Lowell Skoog 
Written in the Snows 
Across Time on Skis in the Pacific Northwest

• Century of Northwest wilderness skiing stories by noted expert


• 150 black-and-white and color photographs


• Celebrates the friluftsliv, or open-air living spirit, of backcountry skiing

In Written in the Snows, renowned local skiing historian Lowell Skoog presents a definitive and visually rich history of the past century of Northwest ski culture, from stirring and colorful stories of wilderness exploration to the evolution of gear and technique. He traces the development of skiing in Washington from the late 1800s to the present, covering the beginnings of ski resorts and competitions, the importance of wild places in the Olympic and Cascade mountains (including Oregon’s Mount Hood), and the
friluftsliv, or open-air living spirit, of backcountry skiing.



Skoog addresses how skiing has been shaped by larger social trends, including immigration, the Great Depression, war, economic growth, conservation, and the media. In turn, Northwest skiers have affected their region in ways that transcend the sport, producing local legends like Milnor Roberts, Olga Bolstad, Hans Otto Giese, Bill Maxwell, and more. While weaving his own impressions and experiences into the larger history, Skoog shows that skiing is far more than mere sport or recreation.

Über den Autor

As a skier, climber, writer, and photographer, Lowell Skoog has been a keen observer of Northwest mountaineering since the 1970s. He is the creator of the Alpenglow Gallery and founder of the Northwest Mountaineering Journal, websites that celebrate local mountain culture, and he was a key member of the team that launched the Washington State Ski and Snowboard Museum. Skoog is the chairman of the Mountaineers History and Library committee. He lives in Seattle.