![]() In later years, when the collective areas changed from "The Pass" to the new name, The Summit at Snoqualmie, Ski Acres name was changed to Summit Central. This was the beginning of a long, but friendly, competition with neighboring Snoqualmie Summit. The following year Ray built the first chairlift in Washington State. The first year Ski Acres operated two rope tows. Summit Central's beginnings date back to 1948 when Ray Tanner purchased 350 acres of privately owned land east of Snoqualmie Summit and opened a new ski area named Ski Acres. Affectionately referred to as "The Beach", the concept of creating outdoor gathering places proved to be an important theme for The Summit and two additional base areas, Alpental and Summit Central, received their own distinctive plazas in subsequent years. A few short years later, Summit West was the first of the four base areas, known collectively as The Summit at Snoqualmie, to add a heated outdoor plaza complete with the now popular fire-pits. The last chair installation was the Pacific Crest quad-chair, installed in 1997. Additional chairlifts and numerous buildings have been added over the years since Thunderbird was installed. Thunderbird, Snoqualmie Summit's first chairlift, was installed in 1954. Today, The Summit is still one of the nation's largest night skiing areas. Soon, customers started staying after dark to ski under the lights and night skiing was truly born. In an innovative move, Snoqualmie Summit became the nation's second night skiing area when Moffett installed old gas station lights so that his employees could ski after the paying customers had gone home. ![]() Encouraged by this success in the face of wartime adversity, Moffett focused on developing the area after the war. The gamble paid off and devoted skiers pooled their gas ration coupons to continue skiing at the fledgling ski area. When World War two broke out, Moffett and his partners continued to operate Snoqualmie Summit, now known as Summit West, gambling that Northwest skiers would maintain their enthusiasm for skiing. founder, Webb Moffett, obtained permission from the Forest Service to construct a rope tow at Snoqualmie Pass. At the same time as Seattle Parks was applying, Ski Lifts, Inc.
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