Ski museum making headway

Ski, beer and music enthusiasts gathered at Mountain Trails Park in Whitefish Thursday to support the planned Ski Heritage Center and Museum of Skiing.

The event, presented by the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation, featured a sneak preview of the future museum, located in the old Saddle Club cabin next to the Stumptown Ice Den.

“The whole deal is to educate people about the museum and about the fact that we’re in the middle of a fundraising campaign to try to raise money for the museum,” said Tim Hinderman, who is leading the museum effort.

Hinderman said the cabin renovation will likely require between $100,000 and $125,000 in total funding, which will come in a patchwork of donations and grants. While the project is only about a quarter of the way through, he hopes to have some exhibits on display by Christmas.

So far, the renovation has included cement flooring in the kitchen and office areas, new drywall partitions and new cabinets, most of which comes from donations.

Hinderman envisions the finished museum to feature exhibits on the 1930s Hellroaring Ski Club, ski hall of fame inductees, the history of Big Mountain, and the 10th Mountain Division, a group that trained for winter warfare in the Alps in World War II and featured several Whitefish natives. In addition, a video loop of interviews with people about the history of the mountain and a reading area are planned for the museum.

Outside, Hinderman pictures a patio and exhibit area where guests can relax in different historic ski lifts.

The idea for the museum started about three years ago, Hinderman said. After the mountain’s 50th and 60th anniversaries — next year will mark the 70th — it was decided that it would make more sense if all the memorabilia and photos were displayed permanently.

The cabin was built in the 1930s, Hinderman said, and was originally the Saddle Club. Later the cabin became more of a public-use building, where people could host events.