his picture is approx. 50 years old, by our best estimate. The access road pictured here is now nothing more than an overgrown, rut-filled lane. It is apparent that this, at one time, was  the main access to the beach. Unfortunately, this perspective does not reveal if the waterfall was extant at that time. Remarkably, Alpine Beach has lost little of it's rustic beauty over the ensuing years. The original photo had substantial damage from a heavy object being dragged across it. Thanks to digital cloning tools we've been able to restore the photo. If any Alpiner can provide information as to the date of the photo, please contact us.

  Alpine Sales Brochure

his artist's rendering of the proposed Alpine section and the inset of the Alpine Pass reveal the strategy behind the marketing of Alpine. Recreation was the cornerstone of  Alpine. Swimming, tennis and skiing combined with "...fertile land and heavily wooded seclusion" were to lure new customers to the final section of Lake Mohawk to be developed. Alpine Pass was located at the approximate location of  the current Alpine Terrace with all home sites past that boundary eligible for the amenities offered to new buyers. These "exclusive" amenities were designed to foster a sense of "getting something extra" from these home sites. Alpine presented the Crane Company with a unique problem in that new buyers would have considerably more difficulty availing themselves of the amenities of the Country Club than previous buyers. The distance a new buyer would need to travel to get to the big lake and the clubhouse made Alpine a tough sell in an era when families generally did not have two cars. Without some added amenities, the Alpine section offered little prospect for profitable development.

he Alpine Pool started life as a small pond which was the habitat for ducks and other water fowl. It was enlarged to it's current proportions to become one of the added amenities needed to make the area attractive to new buyers. The slope that rises up from the current Alpine field was the location of a toboggan run, a lift and ski slope with designated junior and senior jumps. Not surprisingly, the tennis courts were located in the area now known as Tennis Terrace, bounded by Summit Road. A clubhouse to be known as Fort Zero was planned for the tennis courts.

Easter Sunrise Service

n early tradition at Alpine Pool was an annual Easter Sunrise service held right on the beach. A makeshift pulpit was erected and service was conducted in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday. Jim Abel, a Lake Mohawk resident since 1956, recalls that the Sunrise service was always well attended. Jim describes one occasion when the service was disrupted by Herb Kloss, one of the original developers of Lake Mohawk (along with the Crane family). On that day, Kloss drove his convertible right down the access road to the front of the pulpit , parked and jumped out to attend the service. The crowd, while offended by this brazen show of ego, could do nothing but continue with the service. As ever, rank hath it's privilege. Jim advises that the service was ultimately moved to the boardwalk at the Club to provide a nearby alternative in case of inclement weather. Also, not even Herb Kloss could drive on the boardwalk!