By: randosteve|Posted on: September 10, 2008|Posted in: About Steve Romeo, Broken Link to Photo/Video | 18 comments
My Eddie Vedder wanna-be days.
When I moved to Jackson Hole in 1993, I knew no one. It was a big change for me, coming from suburban Connecticut to the wild west, but I was determined to make a go at being a ski bum. I spent my first 6 years in Jackson working in the lift operations department at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The first year I worked the Crystal Springs lift (now Sweetwater) and moved my way up the hill to the Casper chair and on to Sublette…referred to as “The Quad” by locals. After doing my time bumping chairs, I became what was referred to as a ‘lead rover’, more or less a foreman position for all the lifts on the hill….which inevitably meant more skiing on the clock. A good thing.
Sometimes I think back to those days and remember how simple life was and how important those years were in fine tuning my skiing abilities. As a liftie, you were forced to ski in every weather and snow condition imaginable, whether it was skiing icy bumps in Rendezvous Bowl in zero visibility or helping ski patrol close the mountain late in the day when not a soul would even think about skiing the Lower Faces.
I feel like Iskied a lot more back then, literally everyday, and it was all I could do to get some food into my body before I would pass out on the couch, much to the annoyance of my roommates. There was no time for girlfriends, or blogs, or even photographs, and it was all I could do to live up to the nickname I had acquired….X-Steve. Sometimes I think what it would be like to be a Village rat again, but those thoughts quickly disappear when I think how great the solitude of the backcountry is and remind myself that quality…is better than quantity.
steve, couldnt agree with you more. sometimes i think to myself maybe i should move back up to alta and just tour from there, then i think to myself i might end up skiing the resort and hanging out with crusty alta locals too much. living at a ski resort is an important part of being a ski bumb. skiing the resort every day turns you into a great skier, but what fun is it to chase around fresh pow stashes that vanish quicker than a keg of beer at the lifties house for the rest of your life. ill take steep chutes powder farming instead. i hope i never have to succum to the shame spiral of working for a resort, unless its in another country…….hmmmm….chamonix burger shack this is todd, u want some fromage on that?
yeah todd. I got tired of waiting in the lines and crossing ski tracks.
No shame in that, Todd. More like a rite of passage for any skier. I never did the lifty thing but washed dishes in Sun Valley for two winters back in ’80-’82. Strange to actually get tired of skiing by March but the simple life was precious. Unlike Steve, I had unlimited food at night but floor mopping at 1am made getting the first chair later that morning a little more arduous. I tell every person I meet who is contemplating “growing up” and getting the job, house, wife/husband thing going to go get a season pass first and be a dirtbag for a winter. The skiing skills obtained will be with you the rest of your life. That way, after you have sold out to the man and only get two weeks paid a year, you can take full advantage of that heli trip to the Chugach you saved all year for.
Good advice Brian!!!
Very timely post Steve. About this time every year I start thinking about the 9 seasons I was in the shop at the base of the Tram and wonder if I should go back. But like you say, I always end up choosing quality over quantity and start looking at new touring gear.
Plenty of it to look at too!!!!!
Dude – you could totally pass for Vedder
or the vaderr shaft in the winds? I saw it somewhere online, scared me to think of the possibilities. Spent the better 3/4 of my twenties riding in JH and moved to the east coast with only dreams of lines like the ones you have been showing, sick site man, one of my favorites. I miss every part of JH, with every breath, but hey pray for surf, least it is wet!! BW’s
Thanks Brian!
You and Kitty need to have a baby – that would put things in perspective. 🙂
And, the Eddie V. likeless is very true, especiall in the 94/95 season. Were you loading chairs with Pat Ament?
Not loading….just loaded! 😆
I remember those days well, 96-97 was my first winter and I believe you were working the quad. Tram tickets, the Soj pub and no gondola! Working in the village and living the simple life is an important rite of passage before moving onto wilder terrain.
Man…you could buy just about anything in town with those tram tickets. Lucky for me, one of my roommates back them was a ticket checker on the dock and seemed to have an endless supply.
looks like you shrunk and inch and your eyes changed color…
Inspiring Steve
Makes me want to pack up my truck.
Bryan,
You should see my birth certificate. Says my eyes are steel/blue/grey. What up with that???
What about the old Jack Wolfskin pack with the coffee mug carabiners all over it? Do you still have that or did you lose it at that PJ show in Seattle back in ’94?
Ahh yes…the old Jack Wolfskin pack.
Sold it on the Swap Shop last week.