It began with a love of the mountains.

Before Highway 2, Tye Mill, SkyLine and 7th Heaven, came Don Adams and Bruce Kehr. Adams and Kehr had a simple idea: to share their love of the mountains with the people of the Pacific Northwest. In 1937, they opened a single rope tow on Stevens Pass with nothing but a Forest Service permit, a Ford V8 and $600 in materials. The people came, hiking in six miles from the west side and from the east side by bus, all to ski that single tow for five cents per ride.

With war-surplus resources and a touch of invention, the pair persevered. When their original Civilian Conservation Corps lodge burned down, they built the T-Bar Lodge. Later joined by friend and business partner John Caley, they pushed up to Cowboy Mountain and into the hearts of a growing family of skiers from Leavenworth to Seattle, Wenatchee to Everett and beyond.

Through the boom years of the ’70s, Stevens Pass remained committed to the on-slope experience, eschewing prefab condos in favor of affordable fun. From 47 rope tows to a handful of high-speed quads, they moved into the Mill Valley, embracing snowboarding when it emerged in the ’80s. And from Lou Whittaker to Jim Jack to Robbie Capell, Matt Goodwill to Monty Hayes to Kurt Jenson, Northwest legends were born upon its slopes—legends who continue to inspire future generations.

Seventy-five years later, ownership and management may have changed, but the community remains—a community that grows with each passing generation, one that thrives upon a shared love of the mountains. A love for a 75-year legacy that is pure Pacific Northwest.