"A Midsummer Ski Tournament"

Earlier this week, I scouted the approximate location of the original 1917 tournament. I think it was near the arrow in this photo (taken by the NPS web camera). There's a little knoll here that seems about right for 1917 and matches the setting depicted in the Yngvar Sonnichsen's artwork above.



My thinking is to head up there a little after 9 in the morning to pack out the slope and such. I may look farther up the east flank of Alta Vista, but my impression (in the fog on Monday) is that the slope gets bigger and steeper pretty quick as you move farther up, and the original tournament was probably on more mellow terrain down low.

Weather is looking great for a centennial ski jumping picnic at Paradise on Saturday, June 24. My brother Gordy is bringing our dad's old jumping skis. I'll have an old pair of skis from the Mountaineers Archives. (Modern gear is fine too.) We'll rendezvous at Paradise around 9am and hike to "Olga Vista" (see map), the approximate site of the old tournaments. Swing by if you're in the area. Even if you're not into jumping, there are some nice slopes for showing off your telemarks. 



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A competitor in one of the annual ski tournaments on Mt Rainier that began 100 years ago. I think this is the location I marked "OLGA VISTA" on the topo map.



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Yes, we have medals!

I think you have pinpointed the spot correctly.

Lowell - any further information about Miss Bolstad and what she did later in her life?

Lowell - any further information about Miss Bolstad and what she did later in her life?

Sadly, it appears that she died young, probably in some sort of accident.

A colleague of mine with the Washington State Ski and Snowboard Museum did some research on her in Washington state records and also during a visit to Norway.

She was listed in the June 7, 1919 Seattle Times getting a marriage license with Ottar Eggen (Eggan in Norwegian).  She was healthy enough to participate in the June 29, 1919 ski tournament a Paradise.  That was the third year of the annual tournaments.

She apparently died on August 21, 1919, but we don't know the cause. We would have to look up the actual death certificate to find that out.

Hoping to pop by and say hi! Driving from Kelowna, BC though and I'm not heading all the way down there and not going to Camp Muir. With the coming heat wave I'm going to start as early as I can (5-6:30) on Saturday. Will you still be at it in the early afternoon? Supposed to be 74 LOL me and my long drives and heatwaves...