Monthly Archives: September 2022

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A Fitting Tribute

Lois and Phillip Dupre

Sitting at one of the tables reserved for friends of Lois Dupre Schuster, I was engaged in a conversation with Angel and Andy Michanowicz and Willis Croker. Willis is a bright young guy involved in commercial real estate in Pittsburgh and I ended up apologizing to him for Andy and I rehashing 50 year old ski stories of friends and events. That is kind of the way it was at the induction ceremony this weekend at Seven Springs Resort for the Pennsylvania Snow Sports Museum Hall of Fame. Willis’s grandmother Lois and her late husband Phillip were inducted this year into the Hall of Fame and it was a fitting award for two people who really shaped the soul of Seven Springs back in the day.

Lois Dupre Schuster

Lois not only developed the rental shop at Seven Springs back in the day, as well as many other services, but served as the mayor of Seven Springs Boro for 50 years. Her enthusiasm for the ski area and the people who came as guests was only matched by her late husband Phillip who was the “go to” guy for a lot of daily things at the resort in the early days. Lois said that if you needed anything, you called Phillip. He was just that kind of guy who always had a resolution for any issue and was always willing to help. Lois had a great story about the early days when a congressman and his wife arrived at Seven Springs. The hotel was booked and when asked by the congressman if there was anything Phillip could do to secure a room, he responded that he had extra beds in his home. That is just the kind of person Phillip was. 40 years of Christmas cards that came in the following years from President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty, served to show how much they appreciated the effort. They had a great time and always remembered the kindness of the Dupres.

Stories like this abounded at the induction ceremony. Rus Davies, a local legend in ski instruction and ski patroller foundations at Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and Laurel Mountain was also inducted in a most deserving way. And behind every good man is a good woman. Rus’s wife Miriam encouraged Rus all along the way in his illustrious career with the ski community.

Rus Davies

Western Pa has been widely represented in the nominations and elections to the Hall of Fame. Josef Cabe, Dick Barron, Jim McClure, Bill Bendl, Herman Dupre, Lars Skylling, Willi Klein, Doc DesRoches, and the founders of Seven Springs- Helen and Adolph Dupre. Even Olympic medalist and World Cup racer Dianne Roffe has also been inducted for her work with ski areas in Pennsylvania.

Michelle and Frank Pipak and Helen Durfee( Lois Dupre’s oldest daughter)

But as Charlie Hinchliffe and I looked about the room this weekend and at the subsequent reception at Lois’s home. we remarked that it was amazing to see how many people there look at skiing as a lifestyle and not just something that they do once in a while. People like Frank and Michelle Pipak, whose countless hours as PSIA Level III ski instructors have enriched the lives of their students in many ways. Rich Wright was there to honor Lois as he was the voice of Seven Springs for many years on the PA system. If you continued to scan the reception, it was amazing to see how well people are faring after many years. Skiing does that to you. It keeps you young and alive and enthusiastic for that first snowflake that comes as the herald of winter. There are people who ski, and then there are skiers. The people in that room and at the reception were skiers – there is a difference.

Now many of us have skied all over the world and appreciate the Rockies, the Wasatch, the Alps and other alpine venues. And although the Laurel Highlands do not offer the vertical drop of some other places in this country, the soul of skiing still exists strongly in our part of the world. We all consider the Laurel Highlands our home field and it is always great to reconnect at the beginning of the season and see our winter friends enjoying the slopes once again. The passion that the inductees into the Pa. Snowsports Hall of Fame have shown, indicates a love for something that is greater than themselves. They selflessly contributed and developed the opportunities for many of us to enjoy the sport of skiing- right here in our home state of Pennsylvania. The Eastern contingent of guests this weekend also feel the same way about their inductees from the Poconos and together, the blending at the reception of eastern Pa skiers and Western Pa skiers was really heartwarming to see.

Dupre memorabilia

As I drove home from the event, I thought about the 61 years that I have spent in the Laurel Highlands and the friends that I have made over the years. Skiing has brought so much to my life and thinking of friends who are no longer with us, but made an impact, was a bit nostalgic driving down County Line Road. Pennsylvania has a rich history in the sport of skiing, and to have it celebrated with events like the induction ceremonies this weekend, showcases the enthusiasm and passion that local skiers have for their home mountains. I am happy to have been a part of it and hopefully will have many more years on the slopes both locally and in other areas where there is another whole host of friends who share the same love of the sport of skiing. Thanks for reading, congratulations to all the inductees, and think snow!!

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Elizabeth Regina

Queen Elizabeth II

Watching the events that have transpired since the Queen’s passing, I would feel remiss if I didn’t express my feelings in my little blog about someone whom I have admired all of my life. It all started when I was a kid and my cousins from England came to visit us. Margaret and Charles introduced me to the Royal Family with their stories, their mementos that they shared with us, and left me with a book about the Queen. In the following years, I followed the Royal Family with interest, but particularly the Queen who I found out was amazingly benevolent to charities and worthy causes around the world. By circumstance, she became Queen at a young age and has ruled for 70 years- longer than I have been alive. I have followed her for all of my life and although I don’t put most political figures or monarchy figures on a pedestal- the Queen was the exception for me. I felt like I knew her for some reason and she was really a model for the citizenry of Britain and people worldwide. I know you can’t live forever and at 96- she had a full life and died peacefully at Balmoral. But something struck me that day that I still am coming to grips with now.

The procession outside of Buckingham Palace in London

When you see the amazing crowds of people who lined the streets to see the funeral procession, you can get a sense of what the British people felt about their monarch. It is said that the line to view her bier got to be 5 miles long with people waiting for days to pass by and pay their respects. The interviews with the people are so touching and in some way, I feel like I have lost someone too. People of that generation are to be greatly admired. They survived the great war, depression, and the Queen led the British for such a long time. The interesting thing is that the British economy is suffering and there are issues arising for energy this winter in the U.K. But if you ask any Brit- they will tell you that they have nothing but the highest admiration for the Queen and the pomp and circumstance of the monarchy is something that they hold with the deepest regard. They love the Queen and love the Monarchy. It is a source of pride when they tell people they are from Great Britain. Sure there is the minority who wishes to dissolve the Monarchy, but that has been put aside for the moment with the 10 days of mourning in Great Britain.

The Queen lying in State

I had the opportunity years ago to ride my road bike through Great Britain. Riding on the opposite side of the road was interesting as it was when I cycled through Ireland, but I enjoyed the challenge- riding and walking. It was an amazing journey that took me to Stonehenge, the great cathedrals of England including Salisbury Cathedral where I saw the Magna Carta. I visited Windsor Castle and saw Henry the Eight’s suit of armor. I went to the evensong services in the afternoons in the cathedrals, and sat in with the choirs. It made me think I was in Heaven listening to the angels. They were so supportive and beckoned me to come in and sit with them. I cycled around the Isle of Wight and had high tea and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. When I told the server that it was perhaps the best thing I have ever tasted, she looked at me quizzically and said,” Where are you from ? The Moon?” We had a good laugh about that one. I remember riding the T in London and exiting at all the famous sites like the Tower of London where I saw the Crown Jewels. I sat outside Buckingham Palace and thought that a woman that I admired so much was inside as I saw the Royal flag flying on the roof indicating the presence of the Queen. Everywhere I went, there were images of the Queen and Prince Phillip. Even the fire hydrants, phone booths and fence posts were adorned with a crown and the letters ER on them. This was for Elizabeth Regina and I found out later that Regina was not her middle name but really meant Queen. Elizabeth Regina- Elizabeth Queen.

What an honor these guys had.

There will be 200 heads of state attending the funeral and not one of them is admired as much as the Queen. If there was ever a leader of the free world, it was Elizabeth. People worldwide admired her, liked her, and respected her. The Prime Minister and Parliament actually run the country but nothing happened without a consultation with the Queen who was passive in her judgements but nonetheless sought out for her opinion. King Charles may be more involved but he has some mighty shoes to fill.

Speaking of King Charles- he and I have the same birthday and I always sent him a card when I was in college when he was the Prince of Wales. Never got a response but wondered if he ever got them? The Prince of Wales, c/o Buckingham Palace, London, England. LOL!!

The Queen’s generation is quickly fading away. It was said a few years ago that we were losing the Greatest Generation by 1000 a day. I think of my uncle the B-25 pilot in the great war. What he went through as a pilot and as a POW in Japan for a year. That generation was tough and I am wondering what my generation will leave people in the future? What will we leave our children and grandchildren? That is what I was thinking about when I heard of the Queen’s passing. She was a member of that generation and greatly admired. I am hoping that my son will keep and pass on the values that his mother and I have tried to instill in him. I hope that he can have some heroes like my Uncle Jack and the Queen. She was not only a monarch but in many ways, a mother to us all. Like the Brits, we looked up to her for most of our lives. RIP Elizabeth Regina. Thanks for reading.

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The Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb

The beginning of fall at Mt. Washinton, NH.

So it’s a rainy day and I am surfing around You Tube and I happen to see Phil Gaimon’s coverage of the Mt. Washington Hill Climb. Phil is a former professional in road cycling and has raced all over the world. He now has a You Tube channel where he continues to chase records on STRAVA and tours the country riding in the most iconic places and chasing records for climbs. When I saw the coverage, it brought back memories of when my pals Eric Durfee, Jack McArdle and I did it back in the mid-80s. Eric, at the time was a Category 1-2 road cycling racer and extremely fit and ended up in the top 5 overall which was a huge accomplishment. Jack and I were not in that category but I recall being respectable at the finish.

A young Pat back in the day at the start in New Hampshire.

Thinking back on that day, it was a bluebird sunny one at the bottom of the mountain and as I recall it is about 7.6 miles to the top on a road that was part asphalt and part gravel and dirt. The road today is paved to the top but at the time, it was definitely a cyclo-cross tire on the rear wheel. A fairly large group at the time started together and people started to settle in for what was a grueling climb to the top of one of the highest mountains in the East – topping out around 6,000 feet. I recall settling in and at about the halfway mark( reported to me by a bystander), it was about 46 degrees and a heavy fog. Typical weather for Mt. Washington that can change rapidly at any moment. It was windy. The highest winds recorded on earth are at the top of Mt. Washington because of its location as the epicenter of weather patterns roaring across the US and Canada. My friend Jack was behind me and he reported later that he stopped several times to get a drink out of the rain barrels that were used to cool down radiators on the descent in a vehicle. Pretty nasty stuff but he was thirsty. LOL!! Coming into the upper sections, I was able to see the summit weather station and just kept my head down and grinding the gears to approach the last several switchbacks that were reported at a 20 percent gradient. Lots of people cheering us on as I struggled to finish upright and came in with a time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. Respectable for a guy from Pa. My pal Eric from Vermont was top 5 and he was a little over 1 hour and three minutes, just to give perspective. Don’t remember what Jack’s finishing time was, but he made it and immediately stripped down at the top to his Superman briefs which garnered laughs from the crowd as he shivered to change clothes in the parking lot and put on a wool hat and parka because it was 41 degrees and sleeting.

The course marked in red.
Todays racers finishing on the 20 percent paved grade.

The interesting thing is that there is a running race up Mt. Washington as well. The winning times for the bicycle race and the running race are within a minute of each other. Phil Gaimon’s winning time this year was 51.38 which was a record. Sure he had the advantage of paved roads all the way and also the good fortune of technology of light bike design, training improvements and nutritional expertise. But nonetheless, an excellent time, and speeds up that mountain are getting faster every year. Athletes today are just so much better. But back in the day, my buddy Eric made a statement. Today there are a lot of entrants with many of them making the top to the cheers of their friends and family in 2 hours, 3 hours, or whatever it takes. Many of them ride it just to see the scenery and to say that they finished. One guy rode up there this year on a unicycle. Amazing!

As we made our way back down the mountain in Helen Durfee’s van, we were amazed that we could not ride our bikes down the hill. Even with today’s disc brake technology, you would not want to negotiate that road on a bike downhill. Even many of the parade of cars descending the Auto Road have to stop to cool the brakes. It is that steep. So happy to have seen Phil’s recording of the 2022 event as it brought back many memories of an interesting day a long time ago in the White Mountains in early fall. Thanks for reading.