Sitzmark Ski Area

Ski for less in the Sunny Okanogan!
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Sitzmark News Fall 2009

 
We have been busy this fall trying to get our new and improved rope tow installed with the help of many community volunteers. As you know Sitzmark can only survive with the help of lots of people who are willing to do what it takes to keep it up and running.  We really need some of our supporters to step up to the plate and help out with jobs both big and small.  It's easy to get involved - come to the annual meeting, join the club, call a board member, answer an e-mail asking for help with work days, projects, or fundraisers.  Easy!!!!!   
 
 
 
 
      As always the bottom line here is that we could really use some help from all of you to keep the ski area up and running. We are struggling to get everything done and the bills paid, so any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.  Contact any one of us to get involved. We'd love to hear from you!
 

 Sitzmark Ski Club 
The main function of the ski club is to keep the ski hill operating in a safe, efficient and cost effective manner so that we can provide relatively low cost winter sports opportunities for the people living in the area. Because the ski area doesn’t make enough of a profit to cover costs, fund raising by the club is essential to continued operation. Fundraising projects have included serving a spaghetti dinner at the Ice Fishing Festival in Molson, helping with the Molson Grange 4th of July Rodeo food booth, a benefit auction at the Eagles, a raffle, the Warren Miller film showing and the ongoing sale of chairlift advertising signs. Proceeds from these projects, plus the contributions from the community, membership dues, and season pass sale proceeds have allowed us to pay the bills and keep the hill operating. We’d love to have you help us with our ongoing fundraising efforts! We try to make these activities fun so if we call or e-mail you asking for a little time, please think about helping out. We would also welcome your presence at our regular board meetings held the 3rd Wednesday of every month in the basement of the North Valley Medical Center in Tonasket at 7PM. New ideas and suggestions are always welcome! And of course we’d love to have you help out at our fall and spring workdays up at the hill. We send out announcements about the workdays several weeks before they are scheduled. We’d welcome your involvement at whatever level, in any and all club activities and we’ll do our best to keep you updated on what’s going on either by snail mail or e-mail.  Four officers and six board members, each of whom was elected at an annual membership meeting, oversee club operations.
 
A Brief History of Sitzmark Ski Area
Sitzmark Ski Area has been operating since 1951. It all began when four ranching friends pooled their money and purchased a portable rope tow, which they set up on a small hill behind the Wauconda store. The next year they moved the tow to the Havillah area on land owned by Jack Dunn. A small lodge was donated and set-up to provide a few rentals and a lunch counter. In 1953, the four friends gave Sitzmark to the Tonasket Kiwanis and they operated the hill successfully for many years. Mel Kuhlmann was hired on to manage the hill and he eventually added two platter-pull poma lifts to the area. Soon after this, a ski club was established and ownership was passed from the Kiwanis to the club. The Knob Hill Grange Hall was moved to the area and became the “new” lodge while the original lodge became the present day “Ski Hut.” During those early years Mel and Irene Kuhlmann were instrumental in keeping the hill operating. In 1985 when a used electric chair lift was purchased, they spent an enormous amount of time and effort getting it set-up and everyone was rewarded in the winter of 1986-87 when the 1850 foot lift was finally up and running. In 1998, the hill was faced with a crisis. Sitzmark had been leasing part of the property it sat on, and the new owners wanted to sell their land. The ski club either had to come up with the money to buy the land or close down. The ski club initiated a huge fund raising drive and the community came together to donate over $100,000 to buy the land and business. Today the Sitzmark Ski Club owns and operates the non-profit business.