Lower Slobbovia

Names

• Lower Slobbovia
• Slobbovia

Location

The area under the BPA transmission lines, south of the Lane.

Origin

Lower Slobbovia was a country invented by Al Capp as part of his cartoon strip Li’l Abner. The inhabitants of the poor place dressed in rags, lived in snow holes, in constant peril of ingestion by an assorted and ravenous bestiary. When the BPA transmission line was logged in 1954, it looked like Lower Slobbovia, rough and snow-covered, and inhabitants in ragged war surplus clothes lived in deep snow holes oftheir own making. The parallel was apt, and the place was converted into a separate independent country, now known as Lower Slobbovia.^nw

More Info

Contains the following areas / runs:

• North Slobbovia, aka “North”
• South Slobbovia, aka “South”
• Green Pastures
• Tombstone Canyon
• Bullmoose Ridge
• Druthers Gulch
• Phogbound Gulch
• Brockman’s Knob
• Jacob’s Ladder
• 9-G Pullout
• Defunct: Lower Slobbovia National Park

History

1952

February 13 - Easement granted to Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for electric power transmission line across Meany property for $800. See Map for location.^hw

1953

BPA logs off transmission line right-of-way, part on Meany property, part on adjacent USFS property.^hw

1954

Lower Slobbovia is situated 100 yards south of the Lane and runs roughly parallel to it. The inhabitants are seasonal. During good snow years they may be heard to utter, “Ha! Gung skiink,” and during lesser snow years, “Gung skiink? Ha!” Bonneville still considers the area primarily as a power line and is apparently oblivious to the more important resources, the superb ski slopes and an unusual stand of hemlock…^ma54

BPA constructed a 287 KV power line over portion of Meany property to south of rope tow; the cleared area made excellent skiing and added much variety. It was christened “Lower Slobbovia” by Cram and Little, because it resembled the mythical country in Al Capp’s cartoon Li’l Abner.^{ma78, hw}

1956

Early in the ’50s, the construction of a Bonneville Power Administration power line across the southwest portion of the property provided another exciting ski slope for the more expert skier.^ma56

1963

Improved ski return trail from Lower Slobbovia to Mach.^hw

1968

It’s time for a run down South Slobbovia. From the top of the tow we traverse Green Pastures to Tombstone Canyon, cross to the Bullmoose Glacier where some take off for a run down Bullmoose Ridge, but we “druther” cross Druthers Gulch and run Upper South Slobbovia. It’s over the edge for a turn in the deep-sheltered powder of Phogbound Gulch, then back into S. Slobbovia for a fast run down the ridge to Brockman’s Knob. A hard right turn around Jacob’s Ladder (power-line tower) brings us to wide open skiing over bumps and hollows. We finally cross the bridge over Tombstone Canyon and head back through the woods to the tow.^ma68