OUR HISTORY

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Founded in 1948, the Mount Diablo Ski Club club was originally made up of many single skiers (read: one hundred ski bums) and a few adventurous families, living in and around the Walnut Creek, CA area. They would make trips together to Tahoe, Vail, Sun Valley and other resorts, race against other ski clubs, host inter-club dinners, and generally have all-winter fun. 

Mr. Fred Hill, who joined in 1960, tells an interesting story of his years as a ski club member and treasurer.  

In the early 1960s, after years of renting winter cabins and fighting the (undeserved?) reputation for damaged rentals due to hard partying ways, it was decided to purchase their own cabin. Black Corvette-driving Dick Couchot was President and Fred Hill was Treasurer at the time. The two, along with Frank Sellers, searched for several years until in 1964, they found the present cabin.  

With only a few grand in the club bank account, the three scrambled to get enough money for the mortgage (which they did!), and later that year the owner agreed to float the mortgage (at a rate double the going amount, obviously a descendant of early gold rushers).  For a $120 membership buy in, $10 yearly dues + $20 in fees, you could "own" a piece of the cabin.

Thus MDSC Cabin was born.  30 years later, thousands of runs skied, (perhaps 1000s of beers consumed) and interest and mortgage paid, the property was fully vested and the mortgage paid off.  If only Tahoe property was still that affordable!

Below: click the button for the full account in Fred Hill's own inimitable words, and check out the pictures of the 1993 mortgage burning party.  Hot times in Walnut Creek tonight! (and by that, we mean in 1993.)