On 8/3/10 7:46 AM, www.cia.gov wrote:
Same ol same ol?

Ski conversation goes on in the background. Post something ski-worthy.

Here's something.

Went by the Donner Summit historical museum today and traded tall tales
of skiing, historical and current.

Here's a true tale from the owner of Donner Ski Ranch for 43 years, Norm
Sayler. Both Donner Ski Ranch and Mammoth Mountain installed their first
chairs about the same time, using the same providers. Obviously Mammoth
grew faster and replaced chairs more rapidly. Dave McCoy called Norm
decades ago and said if you want anything from Mammoth's boneyard, to
come get it, so natural Norm did, and stocked up of chairs for his main
lift. Now Mammoth is building a ski museum. Dave remembered Norm bought
the same first lift, and wanted a chair for his museum. When Dave
called, Norm had to remind him that not only did he have examples of the
original chairs, he had the actual chairs Mammoth used. An actual
original Mammoth first chair is now in the Mammoth museum courtesy of
Donner Ski Ranch former owner Norm Sayler.

Take that as a long winded plug for the Donner Summit historical museum
in Soda Springs.

Really cool museum. Neighbors found a pair of Mad Dog Dick Buek's skis
and boots, actually engraved as people used to do, in their basement.
Well, I'm a fan of Mad Dog so I took an interest, at which point Norm
Sayler took the skis and boots off the wall and handed them to me for
examination. You don't get that in the Smithsonian.