For those who enjoyed skiing at Coppervale this last season, you need to thank Bert and Mary Bain who established it and then Lassen College who has been operating it since the end of the World War II.
First a little background. Back in the 1930s several road houses were established along highway 36 between Susanville and Westwood. They initially started out simple first with a gas station and restaurant, and later expanding. One of these was The Meadows which was located across the highway from the base of Coppervale.
At the same time, skiing, and more particularly ski jumping was all the rage throughout Northern California, where numerous professional events were staged. In 1934, the Paul Bunyan Ski Club of Westwood even sponsored one which they built a ski jump on Fredonyer. In the spring of 1935, Bert and Mary Bain purchased The Meadows. First they expanded operations with an enlarged restaurant, but added a bar and dance floor. To attract amateur skiers, Bain had a ski jump constructed across the highway from The Meadows. Bain recruited noted skiers Sid Knudson and Phil Brown to design and build a small jump for his guests, and thus the Coppervale Ski Hill was born.