Executives of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("The Milwaukee Road") built the ski area in the fall of 1937, including a large two-story day lodge and one surface lift near the east portal of the railroad's Snoqualmie Tunnel, just north of Keechelus Lake.

[4] It was a major ski area for its era, comparable to but not as luxurious as Sun Valley, the Union Pacific Railroad's new resort in central Idaho.

[6] Five runs were in the bowl, named for the railroad's popular trains of the era: Hiawatha, Chippewa, Arrow, Pioneer, and Olympian;[3] additional lifts were added over time.

[10][11] In 1949, the lodge burned down in the early hours of Friday, December 2;[12][13][14] the ski area reopened a month later, and operated out of numerous railroad cars on a new spur line for the rest of the season,[15] its last.

[1][2] It has the lowest base elevation of the four Summit at Snoqualmie ski areas, at approximately 2,600 feet (790 m) above sea level.