Land sale could mean upgrades for Summit at Snoqualmie, PCT

A 77-acre parcel of land, once home to a tiny ski hill, was acquired recently by the company that manages the Summit at Snoqualmie ski area.

The Mountaineers, a 110-year-old outdoor organization that had owned the property since 1948, announced the sale Tuesday.

The sale to Boyne Properties allows the Summit to upgrade connections between its Summit West and Summit Central ski areas. The Summit has leased cross-over trails between the ski areas for 35 years. A statement released by The Mountaineers says the sale will allow for an easement for a reroute of the Pacific Crest Trail.

In the statement, Summit general manager Dan Brewster said, “In the near future, we look forward to dramatically improving the connection between Summit Central and Summit West, as well as working together with The Mountaineers and others on a new route for the Pacific Crest Trail that will provide a better experience for all recreational users — summer and winter.”

A 2013 review of the Pacific Crest Trail by the U.S. Forest Service determined that the 77-acre parcel was the best possible location for the trail as it approaches from the south. The famed 2,650-mile trail stretches from Mexico to Canada. The reroute would provide a safer path across state Route 906 and Interstate 90.

The Mountaineers built a lodge and rope tow on the property after its lodge, built nearby in 1915, burned in 1944. The Snoqualmie Lodge was destroyed by fire in 2006. In 1997, a 13-year-old boy died when his jacket was caught in the rope tow.

The Mountaineers still own and operate historic Meany Lodge and its rope tows. The ski area on Stampede Pass recently closed for the season.

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Land sale could mean upgrades for Summit at Snoqualmie, PCT."