Meany Names

by Walter B. Little

Page One - Rough Draft

Meany Ski Hut

Named in honor of Prof. Edmond S. Meany of U.W. who was Mountaineer President for 25 years; and who in 1927 bought the Meany property from the NPRR - 54 acres for $125 - and donated same to Mountaineers. He made only one stipulation; the property should not be used on Easter Sunday.

Hell’s Half-acre

This patch of ground is north of the Lane and south of Cognito Wood. At the time of purchase of Meany, there was second growth brush timber on it. All the timber had been logged in 1886 by the NPRR so as to clear the area for “Tunnel City”, their campsite. In about 1930, Mountaineers cleared the brush and second growth in order to get some open skiing area near Meany Ski Hut. Because the work was done in some exceptionally hot weather, the area became known as “Hell’s Half-acre.” The area is again partially regrown, and the name has disappeared from present usage.

Lane

This was logged from virgin timber in 1931 and was very much narrower than at present. This gave an appearance somewhat like a narrow road, or “lane” through the woods.

Kirkland Park

During construction of rope tow in summer, 1938, the “Lane” was widened at its bottom end toward the Southeast to make room for the rope tow and tow hut in its original location. This left some large stumps in the area. Bill Kirkland, who stood about 6’4” and weighed like 240 pounds decided that dynamite was the answer. The hut committee wouldn’t buy him any, so Kirkland bought his own. His theory in loading powder under stumps was “if a little is good, more is better.” Several dozen explosions later, Kirkland Park, instead of being infested with stumps, was infested with craters. An indignant hut committee forcibly terminated Kirkland’s operations after one of his stumps narrowly missed taking the roof off the newly constructed tow hut. Kirkland’s stump holes have all been eliminated by bulldozing. But the name remains.

Meany Woods

One of the things which attracted the Mountaineers to the Meany site was the open slope area from the top of the “Lane” up to Meany Woods. This open area had been created by a big forest fire. Meany Woods was a general name for the untouched forest at the south and west sides of the burned area.

Downhill Trail

Ski racing was popular early on, though it has now disappeared. In the early 1940’s a downhill race trail was completed from Meany Woods to the present Cornice Area above Lower Slobbovia, thence past the present Headpole, thence to Railroad Curve and down the traverse to Kitchen Run, and thence to finish at the Back Porch. The downhill trail has not been raced for many years and the name has disappeared from modern use. Parts of the trail are now parts of runs with other names.

Railroad Curve

from this sharp curve to the right on the old downhill trail a skier could stop and look directly down on the old Martin RR station. If you didn’t make it around the “curve”, you had a good chance of landing on the “railroad.”

Kitchen Run

lower part of the old downhill trail, also accessible from mid-Lane. Ends at the kitchen, of course.

Kitchen Jump

a lump of earth, part of a former low ridge, which by design or error, will project a speeding skier into airborne status. Scene of noontime exhibitions.

Elevator Shaft

steep short pitch just before the Kitchen Jump. Early on it was enough steeper and narrower than presently that it deserved the name.

Cognito Woods

Lies between Lane and Kitchen Run. Has been considerably thinned and trimmed. Still, when you are in there you are well concealed from identification and are therefore In-Cognito.

Damnation

This trail starts at northeast edge of Lane - straight down a steep slope to northeast of Kitchen Run. Much clearing on this slope was done by Messrs. Doug “Damn” and Art “Nation”.

Railroad Creek/Stampede Creek/Meany Creek

It’s all the same creek; the one coming down over the RR tunnel entrance in a spectacular waterfall. The different names have appeared on different old maps. Most Meanyites call it “Railroad Creek.” Present U.S. Forest Service has it as “Stampede Creek”, and this name will likely prevail.

Lower Slobbovia

This was a name invented by Al Capp as part of his cartoon strip “Dogpatch”. The inhabitants of this poor place dressed in rags, lived in snow holes, in constant peril of ingestion by assorted and ravenous bestiary. When the B.P.A. transmission line was logged in 1954, it looked like “Lower Slobbovia”, rough and snow-covered, and inhabitants in ragged war surplus clothes, living in deep snow holes of their own making. The parallel was apt, and the place was duly christened “Lower Slobbovia.”

South Slobbovia

On the south side - directions in Slobbovia are the same as directions in the U.S.A.

North Slobbovia

On the north side - ditto, ditto, ditto.

Tombstone Canyon

Runs down the center of Slobbovia - so named because many Slobbovians have dug their own graves in it.

Bullmoose Ridge

named after General Bullmoose of USA, who always got the worst of his business dealings with the Slobbovians. General Bullmoose was a take-off on “Engine Charley” Wilson, who said, “What’s good for General Motors is good for the USA.” General Bullmoose said, “What’s good for Bullmoose is good for everybody.”

Druthers Gulch

named after the Lower Slobbovian diet. Since there was nothing to eat, Lower Slobbovians always said, “I druther eat this; I druther eat that.” This is the short gully between South Slobbovia and Bullmoose Ridge.

Phogbound Gulch

named in honor of Senator Jack S. Phogbound; Lower Slobbovia’s representative to the Senate of the Hew Hess hay. This is the long narrow gully on the south side of South Slobbovia.

Lower Slobbovia National Park

This was a small lone hemlock, branches on one side only, that lived for a while in the center of Lower Slobbovia. After Senator Phogbound - at a special hearing - had this declared a national park, it was cherished and guarded. Signs appeared; “Keep Slobbovia Green - bring money.” “Keep off.” “No dogs allowed.” It finally fell down one winter.

Iggle’s Nest

This rocky lump on the side of North Slobbovia was named for the Lower Slobbovian “Iggle”, a creature with a large blue head, no feathers, no body, two large clawed feet, that somehow can fly anyway.

Green Pastures

between North Slobbovia and upper Tombstone. Slobbovians presumably ascend this slope on their way to heaven.

Jacob’s Ladder

Bonneyville Power thinks this is a transmission line tower, but Slobbovians know better. If you climb the rungs and grab one of the big wires at the top, you go to heaven fast.

Brockman’s Knob

High point just above the water supply dam. Bill Brockman came down the upper part of South Slobbovia too fast, attempted to stop on this knob - failed - and when last seen was trying to get his edges to bite on thin air.

9-G Pullout

This is a very steep slope from Brockman’s Knob straight down to the water supply. When snow is deep, the trick is to run this absolutely straight, until at the last minute a turn is made down the canyon. The centrifugal acceleration force in this turn is estimated at 9-G’s. Those who fail to turn make a tunnel into the opposite bank, under North Slobbovia.

Henrietta’s Meadow

Prior to 1978, when the loggers came, this area, just to the south of Phogbound Gulch, was known as Henrietta’s Woods. Henrietta was the resident witch of Lower Slobbovia, who got her way by sticking pins into effigies - a real hog!

Henrietta Gulch

Just to the south of Henrietta’s Meadow.

Soffreenia Wood

Patch of woods to southeast of Mach Tow. Skiing in here frequently leads to a split personality; hence schizophrenia; hence ski Soffreenia; hence Soffreenia Wood.

Yellow Rock

Semi-cliff in Soffreenia Wood. Over steep character of the short pitches off this area are character testing. Frequent refusals to accept this challenge created the name and fame. As Rolf said, “Yellow Rock before you go off, Brown Rock after you go off.”

Mach Tow

Meany’s biggest rope tow is now in its fourth version since original construction in 1938. It rises 441 vert. and is very fast running. Jokers refer to it as exceeding the speed of sound. Hence “Mach Two Tow” or for short, “Mach Tow.”

Worm Tow

Short rope tow paralleling “Mach Tow”. Rises about 160 vert. and runs very slowly. Called the “Worm Tow” because it “crawls.” Built in 1973.

Railroad Meadows

About 1974 completed the partial clearing and grading of an area lying west of the headpole of Mach Tow. This area lies only about 600 feet from the RR, hence “Railroad Meadows.” The 600 foot distance happens to be nearly straight down through solid rock to where the RR runs in Stampede Tunnel.

Side Track

Ski traverse leading from Mach Tow along the top of RR Meadows.

Psychopath

Traverse trail from the outer limits of RR Meadows back to bottom of Mach Tow. So called because of its “warped and twisted character.”

Lefty

farthest West (left) trail in RR Meadows.

Couloir

shallow gulch running down center of RR Meadows.

Harvey’s Slot

Harvey Mahalko was supposed to be grading this area leaving some trees, that is. But Harvey hates trees, so he cut them all, leaving an open slope.

Danny’s Woods

Upper southeast corner of RR Meadows, dedicated to the expertise of Dan Thompson, our only professional logger.

Upper Nose

This is the section of the old downhill trail which runs from the headpole to RR Corner.

Lower Nose

Continuation of the Nose steeply down to Psychopath. A fall here is known as “blowing the Nose.”

Karen’s Corridor

Straight down a steep pitch from RR curve. Karen Bergman always fell off the original Psychopath at this corner. Karen’s Corner became Karen’s Corridor when the run above her corner was cleared.

Liberation Way

a short section of Psychopath along a steep side hill, where the girls dug the trail.

Ferguson Pool

In Stampede Creek just below Harvey’s Slot. It’s a pool formed behind an old RR dam built in 1886. Named in honor of Stu Ferguson, who could not resist skiing down into it, thereafter making his way - roped up - all the way down.

Richard’s Ravine

Steep gully just below Liberation Way. Named in honor of Richard Svensson, who, on a day with three feet of new snow, fell off the Psychopath down the ravine and took three hours emerging.

The Beast

This was the old Fordsen tractor that powered the Mach Tow when first built in 1938. In the summer the Beast would be released from his foundation to haul supplies. Finally replaced by a Chevy engine, the Beast continued to haul supplies until one winter someone failed to drain the block which froze and burst, and the Beast was pushed to an unceremonious burial in the old car dump. It was finally taken away by a junk dealer from Roslyn, who proposed to make a statue out of it.

The Ox

A four-wheel drive Dodge truck used for summer work. Unlike most oxen, it hibernates all winter under the Mach Tow Hut.

Tom Cat

The Bombadier Snow Tractor used to haul everything three miles from I-90 to Meany. Bought in 1960, when the NPRR discontinued passenger train service. Ton Van Devanter has driven it since the beginning; hence the name “Tom Cat.”

Pack Rat

A thiokol snow tractor obtained - a really good scrounge job - in 1977 for the purpose of hill packing. It’s the only known pack rat equipped with a bulldozer blade.

Rat Track

A way bulldozed up through Cognito Wood in 1978 to allow the Pack Rat to achieve greater elevation on the Lane - the more the machine packing, the less the foot packing.

Weasel Creek

Road 212 A, on which the Tom Cat tracks its way back and forth, crosses this side creek at about 0.8 miles from Meany. So named because the U.W. “Weasel” fell into it one Sunday night, and the efforts of all the University kids never did extract it. Some did not get home ‘til 6A.M. Monday. The “Weasel” served the UW ski area - long since discontinued.

Two Pipe Creek

About one-fourth mile west of the point where the Tom Cat road crosses the Milwaukee RR. Two heavy concrete culvert pipes take the creek under the road. Location of frequent floodings.

Edifice Wreck

Small shack built below RR track to store gasoline for the Tom Cat. Built in 1960 by some students who at the time were working their way through the Greek classic tragedy “Oedipus Rex.” Forgive them the pun - even a little humor is better than none…

Con-Rod Curve

This is on the Tom Cat road - 212 A to you - just east of the Yakima River bridge. It was here on a horrible Sunday night in 1976 that a connecting rod burst through the side of the Tom Cat engine block. It was about eight p.m., raining, dark, sleet crust all over, crying kids, mad parents, the works. Believe it or not, a new engine was in the tractor by Wednesday night, and the hut opened the next weekend as usual.

Walter’s Woods

In the summer of 1978 the Forest Service logged Section 34 which included a patch called “No-Name-Woods.” In march of 1979 this slope was christened “Walter’s Woods” because it contained about as many trees as there are hairs on Walter B. Little’s head.

Al’s Fringe

A cross-country ski trail designed by Al Alleman that traverses the bottom of “Walter’s Woods” and resembles Al’s hairline.

RBCSA Gulch

The steep gully in the newly logged Section 34 between “Henrietta’s Meadow” and “Walter’s Woods.” RBCSA means Retroactive Birth Control Society of America.