Sky Tavern:

Lift lines at Sky Tavern

Source: Bill Henderson, Executive Director of Sky Tavern

Before the ski resorts brought families to the mountains, lumbermen ventured up into the forests to get wood needed for Comstock mining operations. Once there was better access to the mountains, adventurous skiers climbed up Slide Mountain and raced down. The first ski area in Nevada was built in 1939 by Wayne Poulsen called Mt. Rose Upski and Ski School Tyrol. There was a rope tow at Galena Creek, followed by a rope tow at Grass Lake, later to become Sky Tavern. 

Then along came Keston Ramsey and George Tett, who bought Sky Tavern in 1944. Keston Ramsey, a building contractor, owned all the land up to Mt. Rose, according to his son Al. At a base elevation of 7600’ and peak at 8250’, the area had better snow than other Tahoe areas.