Day 17 - January 26: A Skiing Pioneer

My 87 year old father remembers the first time he strapped on skis and, 80 years later, the last time - at Blue Hills, just down the road, where he had a season pass and could be found most afternoons.  When he was a kid, ski jumpers were the only ones on skis.  Then a man moved to his Wisconsin town who "knew how to turn on skis".  He taught my dad.  As a high school senior, my dad and his buddies took a train to Salt Lake City and skied at a brand new place called Alta.  From there, my dad continued to ski whenever and wherever he could.  He got us kids on skis as soon as we could walk, sharing his passion and teaching with patience.  Years later, Douglas and I met on a chairlift and got engaged on a chairlift - and now we're raising skiers.  I took my dad to watch Stuart and his buddies ski today.  We sat in the lodge and drank hot chocolate while Dad told me his skiing stories and I listened, hanging onto every word.