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SNOMAD SKI CLUB: Difference between revisions

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SNOMAD SKI CLUB. In 1967, before the development of [[SUNDOWN]] in 1973, Dubuque residents interested in alpine skiing had to travel to find suitable conditions or use the [[BUNKER HILL GOLF COURSE]] where a portable, yet unreliable, tow rope powered by a gasoline engine, was located near the present No. 11 hole.
SNOMAD SKI CLUB. In 1967, before the development of [[SUNDOWN MOUNTAIN]] in 1973, Dubuque residents interested in alpine skiing had to travel to find suitable conditions or use the [[BUNKER HILL GOLF COURSE]] where a portable, yet unreliable, tow rope powered by a gasoline engine, was located near the present No. 11 hole.


In March, 1967 the first meeting of the Snomad Ski Club occurred at [[ALLISON-HENDERSON PARK]]. Those in attendance were Ed and Mickey Bernhard, Dave and Audrey Manson, Janet Reihle, Ernie Keller, John Frommelt, Jack Buechele, Larry McMahon, Bob Fuhrman, Roger Kutsch, Paul Uhlrich, Kathy Stecklein, Bob and Joan Blocker, Wayne Reicher, Ernie Mareske, Gene Parker, Pete Wilberding, Garrett Graham and Dick Weber. Their goals were to plan ski trips in the Upper Midwest with fellow club members and to construct a new ski area within the city limits of Dubuque. The ski area would include dependable tows, adequate lighting, off-street parking and a warming shelter. The main purpose was to provide low-cost skiing and a challenging hill for skiers.
In March, 1967 the first meeting of the Snomad Ski Club occurred at [[ALLISON-HENDERSON PARK]]. Those in attendance were Ed and Mickey Bernhard, Dave and Audrey Manson, Janet Reihle, Ernie Keller, John Frommelt, Jack Buechele, Larry McMahon, Bob Fuhrman, Roger Kutsch, Paul Uhlrich, Kathy Stecklein, Bob and Joan Blocker, Wayne Reicher, Ernie Mareske, Gene Parker, Pete Wilberding, Garrett Graham and Dick Weber. Their goals were to plan ski trips in the Upper Midwest with fellow club members and to construct a new ski area within the city limits of Dubuque. The ski area would include dependable tows, adequate lighting, off-street parking and a warming shelter. The main purpose was to provide low-cost skiing and a challenging hill for skiers. Audrey Manson designed the club's logo; Kathy Stecklein came up with the name.


Construction began in September in an area that became known as Snomad Basin off 32nd Street. Trees were cleared, rocks removed and grass was seeded on the slope. John Deere Dubuque Works provided heavy equipment for the work. Club member Wayne Reicher, a mechanical engineer, installed the rope-tow mechanism, which boasted four gears, for the large run. The recreation commission donated the lights and poles were were installed by club members. A water system already in place aided the snow-making equipment. A shelter sat at the top of the hill while a pre-cast, warming house building sat at the base where it still stands.
Construction began in September in an area that became known as Snomad Basin off West 32nd Street. Trees were cleared, rocks removed and grass was seeded on the slope. [[JOHN DEERE DUBUQUE WORKS]] provided heavy equipment. Club member Wayne Reicher, a mechanical engineer, installed the rope-tow mechanism, which boasted four gears, for the large run. The recreation commission donated the lights and poles were were installed by club members. A water system already in place aided the snow-making equipment. A shelter sat at the top of the hill while a pre-cast, warming house building sat at the base of the hill. The area was approximately 70 percent complete when winter set in.


Beginning in 1967, on every other weekend, club members rode chartered buses for skiing trips in other areas. The first trip cost $39.95 per person and included transportation, lodging and ski-lift passes.  The last trip occurred in 1996.


In 1968 the first Snomad Club newsletter was published and three weekend trips and one, one-day trip were organized. There were 148 members.  The hill was described as having a "nice, vertical drop; a nice challenging hill. Definitely black, maybe dark blue. This description described the ski trail difficulty scale: black diamond, difficult; blue square, intermediate; and green circle, easiest. The first successful winter of skiing at the new Snomad Basin was completed.


In 1969 Snomad Club membership dues were $15 for families, $10 for singles and $5 for juniors.


1967: March 7, the first meeting of the Snomad Ski Club was held at Dubuque's Allison-Henderson Park. Construction began in September on what became known as Snomad Basin. The area was approximately 70 percent complete when winter set in.
Improvements were made.  The lighting system and safety equipment at the basin were improved. A new trail was completed on the back side to accommodate intermediate skiers. In 1970 the beginner's "bunny" run was developed at the basin with its own electric tow and lights for night skiing. A trailer that served as an office and "chalet" was purchased in 1971 for $125 and extensively remodeled at the basin. When completed it represented a $1,200 investment. Additional basin hill grooming and improvements to the tows and parking area were completed the following year. The first formal ski races were held and the first snow maker was purchased.


1968: The first Snomad Club newsletter was published and three weekend trips and one, one-day trip were organized. There were 148 members. The first successful winter of skiing at the new Snomad Basin wrapped up.
In mid-December, 1973 snow was made for the first time at the Snomad Basin. This improvement required a water system installed and paid for by Dubuque's Recreation Department for $9,600. A large storage building was erected by the club for the snow-making equipment. A second snow-making machine at the basin was purchased in 1974 with money raised by collecting newspapers for recycling. The ski area was 100 percent independent from natural snowfall. The Snomad Club reached its peak membership with 693 members.


1969: Snomad Club membership dues were: $15 for families, $10 for singles and $5 for juniors. Improvements were made to the lighting system and safety equipment at the basin. A new trail was completed on the back side to accommodate intermediate skiers.
The ski hill was widened in 1975 to allow more skiing area for intermediate skiers. Seven weekend trips and seven one-day trips were planned for club members. The interior of the basin trailer was remodeled in 1976 and partitioned into an office and first aid room. Aging liquid petroleum gas heaters were replaced with new electric wall heaters.


1970: The beginner's "bunny" run was developed at the basin with its own electric tow and lights for night skiing.
In 1983 facing competition from Sundown and other alpine ski areas, the final ski run was held at the basin.


1971: The trailer that served as an office and "chalet" was purchased for $125 and extensively remodeled at the basin. When completed it represented a $1,200 investment.
The 1989 ''Dubuque City Directory'' listed 1810 W. 32nd.


1972: Additional basin hill grooming and improvements to the tows and parking area were completed. The first formal ski races were held. The first snowmaker was purchased.
In 2011 an effort was announced to reactivate the club. People interested in reviving the Snomad Ski Club were asked to meet at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at [[DENNY'S LUX CLUB]], 3050 Asbury Road, Dubuque. The club was scheduled to host a Snomad Ski Night at Sundown Mountain at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, and another at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 16, followed by another gathering at Chestnut Mountain, in rural Galena, Ill., at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, March 5.


1973: Sundown Mountain Resort opens in January. In mid-December, snow was made for the first time at the Snomad Basin. It required a water system installed and paid for by Dubuque's Recreation Department for $9,600. A large storage building was erected by the club for the snow-making equipment.
---


1974: A second snow-making machine at the basin was purchased mostly from money raised by collecting newspapers for recycling. The ski area was 100 percent independent from natural snowfall. The Snomad Club reached its peak membership with 693 members.
Source:


1975: The ski hill was widened to allow more skiing area for intermediate skiers. Seven weekend trips and seven one-day trips were on the club calendar.
Reber, Craig D. . "Our Own Ski Hill," ''Telegraph Herald'', January 9, 2011


1976: The interior of the basin trailer was remodeled and a partitioned area was created to serve as an office and first aid room. Aging liquid petroleum gas heaters were replaced with new electric wall heaters.


1983: Final ski run at the basin.
[[Category: Athletics-Skiing]]
 
[[Category: Organizations]]
2010: Efforts to begin the revival of the Snomad Ski Club under way.
 
 
Reactivation meeting
 
People interested in reviving the Snomad Ski Club are asked to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at Denny's Lux Club, 3050 Asbury Road, Dubuque.
 
 
 
 
 
The club purchased two snow-making guns with proceeds from the sales of recycled newspapers.
 
"The kids would get together on Saturday morning and away we'd go," Joan said, of collecting the newspapers that at the time were a popular fundraising method.
 
There was a "bunny" hill, designed for beginners and for use as a teaching tool.
 
Audrey Manson designed the club's logo; Kathy Stecklein came up with the name.
 
"We're a bunch of nomads, let's be Snomads," Joan recalled of Stecklein's inspiration.
 
Snomads were unbridled in their enthusiasm of outdoor recreation pursuits. There was even a small body of water at the bottom of the run that skiers would try to glide over -- often unsuccessfully.
 
To aid in the rope-tow ascent, sheets of hard blue, interlocked plastic ran to the top of the hill.
 
"It was remarkable all the volunteer help that built that place," said Ernie Mareske, 88, a club member who still enjoys downhill skiing.
 
Volunteer help and labor intensive, it was all spelled out in a Snomad Club newsletter dated Feb. 15, 1968.
 
"Snow-making equipment at this time is still a dream, but your officers are making this their goal during the summer months in order to have this dream become a reality by next year's skiing season if at all possible.
 
"However, there are certain projects which are scheduled to be completed, along with maintenance teams and ski instruction. A captain has been appointed for each project who in turn will solicit help from the membership to complete his assignment. Outlined below are the categories with related duties, and estimated man-hours for completion:
 
"Grounds -- Ken Switzer, captain. Job: Remove rocks from hill and rake and seed hill, 480 hours.
 
"Building -- Jack Buechele, captain. Job: Paint inside and outside of two shack (60 hours); erect "A" frame on hill site (200 hours).
 
"Tow -- Wayne Reicher, captain. Job: Install tow brake (30 hours); install rope takeup (20 hours); rebuild rope ballast (50 hours); paint and repack idlers (10 hours).
 
"Hill grooming -- Ed Bernhard Jr., captain. Job: Pack down snow, condition up-hill run and cover bare spots (16 hours).
 
"Ski instruction -- Ernie Mareske, captain. Job: Conduct ski school (16 hours).
 
"Total of 882 man hours."
 
It was an ambitious goal that was accomplished.
 
"Many things are being planned for the coming year beginning April 1, 1968, to April 1, 1969, upon completion of which will make the Snomad Ski Club one of the most unique and progressive clubs in the Midwest."
 
The rest is history.
 
Bob described the Snomad Basin as having a "nice, vertical drop; a nice challenging hill. Definitely black, maybe dark blue," he said, referencing the ski trail difficulty scale: black diamond, difficult; blue square, intermediate; and green circle, easiest.
 
Education paramount
 
Joan said Snomad became a popular place for beginners.
 
"Hundreds of little kids learned how to put skis on, walk around in them and there they went."
 
Greg Kubitz, 50, began skiing in his backyard at age 4. At age 7, he discovered the hill that was located a short distance from his home near Wahlert High School. Kubitz and his friends would ski through the woods and on the ski trail.
 
"A lot of us kids skied here pretty much every day, and in the moonlight," he said, "and the best part of it was Joan and Bob would put the trips together -- weekend trips, two and three busloads of people going up north."
 
Kubitz credited Mareske with teaching him how to ski, and he agreed with Joan that a generation of skiers learned the sport at Snowmad.
 
"They are skiers who have gone on to area ski locales as well as out West to places like Colorado and Utah," Kubitz said. "Places where they have become kings and queens of hill."
 
Ski trips
 
Bob agrees weekend, out-of-town ski trips served as a catalyst for the club's popularity. At the height of its popularity, the club numbered 690 members.
 
Beginning in 1967, on every other weekend, skiing enthusiasts would board chartered buses for points north. The first trip cost $39.95 per person and included transportation, lodging and ski-lift passes.
 
"Needless to say, a lot of alcohol went down on those trips," Bob said of the adult trips. The youth buses were alcohol-free and chaperoned.
 
Joan handed out songbooks that listed popular tunes for skiers to sing on the road trips.
 
"They really got spirited," she said.
 
The last trip occurred in 1996, and after that the club "pretty much went into hibernation, drifting into people's memories," Bob added.
 
Club revival under way
 
Bob recalled conversing with Uhlrich at Loras College football games.
 
"We would reminisce about the old days and how much fun we had," he said.
 
That's where the seeds of revival were planted. There's even some money left in the club account.
 
The club will conduct a reactivation meeting Jan. 12 at Denny's Lux Club in Dubuque to discuss plans.
 
"If we're going to get moving forward, we have to get much younger people involved," Bob said, adding he's hoping some snowboard enthusiasts will join. "But we are not going to be building another ski hill."
 
The club will host a Snomad Ski Night at Sundown Mountain at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, and another at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, followed by another gathering at Chestnut Mountain, in rural Galena, Ill., at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 5.
 
Memories remain
 
The Blockers and Uhlrich agree that Snomad declined for a number of reasons, including it got too expensive for the youngsters. There were also liability questions.
 
"You know how things go," Joan said. "They run their course. There's a time and place for everything. It served its purpose."
 
And the larger Sundown opened in 1973, and it boasted chair lifts.
 
"When Sundown came in, the young kids, if they had money, that's where they went," Mareske said.
 
The final ski run at Snomad occurred during the winter of 1982-83, and nature has since reclaimed the hill that holds so many memories.

Latest revision as of 05:17, 14 February 2018

SNOMAD SKI CLUB. In 1967, before the development of SUNDOWN MOUNTAIN in 1973, Dubuque residents interested in alpine skiing had to travel to find suitable conditions or use the BUNKER HILL GOLF COURSE where a portable, yet unreliable, tow rope powered by a gasoline engine, was located near the present No. 11 hole.

In March, 1967 the first meeting of the Snomad Ski Club occurred at ALLISON-HENDERSON PARK. Those in attendance were Ed and Mickey Bernhard, Dave and Audrey Manson, Janet Reihle, Ernie Keller, John Frommelt, Jack Buechele, Larry McMahon, Bob Fuhrman, Roger Kutsch, Paul Uhlrich, Kathy Stecklein, Bob and Joan Blocker, Wayne Reicher, Ernie Mareske, Gene Parker, Pete Wilberding, Garrett Graham and Dick Weber. Their goals were to plan ski trips in the Upper Midwest with fellow club members and to construct a new ski area within the city limits of Dubuque. The ski area would include dependable tows, adequate lighting, off-street parking and a warming shelter. The main purpose was to provide low-cost skiing and a challenging hill for skiers. Audrey Manson designed the club's logo; Kathy Stecklein came up with the name.

Construction began in September in an area that became known as Snomad Basin off West 32nd Street. Trees were cleared, rocks removed and grass was seeded on the slope. JOHN DEERE DUBUQUE WORKS provided heavy equipment. Club member Wayne Reicher, a mechanical engineer, installed the rope-tow mechanism, which boasted four gears, for the large run. The recreation commission donated the lights and poles were were installed by club members. A water system already in place aided the snow-making equipment. A shelter sat at the top of the hill while a pre-cast, warming house building sat at the base of the hill. The area was approximately 70 percent complete when winter set in.

Beginning in 1967, on every other weekend, club members rode chartered buses for skiing trips in other areas. The first trip cost $39.95 per person and included transportation, lodging and ski-lift passes. The last trip occurred in 1996.

In 1968 the first Snomad Club newsletter was published and three weekend trips and one, one-day trip were organized. There were 148 members. The hill was described as having a "nice, vertical drop; a nice challenging hill. Definitely black, maybe dark blue. This description described the ski trail difficulty scale: black diamond, difficult; blue square, intermediate; and green circle, easiest. The first successful winter of skiing at the new Snomad Basin was completed.

In 1969 Snomad Club membership dues were $15 for families, $10 for singles and $5 for juniors.

Improvements were made. The lighting system and safety equipment at the basin were improved. A new trail was completed on the back side to accommodate intermediate skiers. In 1970 the beginner's "bunny" run was developed at the basin with its own electric tow and lights for night skiing. A trailer that served as an office and "chalet" was purchased in 1971 for $125 and extensively remodeled at the basin. When completed it represented a $1,200 investment. Additional basin hill grooming and improvements to the tows and parking area were completed the following year. The first formal ski races were held and the first snow maker was purchased.

In mid-December, 1973 snow was made for the first time at the Snomad Basin. This improvement required a water system installed and paid for by Dubuque's Recreation Department for $9,600. A large storage building was erected by the club for the snow-making equipment. A second snow-making machine at the basin was purchased in 1974 with money raised by collecting newspapers for recycling. The ski area was 100 percent independent from natural snowfall. The Snomad Club reached its peak membership with 693 members.

The ski hill was widened in 1975 to allow more skiing area for intermediate skiers. Seven weekend trips and seven one-day trips were planned for club members. The interior of the basin trailer was remodeled in 1976 and partitioned into an office and first aid room. Aging liquid petroleum gas heaters were replaced with new electric wall heaters.

In 1983 facing competition from Sundown and other alpine ski areas, the final ski run was held at the basin.

The 1989 Dubuque City Directory listed 1810 W. 32nd.

In 2011 an effort was announced to reactivate the club. People interested in reviving the Snomad Ski Club were asked to meet at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at DENNY'S LUX CLUB, 3050 Asbury Road, Dubuque. The club was scheduled to host a Snomad Ski Night at Sundown Mountain at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, and another at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 16, followed by another gathering at Chestnut Mountain, in rural Galena, Ill., at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, March 5.

---

Source:

Reber, Craig D. . "Our Own Ski Hill," Telegraph Herald, January 9, 2011

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