FERGUSON RIDGE

Marshall Cox, Riley Steen and Dakoda Shadle prepare to get propelled by the T-bar. ().

Story and photos by

Rochelle Danielson

For The Observer

JOSEPH — Skiers and snowboarders stood in line at the Ferguson Ridge ski tow on a mid-February morning eager for the slopes to open.

A winter storm had recently dumped a deep layer of powdery, unmarked snow on the landscape, and this energetic group of downhillers wanted to be the first to mess it up.

And that they did.

With the brilliant sun bouncing off sunglasses and goggles, skiers swooshed the powder, and boarders buried turns in the trees while the crisp mountain air made for rosy cheeks, runny noses and frosty whiskers.

"It was just one of those perfect ski days," says Charlie Kissinger, president of the Eagle Cap Ski Club. "We've had good days, but this one topped them all."

If anyone should know about weekend skiing at Fergi, Kissinger is it. He is part of an energetic and dedicated crew that spends hours each week on the hill. He is either helping solve a motor problem, repairing the T-bar lift or working on ski equipment in his rental shop.

"We have several volunteer members who can do maintenance and serve as hill manager," says Kissinger. "Our group not only takes a lot of pride in keeping the operation going, it has become kind of a social thing since we love to ski and board."

Ferguson Ridge is thought to be named after Izorah Ferguson, who migrated from Kansas in the late 1800s, and who went hunting, got lost and disappeared.

The ski area is privately owned and leased to the Eagle Cap Ski Club for a dollar a year. A surface lift T-bar gets the riders to the top of the hill where they can ski 640 feet of vertical terrain. To the east of the unloading area are Gardner's Run, Dragon Head, the Stump Garden, Bull Run and Haze Maze. To the west are Slick Creek, the West Bowl, Harold's Revenge and Sadie's Grave.

Snowboarders surf the groomed runs but prefer terrorizing the trees, jumping and getting air. Fergi offers the trees and the air; the kids have to build their own jumps.

Known for its hospitality, Fergi impressed a trio of snow-boarders from Pendleton who were on the hill on Presidents Day weekend.

"It's such a friendly laid-back place," Will Perkinson says. "When we asked where the best skiing was, Gabe Burnette didn't tell us, he showed us."

Will's wife, Christina Vanderkamp, agrees. "Everyone made us feel real welcome."

Burnette, who once lived in Enterprise, now travels from Milton-Freewater three weekends a month.

"I'm a volunteer member," he says. "I like to board at Fergi because it's unrestricted and, too, it doesn't matter what you look like, doesn't matter what gear you have."

Same with Shannon Emel, a Forest Service employee.

"With my membership and volunteer time catching T's, and taking tickets," she says, "me and my board get time together."

The Ski Patrol, a separate entity, has a roster of 14, and 11 auxiliary members.

"A few years ago the group dwindled," says director Dave Yost, "but last year we held Outdoor Emergency Care classes and brought in new members. And another good thing, the snowmobile donated to the patrol by Triple Creek Ranch has come in real handy."

The club had its beginnings in 1938, when a group of skiers and community leaders formed a charter with the object to promote interest in skiing and other winter sports. Stanley Hill and the little rope tow on the west side of the moraine were popular ski areas until 1983.

"In the ‘80s, interest in skiing increased," says past president Tom Butterfield. "The club needed a bigger hill."

At that time, Gardner Locke, incoming president, and nine other dedicated board members purchased at auction 280 acres on Ferguson Ridge, and with an upsurge of membership the new ski area took shape. Volunteers built a warming lodge, trucked in old shacks, and spent hours and hours clearing brush, stumps and rocks.

"It was an all-out effort. Every member was upbeat. They were determined to have a place to ski," says Butterfield.

Rich Wandschneider, a past board member, says, "Some of the new members had little or no interest in skiing, but were interested in the children and community."

A T-bar, purchased two years earlier from Schweitzer Basin in North Idaho, was installed, replacing the arm-wrenching yet dependable old rope tow.

"Kinda like stepping from a horse-and-buggy to a Cadillac," one member says.

On a typical ski day, lunch-time finds skiers with boots unbuckled and hats pushed back, crowding the benches outside the rental shop, or sprawling on the deck of the warming lodge. They bask in the sunshine — if there is any — eat snacks and watch other skiers.

Gung-ho non-stoppers take quick standing breaks at the top of the hill while boarders, in groups, sit in the snow. There is usually someone to chat with, and an awesome view of the Prairie Creek Valley and surrounding mountains, Mount Joseph, several buttes, Hat Point and the Seven Devils in Idaho.

As shafts of low afternoon sun pierce through the firs, and 4 o'clock approaches, the ski patrol prepares a sweep of the area.

Tired but exhilarated kids like Eliza Irish, 5, Morgan Anderson and Isabelle Tinglestad, both 6, who learned to ski on the rope tow but now ski the big hill under supervision, gather their helmets and gear and head home with their parents.

"Ferguson Ridge has exceeded all our expectations," says Harold Klages, who was the first president at the little rope tow. "It has always been a volunteer endeavor, and that's what's made the hill a success."

Like the story of the little engine that could, Fergi is the little ski hill that can.