The Ski Bum Life...

“Every skier is a morning person on a powder day.”

~ Mark Carruthers ~

After returning from Big Sky a few weeks ago, I can safely say… the ski bum life is alive & well in Montana. Sure, there’s been plenty of changes since I ventured down this road some 30 years ago in Lake Tahoe. Things like affordability, labor shortages and immigration are creating unique challenges and changing the mountain lifestyle.

Let’s step back a moment and clarify a few items before we proceed. I was never fond of the expression ski bum as I was often asked by friends and family when I was going to return to the real world and get a real job? I think a more appropriate title for my western excursion was Adventure Seeker. And, I had plenty of jobs… thank you very much. I was a ski instructor at Alpine Meadows (now Palisades Tahoe), worked as a short order cook at the River Ranch on weekends & holidays, spun records at Emma Murphy’s (DJ Markie Mark in the house) and worked as a stringer for the local newspaper.

In short… I was one busy dude.

In her wonderful book “Powder Days”, author Heather Hansman goes back to relive her glory days as a ski bum... sorry, Adventure Seeker! She ventures back to explore the cold weather lifestyle and how the subculture has changed with the passing of time and the strain of climate change. Many can argue the facts on global warming, but the statistics paint a sad tale. There is less snowfall on an annual basis and the ski season is roughly 30 days shorter than it was in the 80’s. Sad, but oh so true.

The sport of skiing is young by modern standards. Members of the elite 10th Mountain Division returning from WWII, wanted to utilize their mountains skills in the civilian world. Considering these elite Army soldiers trained in Camp Hale, CO, it was logical they returned to CO to develop ski areas - Arapahoe Basin, Vail and Aspen to name three.

Although I never had the privilege of serving in our armed forces, I had a father who worshiped the efforts of the 10th Mountain Division (and wrote extensively about them). Perhaps in a round-about-manner, skiing became a passion & lifestyle in my family.

With parents who met one another at a ski convention… I was doomed. It was inevitable I was going to be a skier at a young age. As I started waking… or wobbling… around the age of two, Red & Marge decided I had mastered the art of balance and it was time time to put Baby Mark on skis. One turn led to another and a child of winter was born. A few short years later, I found myself on the cover of the Ski Bromley brochure. Some 30 years later while living in Lake Tahoe, a group of skiers (including myself) appeared on the cover of the Alpine Meadows brochure. Call it the circle of life.

Gone are my days of skiing 100+ days per season (personal best was 150). Now I’m excited to simply get to the mountains on a regular basis. Making turns at a local ski hill in the tri-state area of NY is just as enjoyable as the big mountains of Colorado, Utah or Montana. The powder may not be the same, but I think you get my point!

We never know what the future holds; but rest assured, if I stay healthy for the next 50 years (insert smile), you’ll find me making turns somewhere on planet earth.

Until next time…

Cheers