Volunteers in long-running club support community skiing in Plumas County
Longtime Plumas Ski Club supporter and volunteer Phil Gallagher works on the windows of the historic Intorff Lodge at the Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl. More volunteers are needed for a range of tasks in support of community skiing. Photos by Chris CoughlinDo you love skiing and snow sports? Want to see more opportunities close to home here in Plumas County? Consider volunteering with the Plumas Ski Club!
The club, which was formed in 1950, is a registered 510(c)3 nonprofit organized to promote community skiing activities. Its primary mission is to raise funds and carry out tasks necessary for the continued maintenance and eventual reopening of the Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl, part of Plumas-Eureka State Park, as a ski area.
The Plumas Ski Club also presents historical reenactments of 1860s-era ski racing at annual longboard ski race events. These family-friendly happenings are open to the public, both to attend and compete. The first longboard races of 2020 were held Jan. 19; additional races are scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 16, and Sunday, March 15, dependent on snow conditions.
Plumas Ski Club is overseen by a volunteer board of directors, and volunteers are always enthusiastically welcomed, said club president Don Fregulia.
“We need all kinds of assistance, but something we can really use help with is volunteers for race day and the day before,” he said. “We have a myriad of tasks that we need help with from registering racers and setting the brackets, to shoveling the deck and cleaning the lodge.”
In addition to help on race days during the winter, the club works on larger tasks at other times during the year, when members can drive to the site’s historic Intorff Lodge.
“We typically hold between five and 10 general ‘work days’ for tackling larger projects,” said Fregulia. “This past year it was installing the new generator and bringing the lodge electrical wiring up to code. This year we are focused on the water system and the bathrooms, which are close to being completed. Specifically we need to make the water system potable and cold-weather-proof so the lodge and bathrooms are simple and efficient to use year-round.”
Fregulia said the board is also looking for volunteers interested in helping secure funding for the club’s biggest project: installing a ski lift.
“We are looking for folks that are interested in putting together our selling points so we can try and gather large sponsorship to raise the needed capital,” he said. “Money is our limiting factor right now. We have the backing of State Parks; they want to see this project go.”
Plumas Ski Club volunteers sign up as California State Parks volunteers; club work days are usually advertised via email, said Fregulia. “We like to have fun! If you are interested in a community-based ski hill for the local community this is the path forward. That is why I donate my time. I grew up in between Quincy and Johnsville and I want to ski here.”
Ready to learn more? Check out the club’s website at plumasskiclub.org, and search for “World Championship Longboard Races” on Facebook. For more information, or to start volunteering, contact Fregulia at [email protected]
The club also welcomes new members; memberships cost $20 and are required to race on longboard skis. Monetary donations are welcomed as well, and all financial contributions are tax-deductible.
Ingrid Burke has been volunteering in Plumas County for the past decade; she moderates the Plumas County Volunteers Facebook group. Contact her at [email protected]
