SKIING / BOB LOCHNER : These Miners Found a Golden Way to Stave Off the Boredom of Winter

Contrary to widespread current belief, skiing was not invented by Jean-Claude Killy.

Nor were the Squaw Valley Olympics the first ski races in America. Close, though, at least geographically.

More than 100 years before the 1960 Winter Games, in the higher elevations of California’s Sierra and Plumas counties, gold miners competed on 12-foot-long skis greased with “lightning dope.” And there was no need for post-race doping tests in that era. Blood-alcohol counts, maybe, but then a body had to stay warm between runs.

The skis, originally made from staves off the barrels brought by ship into San Francisco to supply the mining camps, were called snow-shoes at first, and provided the only means for getting around. They were used to deliver mail, to distribute food and medicine and to rescue marooned miners.

The saga of these pioneer skiers is detailed by award-winning reporter William B. Berry in a new book, “Lost Sierra: Gold, Ghosts and Skis.” Published by the Western SkiSport Museum in Soda Springs, Calif., it includes 231 original photos and maps, and may be ordered, for $25, through the Far West Ski Assn., c/o John Watson, P.O. Box 10316, Torrance, Calif. 90505.

The book’s tone is set by its editor, Chapman Wentworth, also a noted ski journalist and former editor-publisher of the Tahoe Daily Tribune, who writes in his introduction:

“It is said that men on horseback settled the West, but in Bill Berry’s ‘Lost Sierra,’ man’s ingenuity fashioned generations of strange-looking shoes first able to conquer the deep snows, then finally capable of speeds previously unknown to man. . . . The history spans more than a century: from the coming of the ‘49ers to the development of one of the largest ski complexes in the world.”

A pre-Christmas storm is improving conditions for the expected onslaught of holiday skiers in California.

Mammoth Mountain reported about a foot of fresh powder as of noon Thursday, giving it a total of three to five feet. Warming Hut II will open today to serve Chairlifts 7, 8, 16 and 17. In all, 24 of the resort’s 30 lifts will be running this weekend.

June Mountain, also owned by Mammoth’s Dave McCoy, opened for the season Thursday.

In the Southland, the four operating ski areas--Mountain High, Snow Valley, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain--picked up several inches of natural snow to provide a frosting for their machine-made base.

Mt. Baldy will open today, with skiing on its Chairlift 2.

Skiing Notes

The last World Cup Alpine races before the holiday break are scheduled today and Sunday, with the men competing in a downhill and a slalom at St. Anton, Austria, and the women going in a giant slalom at Serre Chevalier, France. Alberto Tomba of Italy tops the men’s standings with 640 points, 59 more than runner-up Paul Accola of Switzerland. Vreni Schneider of Switzerland is the women’s leader with 280 points, 29 ahead of Petra Kronberger of Austria.

The U.S. Pro Tour makes its third stop of the season, this weekend at Nashoba Valley, Mass., outside Boston. Defending champion Bernhard Knauss of Austria, with 130 points, holds a 35-point edge over second-place Torjus Berge of Norway. Knauss’ earnings of $28,331 are more than double Berge’s $14,158. Former U.S. racer Felix McGrath is tied for 13th with 30 points and $3,000. Another American, three-time World Cup champion Phil Mahre, plans to enter only a few races later in the season.

Donna Weinbrecht, 26, of West Milford, N.J., won her second mogul event on this season’s World Cup freestyle circuit Tuesday at Piancavallo, Italy, establishing herself as the Olympic favorite next February at Albertville, France, where it will be a medal sport for the first time. The freestylers will compete this weekend at Morzine, France. . . . “Subaru Ski World,” with Bob Beattie back as host for another season, will be shown on ESPN today at 4:30 p.m., followed at 5 by taped highlights of last weekend’s U.S. Pro Tour action at Mt. Snow, Vt.