Milestones from 75 years at Meany Lodge

By Idona Kellogg

Seventy-five years ago a dream came true–Meany Hut was a reality! On Armstice Day, 1928, Dr.Edmond S. Meany, president of the Mountaineers, stood with 100 Mountaineers and guests to dedicate a two-story shelter that had been built by volunteers in two months of back-breaking labor. Dr. Meany had donated the land.

To build the lodge, club members became carpenters, masons, and pack-horses hauling supplies by hand uphill 300 yards from the Northern Pacific railroad at Martin to the Meany site. In addition to erecting a 20 by 50 two-story frame building large enough for fifty people, they made tables and benches, brought in bed springs, mattresses, and other furniture, and even managed to pull a kitchen range weighing 1,700 pounds up the mountain with block and tackle.

Before the first tow was built in 1938, even the strongest skiers could only manage three or four climbs and descents of Meany Hill on any one day. Many devoted their time to touring the surrounding country. Ski races at Meany were popular, with cross-country and slalom races for men and women and downhill races for men.

Then there was the “patrol race.” The race route led cross-country from Snoqualmie Lodge to Meany, a distance of over 22 miles. Teams were started about 10 minutes apart and the three men or women of each team were required to go over the finish line at Meany within one minute of each other. The trek took 5 to 6 hours.

In his article for the 1956 Mountaineer Annual, “The Story of Meany Ski Hut,” Fred W. Ball wrote, “In 1931 two loggers from Easton contracted to fall the trees from the cornice down to the clearing for $100 and so the lane was created. Unfortunately the loggers were careless, or the trees perverse, for they fell in a jumble, requiring an outlay of another $100 the following summer to clean up the slash and reduce the fire hazard, which also improved the skiability.”

Many other ski runs have since been opened up. Three rope tows were added in different eras. The longest (vertical rise 440’, length 1,000’) called the “Mach Tow,” refers to the “speed of sound.” Beginner Ski Areas sport the “Superworm” (medium speed tow) and “turtle” (very slow tow).

Unique activities developed at Meany such as “Pack the Hill,” “Kitchen Run,” games of “gates” and “tube hockey,” and “Carnival Weekend” with crazy races and corny contests. Over the years Meanyites gave colorful names to “sites” and equipment humorously building legends of exploits, challenges and misadventures.

Engineer Walter B. Little, a Meanyite for sixty-three years, wrote about drastic changes to the Meany scene. He tells of a concerted effort in 1939 which resulted in a 24’ x 30’ three story addition with a basement containing a furnace, drying, waxing room, washroom, and ‘at last!’-inside plumbing. The main floor held a recreation room with a ping-pong table and space for dancing or games, Dorm space was almost doubled. A light plant had previously been installed and, later, telephone service was added.

The lodge capacity was increased again in 1971 to nearly 100 when a new floor was added over the Girls Dorm. Digging out the lodge basement and installing a new septic system and drain field increased lodge usability in the 90’s. Updating and enlarging lodge facilities has yearly taken an enormous number of volunteer hours.

Erecting the Tow Hut, Cat House, The Zoo, etc. (for protection of equipment and workers) required improvising, hard-working volunteers. Procuring and maintenance of Meany machines and equipment has been done by Meany’s own ingenious experts donating an unbelievable number of man hours.

Initially the Meany property was accessed by a coal-burning train from Auburn which puffed smoke and spewed cinders. Early Mountaineer, Art Winder, writes “Sometimes the cinders covered the snow and made skiing well nigh impossible. But despite the cinders and smoke the trains were fun to watch.” The Mountaineers were dropped off at Martin, the first station on the east side of the tunnel under Stampede Pass. The Mountaineer car was left at Easton on Saturday, to be picked up by a train traveling west the next afternoon, which would stop at Martin to get Mountaineers returning home on Sunday.

Access to Meany in wintertime is now by Sno-cat. Since 1960 when the trains could no longer stop at Martin, tracked vehicles have been the lifeline for Meany. The fleet now includes a Bombardier Sno-cat for hauling people and supplies to and from the lodge, the “Packrat” or Thiokol Sprite transporter and utility vehicle, “Dino” which is a commercial snow groomer, and “Mouse” or snowmobile for emergencies and establishing cross-country trails. Imagine the surprise of people when they see coming toward them lines of skiers with overnight packs being pulled by a gaily-painted Bombardier Cat loaded with more skiers.

For seventy-five years Meany has been blessed with dedicated volunteers. May that caliber of volunteer be with Meany for many years to come.^75th