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Crystal Mountain:  Built by Skiers tells the story of local skiers who turned a dream into a ski area.  Started by adventurous skiing investors who wanted to build a better place to enjoy their sport, Crystal Mountain's terrain offered that potential.  Just fourteen miles from the picturesque volcano, skiers atop Crystal could "look Mount Rainier in the eye."

When the Crystal Mountain Ski Area opened in December of 1962, the day had been more than a decade in coming.  Twelve years earlier, in March, 1950, Mary Lea Griggs had put the finishing touches on a proposal to develop a ski area at the Corral Pass, between Mutton and Castle mountains, just north of the present Crystal Ski area.  This ambitious plan would eventually lead to Crystal instead, but by a long and circuitous route.

The history of the founders, the early struggles to open the mountain and the subsequent improvements to continue to meet the needs of investors and quests were all pinnacle characteristics that shaped Crystal Mountain.  Beginning with early scouting trips to Corral Pass and what was then know only as "Silver-Six," through the battle to build the access road on the eve of the first opening season, to the the triumphs and struggles of maintaining a growing number of stockholders, and finally to the ultimate sale to Boyne Resorts and development of the modern Crystal Mountain Founders Club, a social organization, in March of 1997.

The Club was formed by the former shareholders who elected to convert all or a portion of their stock holdings into membership units. Many CMFC members are original stockholders dating back to the 1950's when the resort was first developed, and some of them even helped to pick the site and held the shovels!

CMFC members and non-members who were closely involved with Crystal's development, dating back prior to its opening in 1962, have been honored by induction into our Hall of Fame. 

**Excerpts taken from CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN:  Built by Skiers; by Julie Van Pelt written for the Crystal Mountain Founders Club; copyright 2012 by Crystal Mountain Inc.

A QUICK HISTORY TIMELINE 1962 to CURRENT:

In 1962, a community coalition of 824 local families and businesses founded Crystal Mountain ski area near Mount Rainier. This group financed and built the ski area entirely from scratch, ensuring its very existence. To preserve community ownership and prevent corporate takeover, the original bylaws strictly capped individual stock ownership at 1.5 percent. In exchange for their foundational investments, these pioneering stakeholders received permanent, lifetime lift privileges as a dividend.

By 1997, mounting debt and the need for capital improvements prompted the stockholders to sell Crystal Mountain to Boyne Resorts. As a condition of the sale, Boyne committed to massive infrastructure upgrades, including the Gondola, Forest Queen, Northway and other lift upgrades, new lodges including Campbell Basin, and advanced snowmaking. The selling owners protected their historical legacy by converting their stock into membership units within a new non-profit organization: the Crystal Mountain Founders Club.

Today, under the subsequent ownership of Alterra Mountain Company, the 857 members of the Founders Club continue to exercise their contractually guaranteed lifetime lift privileges. This enduring arrangement serves as a direct bridge to the resort's origins. It ensures that the descendants and successors of the mountain's creators remain permanently integrated into its daily operations.

The Founders Club also acts as a primary steward of Crystal Mountain’s heritage. The club actively promotes activities on Crystal Mountain by donating lift tickets to local charities and honoring Crystal Mountain legends through its annual Hall of Fame award. Because membership represents a direct link to the mountain's creation, shares are highly coveted, rarely sold, and a waitlist exists.

Are you interested in becoming a member?  Send an email to contact@inbox.crystalfoundersclub.com and we will send you information on how you can get on the "waitlist" when members sell their units.