The Ski Troops of WWII
...all by Dave Galvin

 

SKIING THE HARD WAY

Skiing in the mountains then was an arduous adventure. Members mostly got to the vicinity of Snoqualmie Pass by train. If they drove, they often could only get as far as the now-named Denny Creek area because the cross-state highway was not open in winter months. Over hand-made wooden skis, "skins" were slipped on, which allowed for walking and climbing. Food and water were backpacked, and skiers climbed all day to reach the top of what we now call Summit West. Often the climb was in waist-deep snow. At the top, they would take off the "skins" and make one run down the mountain in untracked snow.

THE ORIGINAL LODGE

In 1931 Turn Verein/Gymnastics members constructed a ski lodge on land purchased from the railroad at the edge of Commonwealth Creek on the north side of Snoqualmie Pass. They called themselves Commonwealth Ski Club. The new lodge served as the focal point for a vibrant social as well as athletic club as interest in skiing took off in the 1930s. Cross-country ski trips were made from the lodge and members began to learn downhill skiing technique. Tournaments were held with fellow skiers from the Mountaineeers, Seattle Ski Club and Washington Alpine Club.

A NEW NAME

In 1936 the club decided to change its name. Member Merle Throssell Patchell suggested the name "Sahalie" which is a Chinook Indian word meaning "high places." The group liked it and changed its name to Sahalie Ski Club. Soon after, the club adopted an emblem which was designed by Merle, showing Snoqualmie Mountain and Guye Peak from the perspective of the club’s lodge. The name and the emblem continue to be used to this day.

The club was incorporated in the State of Washington as a non-profit corporation under the name Sahalie Ski Club, Inc. with the stated objective "to encourage skiing and enjoyment of the outdoors by all of its members, and to promote good fellowship."

DISASTER AT THELODGE

The first lodge served the ski club well. By the early 1940s it even had a full-time "keeper" who lived on site. During World War II the club initiated a “service skier program,” hosting servicemen at the ski lodge for a few days off away from the war. Then on April 16, 1943, disaster struck. The lodge burned to the ground. By then the lodge was well known and pictures of the burning lodge were published on the front page of the Seattle Times and inside the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

A TIME FOR REBUILDING

The club did not have insurance. World War II made materials and money scarce and rebuilding the lodge would prove to be difficult and costly. But the club members were determined not to let the club die. They took out second mortgages on their homes and set about rebuilding the lodge themselves. The finished lodge was larger than the original. In the mid 1970s, an addition was built bringing the lodge to its current size. The lodge is now equipped with a state-of-the-art sprinkler and fire detection system and is fully insured against fire.

ALPENTAL ARRIVES

Until the late sixties, members parked their cars by the side of the road (near the current Interstate 90) and broke trail through a half-mile of snow to the lodge. It was a difficult hike with skis and supplies. Then the original developers of Alpental approached the club requesting a 30-foot right-of-way easement to build a road to their ski area on Denny Mountain. The club agreed, but requested as partial payment that for 50 years Alpental maintains a plowed 60-car parking area on the road adjacent to the lodge. Alpental has changed owners six times, but the terms of the agreement still stand. As Alpental plows the road going to their resort, the snowplows widen and maintain a parking area for the Ski Club..

GOING UPHILL

The club installed its first rope tow in 1940, and for years the facilities at the club rivaled the public skiing facilities across the highway. In the 1960s, the club installed one of the longest private rope tows in the United States. While the public facilities have grown and added chair lifts, Sahalie has been content using its own rope tows for beginner skiers and the nearby public facilities for more advanced skiing. Kids learn to ski and snowboard right outside the doors of the lodge. Sahalie’s hill is active day and night every winter weekend.

SAHALIE TODAY

The original spirit of the club's founders is alive today. Third- and even fourth-generation members continue the traditions from way back while welcoming new families into the community. True to its mission, Sahalie Ski Club maintains a place where members enjoy skiing, the outdoors and good fellowship.