By Norman Sibelius

"The MVHC snow train committee invited interested local clubs to a meeting, November 30, 1932," Vince said.

"Representatives from eight different organizations attended and discussed the results of the petition.

"A second meeting was held December 21. Several hundred people from eighteen organizations attended. It was at this meeting that I announced the formation of the Schenectady Winter Sports Club. The words winter and sports were subsequently combined and the name modified to The Schenectady Wintersports "The next day the Schenectady Gazette reported that Vince Schaefer was elected president of the new club, Hosmer Norris - vice president, Gertrude Schaefer - secretary and Lois Perret - treasurer. John Apperson, Irving Langmuir and Harry Summerhayes, all were members of the older generation and were elected directors.

"It was agreed that snow trains would be run to two different locations: Wilmington, Vermont, and North Creek, New York during the winter of 1933.

"Within a week plans were made with Fred Grant of the Boston and Main Railroad to run three trains from Scotia to Wilmington. Fred had pioneered the snow trains from Boston to a ski area in New Hampshire in 1931.

"Arrangements were also made by Guy Suits and Hosmer Norris with Mr. Gilhooley of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad to run snow trains from Schenectady to North Creek.

"Every Sunday during the winter of 1933 members of the Schenectady Wintersports Club prayed for snow. Every Thursday, Gertrude Schaefer mailed out hundreds of penny postcards notifying club members that the snow train was canceled due to lack of snow. Undaunted, club members substituted ice-skating or hiking trips for the more desired ski trips. The ski train was canceled seven times that year for lack of snow.

"In the summer of 1933, I organized an SWC trail crew that joined forces with a trail crew from the American Legion of North Creek. We widened old logging roads ran from the top of Pete Gay and Gore Mountains to highway 28 at the southern end of the Hamlet of North River. Logging roads were increased from 10 to between 20 and 50 feet in width. Later I organized the North Creek Ski Club to continue the work. Local people called "Crickers" saw skiing as a growing sport that would attract an ever increasing number of skiers to the village and stimulate the local economy.

They were eager to cooperate and were enthusiastic about cutting trails.

"In 1933, a few of my friends and I car-pooled to the parking lot at the Barton Garnet Mine. We then climbed a little way to the top of Pete Gay Mountain and skied to the highway half way between the villages of North Creek and North River. We took turns driving and made repeat trips.

Bill Gluesing, three other members of the Schenectady Wintersports Club, and I camped at the base of the Pete Gay trail over night. That weekend we made plans to cooperate with the newly formed North Creek Ski club to help cut the Rabbit Pond trail from the top of Gore Mountain directly to the village of North Creek.

"I started yet another club, the Gore Mountain Ski Club, that was a combination of the North Creek ski Club and the Schenectady Wintersports Club. The purpose of the Gore Mountain Ski Club was to construct additional trails from the top of Gore Mountain directly to the village of North Creek.

"Some of the trails we cut were: Half Way Brook 5.5 miles long Novice; Pete Gay, 4.5 miles long,

Intermediate; Cloud, 5.5 miles long, Expert, Barton Cross-country, 19 miles long, Novice to Expert. 

"North Creek quickly became famous for its long ski trails and people came to sk there from as far away as New York City.

"Bill Gluesing was Manager and Producer of the General Electric Company's House of Magic. House of Magic was a science show designed to improve the public's understanding of electricity and to encourage the use of electric appliances. He dedicated one of his shows to promote sking at North Creek. It was at that show that he introduced the slogan, Ride Up and Slide Down,' which became the theme of skiing at North Creek for many years to come. "

Vince related the story of the formation of SWC's first aid committee. "I asked Lois Perret, an attractive nurse from the local hospital if she would head the first aid committee. It did not take long for me to recognize Lois's many virtues and I proposed to her. Two years later we were married and Miss Lois Perret became Mrs. Lois Schaefer. Lois set up the first aid committee in 1933, five years before Minnie Dole initiated activities to form the National Ski Patrol System and seven years before N.S.P.S. became official.

"Lois organized a committee of four including Dot Hoyt, a high school math teacher and the club's best skier. Dot later won a berth on the 1940 Women's Olympic Ski Team. The committee made ten individual first-aid kits. The kits were carried by ten competent skiers who were trained in first-aid by the Schenectady chapter of the National Red Cross. Each first aider wore a white arm band with red cross emblazoned on it and skied with a backpack containing emergency first aid supplies.

"On March 4, 1934, skiers' prayers were answered and the first ski train headed to North Creek from Schenectady.

The age of the ski train became a reality in New York State.

The first-aid committee prepared a master first aid kit that they left in a designated car of the train. The train parked on the railroad siding in North Creek all day. The designated car was identified with a large sign that read FIRST AID STATION. Toboggans for transportation of injured skiers were located in strategic places on trails. Many procedures developed by SWC's first aid committee were later adopted by Minnie Dole and incorporated into the National Ski Patrol System. SWC first aiders became members of N.S.P.S..

"Sunday mornings, devoutly religious skiers attended church services in North Creek. Some old-timers remember the warm reception they received from the local congregation and relate their experience with a contagious rosy glow."

John Senn talked about Otto Schniebs, the famous Dartmouth College ski coach, ski instructor and promoter of skiing. " 

Otto designed some of the North Creek ski trails and helped SWC start a ski school. Many old time skiers think that Otto had more influence on skiing in America than any other single person, especially on college racing. He predated Hannes Schneider (reputed to be the father of skiing in America) by 20 years. Hannes received more publicity than Otto because of his escape from Hitler during World War II, thus he overshadowed Otto."

John said, "Otto considered skiing to be the champagne of sports. He made some of the earliest ski movies and was an advisor to the Schenectady Wintersports Club. He gave many talks, and showed movies of the latest skiing techniques at club meetings. "

The following composite sketch of Otto was taken from many sources:

Otto started skiing in his native Germany as a boy. As the political climate in Europe became more turbulent Otto's skiing became more proficient. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian in 1914 was the incident that started World War I and changed Otto's life.

Recognized for his skiing and leadership abilities, Otto was given command of a battalion of German ski troop machine-gunners. He fought against the Serbs, the Russians, the French and the Italians. He was wounded four times and was lucky to survive. Most of the soldiers under his command were killed.

Discouraged by the political intrigue in Europe he came to America in 1927. He was a sculptor and watchmaker by profession and designed watch cases for the Waltham Watch Company in Connecticut.

The Dartmouth Outing Club enticed Otto to take charge of skiing at Dartmouth in the fall of 1930. During his short career as coach of the Dartmouth College Ski Team, four of his skiers qualified for the United States Olympic Ski Team. He also founded the American Ski School in Hanover,

18 New Hampshire. He laid out trails for many ski areas including the historic Hudson Trail at the North Creek Snow Bowl. He designed narrow trails and sheltered them from the wind by incorporating many turns.

In a colorful mosaic of English words, German grammar that is backward to English, and a thick German accent, Otto was a charismatic apostle of the religion of skiing. One of his favorite expressions was, "Keep da skis more together und lead mit der schoulders." His advice is still valid. Otto extolled skiing's physical conditioning, spirited camaraderie, and the feeling of exhilaration at zooming down a trail in beautiful, quiet surroundings.

As one of the Northeast's most colorful speakers he was in constant demand. Skiers in general, and the Schenectady Wintersports Club in particular, owe a debt of gratitude to Otto Schniebs.