Club and the Forest Service. Three tows are now in operation at Spout Springs. The terrain is favorable, as well as the snow conditions for most of the winter. One small warming hut was constructed by the Blue Mountain Ski Club. The size of the hut and other facilities is far from adequate to accommadate the level of demand. A large amount of work was done on ski runs, tows, and tow houses, mostly contributed by skiers. It was expected that the number of recreational visitors at Spout during the winter of 1948 and 1949 would total 15,000 to 20,000. 1956: First Ski Season and there have been large crowds out on the Spout Springs Winter Sports Area, averaging about 1,500 people per weekend. The JC ski school on Saturday is well attended by two hundred juniors. It is not uncommon to see 6 or 7 chartered busses in the parking lots on Saturdays plus 100 cars. We had our first lost skiers on the night of January 29. We started organizing a search plan at 12:30 AM on January 30. The advanced searchers found the men about 7 AM. They had dug into a snow bank for shelter and kept each others feet from freezing by tucking them under each other's armpits. They suffered some frostbite of the feet but no permanent damage. Both were students at Walla Walla College, one of whom came from Austria. 1958 Spout Springs Skiing: There was less snow at Spout Springs than any time in the last decade, during November and December. Desperate skiers were using the high hill successfully, on less than 12 inches of snow. The interesting thing about this is that the number of skier visits was about normal and Ski Club income was normal. 1959 Spout Springs Spout Springs Ski Area is continuing to expand with the moving of one tow to a larger, more desirable location and the installation of a new T-bar lift in place of the two rope lifts in front of the lodge. These new additions should handle the anticipated increase of skiers this year. Additional tows and increased skiing areas are planned for future development with a continual increase in winter sports use of the Spout springs ski area will be guaranteed with new facilities available and improved skiing areas. A new ski venture will be started by the organization of a ski club