Caberfae Ski Club

 

About the Club

The Caberfae Ski Club is located at the base of Caberfae Peaks Ski Resort. Although the Club is private, anyone is eligible to join (subject to available openings).

Caberfae Ski Club's clubhouse building is just steps away from the Clubhouse chairlift, MacKenzie Lodge, and Blackmer Daylodge. The vintage two-story building overlooks the slopes with huge picture windows. The Club's proximity to the ski trails is unique in all of Michigan skiing.

Inside, the clubhouse features its own food service, a full bar, bathrooms, a fireplace, changing rooms, locker rooms, and several lounging areas to enjoy with family and friends.

Throughout the ski season special activities and events make the Club a center of ski and social gatherings all winter long. In addition, several off-season get-togethers keep members in touch.

Click here to see Club Improvements on You Tube. 

Caberfae Ski Club History

The history of Caberfae Peaks Resort and the Caberfae Ski Club can be seen on a You Tube video. Click here to se it.

Caberfae, the Scottish name for Stag’s Head, was granted to Colin Fitzgerald, founder of the MacKenzie family in the year 1255 by King Alexander III of Scotland, whose life Fitzgerald saved from a hunted stag deer. The name of Caberfae was applied to the land around the present ski area by Kenneth MacKenzie of Chicago back in the year 1919. Because of his ancestral background and the large number of deer herd in the area, he called it Caberfae.
 
 The area originally encompassed 28 square miles and was intended as a beef ranch. The ranch ended as a failure after 7 years and the land, in part, was purchased by the United States Government for National Forest purposes. A fire tower was erected near the top of what is now the North Peak Run (formerly known as "Number One") at the ski area.
 
 During the 1930's, some residents of Indiana, Grand Rapids and Cadillac were participating in winter sports, and were interested in starting a local ski area. The United States Forest Service co-operated, and a winter ski area was created, with a Civilian Conservation Corps building and a single ski run, known as "Number One" being built. The first ski lift, a rope tow, was powered by a Ford Model A car engine. This engine was later replaced by a Packard Motor car engine. The area now occupied by the South Peak ski runs was known as "The Bowl."
 
 The first official opening of Caberfae was held in January of 1937. In 1939 some of the originators of the ski area formed Caberfae Ski Club. The club was responsible for many improvements at the area. Operation of the ski area became too much of a burden for members of the ski club because of the geographical distribution of the membership. Therefore, operation and control of the area was turned over to a newly created group, the Caberfae Winter sports Club, Inc., which was formed by the Caberfae Ski Club and the Cadillac Chamber of Commerce. The new group was issued a non-profit permit to operate the ski area by the U.S. Forest Service. The ski area was not operated during World War II, but reopened shortly after the war ended..
 
 Ski club representatives served on the board of Caberfae Winter sports until 1968, when the organization became a "for-profit" stock holding company. In 1982, the ski area went into bankruptcy proceedings and in 1983, Cadillac Associates, forerunner of the present ownership, acquired the assets of the ski area from the bankruptcy court and assumed ownership of Caberfae Ski Area, which is currently known as Caberfae Golf and Ski Resort.
 
 During the 1930s, the club members held their meetings at the Sportsman Port Canoe Resort, located on M-55 near the area. After World War II, the club met at a Cadillac restaurant. In 1948, the club acquired a one acre parcel, which was part of the old Henderson farm directly adjacent to the ski area. During the early 1950s, the club members built the "Round Room and the "Teen Room." The first official club house opening was held on January 3, 1953. Two major additions and several minor additions have been added to give the club full food service, a club bar and lounge.

Vintage Pictures

(Click on the small picture to get a full size photo.)

	This is a photo of the first day of work at the Caberfae Ski Club. Don Thomas, pictured on the right, and other members are clearing the land for a new clubhouse. When you click to the larger picture, be sure to read the sign at the upper left.
	According to Don, this may be a picture of the first Ski Patrol at Caberfae. Don is pictured third from the right, and it will be interesting to see if current club members can identify the other people in the picture. Here's a start...The guy on the far right is a (very youthful) John Kelly.
	This is a page from a 1954 tourism guide. It was found on E-Bay and made available to us by Club members Jon and Linda Anderson.