Building Sun Valley
The first U.S. ski area opened in 1915 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, followed by nearly 20 others throughout New England, the Pacific Northwest and California. But what set Sun Valley apart when it opened in 1936 was its all-inclusive nature—visitors could not only ski, but they could also spend the night in the upscale lodge, sample fine-dining, take ski lessons, swim and participate in other activities—and its national marketing campaign to attract skiers from across the country. Prior to that, skiers primarily visited local no-frills ski areas or may have traveled short distances by train.
Before the chairlift, skiers relied on other means of gaining elevation, both mechanical and human-powered. In the early days, skiers hopped aboard trains and jumped off on high mountain passes or they simply hiked uphill. In some areas, horse-drawn sleds transported skiers up carriage roads, Masia says.
According to the association, German farmer and innkeeper Robert Winterhalder invented the world’s first overhead cable tow in 1906—skiers hooked handles onto the water-powered continuous cable above their heads, then glided uphill on their skis. Though it was easy to use, Winterhalder’s invention didn’t catch on elsewhere.
In America, the first surface lift—the umbrella designation for uphill transportation that keeps a skier’s skis on the ground—was a steam-powered toboggan tow built in Truckee, California, in 1910 and later adopted by skiers.
Canadian skier Alex Foster built the first working model of the rope tow—a continuous rope that skiers simply grabbed onto and held with their hands—in 1931 outside of Shawbridge, Quebec. By 1934, the tow rope technology had made its way to Woodstock, Vermont.
Meanwhile, in Europe, Swiss ski mountaineer and mechanical engineer Ernst Constam invented the world’s first J-bar in 1934 in Switzerland, followed by the two-passenger T-bar in 1935. Both technologies quickly caught on across Europe and the U.S.
The push to invent a new, even more effortless mechanical skier transportation system started in 1935 with Union Pacific’s plan to build a ski resort. But first, the railroad had to decide where to build its proposed winter playground. Harriman recruited an Austrian count named Felix Schaffgotsch to search the American West for the perfect spot, according to Ketchum’s public library and regional history museum.