Category Archives: Friendship

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Running on a Prayer

Back when I was getting tired of playing tennis, I saw a guy run by the tennis courts every day. You could set your watch by him and I decided in a very Forrest Gump way, that I wanted to run. I started out with some guys that I met and in no time……I was a runner. I entered races and even marathons eventually, and really liked the feeling when I was finished running. Kind of like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop. But running became my life before I got into cycling. Even then, I still ran in the winter but eventually gave that up to preserve my knees for skiing and road cycling and mountain biking. But suffice to say, I always enjoyed running in one way or another. I passed that enthusiasm to my friend from work-Danny Sigmund.

When I first started working at Armada Supply Chain Solutions, I met Danny who was s supervisor in the warehouse. He was real friendly and liked the fact that I was into running as he was as well. He was also very interested in staying in shape and the two of us had many talks walking the warehouse floor. He taught me a lot about supply chain and how Armada fit into the McDonald’s system. I was looking for all the information I could get at the time and Danny was always willing to talk and relate his experiences in serving the system. I always joke that we work for a clown- Ronald. You know. The guy with the red hair and the big red shoes. In any event, Danny loved his work and his enthusiasm spilled over to me as a relative newcomer to his world . I was working in customer and field service and needed a lot of information and help from the warehouse and Danny was always willing to provide any help he could.

One day he took me aside and told me in confidence that he had been diagnosed with cancer. It was not good and he needed a friend in a very real way. I tried to be there for him and we had a lot of talks about the “what ifs” and how his wife and family would be affected. As his case was pretty terminal, I felt the need to share my faith with him to explain the Good News and that there was a better world waiting for him if he was willing to believe. I gave him a very treasured picture in a little silver frame that my wife Janet had given to me. It was a picture of a runner with the verse from Paul’s letter to the Phillipians. Phillipians 3 verses 13-14 which talks about running the race and seeking the prize in Christ Jesus. You can see it above and below. I treasured this piece because it was from Janet and featured a scripture that referenced running. I gave it to Danny and told him the story about how Janet had given it to me. He was touched and appreciated the gesture and took it home as a reminder to stay the course and trust the Lord in all things – even with this very grim diagnosis.

Danny eventually succumbed to his illness and we were all distraught at work because we had lost such a good guy and a brave and relentless fighter. Danny’s wife was so appreciative of all the nice gestures from the company and the many friends that Danny had made there. Then the unthinkable happened. A few weeks after the funeral, Danny’s house burned down and virtually nothing was left. His family was devastated and everyone once again went into overdrive to help his family. It is amazing how tragedy follows some people and I really felt for the Sigmund family in a most heartfelt way. There was really nothing you could say that could possibly comfort them after the tragic loss of their husband and father and unthinkable devastation of losing a house to a fire. We all did our best at the company but after a time, the focus kind of waned and life kind of moved on. I tried to keep in touch but after a while, the Sigmunds regrouped and went on with their lives.

A while later, I received a letter from Danny’s wife and it was enclosed in a box containing my framed verse from Phillipians. I was stunned as I kind of forgot about it but was so glad to see it. The letter said that the picture meant so much to Danny as he explained to the family that it came from my wife Janet. They went on to describe in the letter that everything in their house was basically destroyed with the exception of a very few things which included this little frame and verse. They were amazed that it survived the fire and wanted me to have it back. We all chatted a few times after that and now that framed picture is sitting on my bookcase reminding me to run for the ultimate prize. It also reminds me of my wife Janet and her kindness. And finally Danny, who was comforted in his last days with the uplifting and positive message from the apostle Paul.

This taught me some lessons. Always share your faith because you never know when or how much your care and concern will matter. Share your treasures with your friends as they will most likely need them more than you. And finally, always be that friend to someone in need- no matter what. Even if it is inconvenient, late in the day, at a bad time, whatever. Be that friend that you can count on. Keep running that race. Thanks for reading.

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Still At It

The Minarets as seen from the top of Mammoth Mountain, California

When I say still at it, yes! Just came back from some amazing skiing in Mammoth Mountain, California. A real treat and was still at it for the winter of 2022-2023. A bonus trip came my way with my good friend Eric Durfee. But “still at it” also means that I am still skiing with my friend Eric for over 45 years.

Yours truly and Eric Photo courtesy of Eric Durfee
Yours truly and Eric roughly 43 years ago at Tuckerman Ravine, New Hampshire

We have had great adventures skiing, and this week was another on our list. The skiing in Mammoth was incredible for May. Mid Winter conditions with so much snow that they believe they will ski until September. I took a 5:15 AM flight out of Pittsburgh last Monday and arrived in Reno at 9:20 AM and Eric picked me up at the airport and we drove the scenic RT.395 to Mammoth. We were in the chairlift by 1:40 after I changed in the parking lot. Boxer shorts flapping in the wind. The week gave us interesting weather as it was usually sunny in the morning and clouded up significantly in the afternoon which made the visibility late in a day a little challenging up top. But we made our way to the lower runs and did just fine.

Added bonus skiing with Bill Boucher at left( friend from Seven Springs, Pa) and Pat Feeney of San Francisco. Have not skied with Pat for 40 years. It was wonderful to see him. Both of these guys still ski well. Photo courtesy of Eric Durfee

The great thing about skiing with Eric is his enthusiasm for the sport. 121 days on the snow this year and would have had 14 more if he had not injured his thumb. But he is a student of the game of skiing, and has really worked hard on getting his turns to be more in line with modern technique instead of old school. I am old school too in that I ” A- Frame”, which basically means that I can have my weight on the downhill ski but the inside ski is rather docile. But we worked on a lower stance, a wider stance, and moving the inside knee actively into the turn like the racers do. Eric has it down pretty well and I am getting there. Nice to work on something new at 68 years of age. Generally speaking, Eric and I can ski anything, but working the new technique with the skis that work well with that kind of technique is really enjoyable. We had the wives with us in Oregon recently and that was a lot of fun skiing with Helen and Janet. But to have a bonus week with your friend of 45 years, ripping GS turns, and getting the added treat of some fresh snow was truly memorable.

Speaking of racers, the US Women’s Speed Team was there this week. We really got to see the edge angles and the inside knee move into the turns.
Dave’s Run off the top of the Gondola.
Our fresh tracks after a 9″ snowfall one night. Total accumulation at Mammoth summit this season is over 900 inches. A record. Photo courtesy of Eric Durfee

Groomers getting ready for a summer full of camps and park activity. Photo courtesy of Eric Durfee

But the really memorable thing about being “still at it” is that I can see Eric maybe a couple of times a year, but when we get together, it is as if I had never left. Isn’t that the way it always is with a good friend? We take up right where we left off and continue to tell our old stories and make new ones along the way. When you can drive for three hours each way, and stay for a week and not run out of any conversation, you know you have a great friend. We talk politics, skiing, and life in general and he always has some sage advice for me as well as a way to shed some light on topics in a different way than I hear most of the time. They say to have a friend is to be a friend and Eric definitely embodies that sentiment.

So yes- we are still at it. Skiing is a great sport and it gives us an excuse to get together and enjoy the mountains. We are getting older and we realize our limitations, but for the most part, we are in good shape and can still enjoy making turns and look forward to doing it for many years to come. I have made many friends through skiing, and am perhaps one of the only people around my neck of the woods that gets a little bummed out when winter is over. As I sharpened and waxed my skis for the last time this season, I was a little down. But I look forward to the next season and will enjoy the summer activities with the mountain bike crowd. But when those first flakes start to fall later this year, I will be ready for 2023-2024. Thanks Eric for always keeping me in the game. Thanks for reading.

Photo courtesy of Eric Durfee

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The Worlds Collide

Fun times at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon

You know, one of the cool things about ski trips is that you can get together with a lot of your friends and have a great time in the mountains and afterwards at apres ski. I have been trying to get the four couples on this trip together for a long time. The Chetlins who are part time residents of Bend, the Durfees of Lake Tahoe, the Hutchinsons from Vermont, and the Girones- fomerly from Pittsburgh and now full time residents of Bend, Oregon. They all have their own different worlds of existence but they all collided finally last week at a really fun time in Bend and Mt. Bachelor. I have been trying to get the Chetlins, the Durfees and the Girones together because of their mutual love of camping with their truly amazing vehicles. Once they got to know each other, they got a good look at their respective camper vehicles and there was a lot of chatter in the parking lot at an impromptu tailgate to celebrate Tim Girone’s birthday.

The Girone’s fabulous tailgate and their amazing Mercedes camper van.
The Durfee Sportmobile

The Hutchinsons and the Chetlins have their own camper vehicles but generally use them in the summer months and Janet and I are the only ones who do not partake. However it was cool to see all parties discussing camping and their vehicles in the parking lot last week.

The gang at the Girone tailgate.

Another two worlds that collided positively last week were the Hutchinsons and the McCloskeys. We have been trying to get Nancy Hutchinson and Janet together to ski and it finally happened. They had a great time skiing together and their friendship bonded through the week on the slopes and off.

Nancy and Mark Hutchinson at Mt. Bachelor

Mark and I have skied together for 25 years and Eric and Helen Durfee and I have skied consistently together for 45 years. Recently my wife Janet has joined this mix and it is nice to have all the couples together on the slopes and telling tales afterwards over a cold beer.

But the final world to collide with all of us was the Chetlin world. Jeff and Julie were really the glue behind last weeks collision as they made everyone feel welcome in their adopted hometown of Bend and also their favorite ski area- Mt. Bachelor, as well as in their beautiful home.

Janet and Julie – pals forever.
Jeff the ringleader.

Jeff is nothing short of amazing. Part of the experience for all of us on this trip was to see Jeff make beautiful ski turns down the mountain. He also rode his fat bike and it was gratifying to see a guy who almost two years ago suffered a debilitating stroke and made an amazing comeback with the help of all of his friends and his wonderful wife Julie. On trips like this, memories are made and to see all these people come together and ski, talk about van camping, discuss food and wine from the Willamette Valley, enjoy all that Bend has to offer was spectacular. And to see Jeff back in his element with his friends and making classic turns down the mountain with excellent balance was a dream come true.

Now the finale to this story, is the fact that I love to do this. Part of my mission in life is to get like minded people together to experience each other as friends. Some people joke that I don’t really have to do this, because they like to do their own thing, and I understand that. But it is important to me to try to get people of similar interests together. Friendships are forged through memories and to create some new ones with new people getting together is something special. Mt Bachelor is an amazing mountain and the weather can be ruthless but the skiing is top notch and we all enjoyed our days on this beautiful mountain/volcano. It served as the backdrop to a really fun week with really fun people. Many of whom had met for the first time. Hats off to the Hutchinsons for getting the wheels in motion. One last thing……………Bend people are cool. So nice, considerate, and just plain friendly. Why wouldn’t they be? They all live and play in a great part of the country and they enjoy all that it has to offer year round. If you haven’t been to Bend, check it out. And take some friends along. Thanks for reading.

The majestic Mt. Bachelor
The ultimate fun seekers- the Girones.
Left to right- Julie, Helen, Janet, yours truly, Eric, and Richard the Bend locaL

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A Tough Winter

Lake Tahoe Region

Depending on how you look at it……. it has been a tough winter. If you live out west, you have had colossal snows and are probably getting weary of shoveling, road closures and roofs that are buried in snow. As a skier, you have perhaps had one of the best winters in years but still tough to get around. We missed new snow on our recent week in Utah, but the sunshine was welcome that week. My powder skis are still collecting dust, but maybe I will get to use them at the end of the month on our trip to Oregon? But suffice to say, the west is buried in snow and at least it will end the tough drought conditions out there.

Back here in the mid-Atlantic, it has been a tough winter from a skier’s perspective. I always say that if you live here, you can’t always be out west and you have to make the best out of local ski conditions and local ski areas. Unfortunately, this has been a thin one, but our local areas have done a good job of making snow and grooming and trying to give us the best conditions that they can muster in spite of challenging odds. Vail’s first year or ownership has shown promise, in my opinion, because they have been really challenged in their first year of operating our local areas. Lots of comments pro and con out there and lots to do in the coming summer to get ahead of things for the next ski season ( think expanded snowmaking and new chairlifts), but Vail is data driven and sees the potential of keeping local skiers satisfied.

That being said, we have skied in a lot of icy conditions, rain, poor visibility to get our days in. We all talked about how much work it is to get the days in and what we have to put up with in years like this. But the Epic Pass has brought out all the diehards and the numbers of people skiing are increasing despite marginal conditions.

Skiing the strips

As a skier, it is disheartening to see all the rain we have had lately and the warm temperatures especially when the ski season around here is limited to 4 months at best. We do take our trips which kind of salvage the winter, but this season has been a struggle locally, and there is the need to follow the snow and somewhere within local distance. Enter Ellicottville, New York.

EVL as it is called is a nice shot in the arm when you are jonesing for winter. This week, my pals Porter Scott and Hiller Hardie and I made the decision to get out of Dodge for two days and take in Holimont and Holiday Valley up in EVL. A great decision seeing that as soon as we got to Meadville, the ground was turning white from the Lake Erie snow machine and it was starting to look like winter again. The three hour drive is well worth it and we always say that if it was a little closer, we would all opt to ski there all the time as a “local” option.

Porter and Hiller at Holimont
Lots of skiing history at Holimont and Greer Hill.
Nice to ski packed powder and some loose fresh Lake Erie fluff.

Ellicottville is a great town with ski and bike shops, great restaurants, and specialty shops. It is like a little New England ski town planted right in the middle of Western New York. For us, the short trip was just what the doctor ordered with snow everywhere and sunny conditions which brightened our spirits and kind of jump started the winter again for us in the beginning of March. We felt like we were getting robbed with an early ending, and that Phil the rodent, was less than truthful in his prediction. But we gave him a pass as we made our way into the Alleghenies of Western New York.

One thing about skiing with Porter and Hiller is that they are two friends who are as passionate about skiing as I am. Part of all the fun is the enthusiastic conversation about skiing on the chair lift and at dinner. We pull out all the old stories and as the saying goes” the older we get, the better we were.” But the undertone is that we all want to stay in shape so that we can continue to ski for a long time barring any catastrophic events. We love to ski and although we live in the mid-Atlantic, we make the best of it and try for as many days as we can. My wife thinks I am obsessed and maybe I am? I am passionate about some things and to me, there is no better feeling in the outdoors than a good carved turn on some nice groomed runs. And to ski fresh loose snow is always a bonus. Lake Erie fluff, as I call it, is special and to us- well worth the drive.

So until Oregon, I will try to finish up around here and again applaud Vail for trying their best. Riding the chair lift with brown grass below is not very appealing but making turns is, and after the season, it is a long 8 months until I can have that feeling again. Thank for reading.

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The Beer Can

The Mt. Allen Tram- affectionately known as The Beer Can.
Photo courtesy of Amy Phillips.

There are a lot of iconic lifts at ski areas that most people always remember. The single chair at Mad River Glen, Vermont, Chair 23 at Mammoth, and this one at Snowbasin, Utah among others. Affectionately known as ” The Beer Can”, the Mt.Allen Tram has roughly a 12 person limit depending on the size of the people. I returned to Snowbasin last week with my wife and some good friends, and three of us decided to take a ride in The Beer Can before lunch. There are a lot of folks who take the John Paul chair lift to the John Paul Lodge up top for a scenic ride and view. They have lunch at the John Paul Lodge and then if they are adventurous, they take the Mt. Allen Tram all the way to the top to take in a breathtaking view of Ogden, Utah down to the left and the massive Wasatch Mountains to the right. They then get back in the Beer Can and take their spectator descent back to the base lodge. But for those who choose to ski from the top like the three of us before lunch last week, it is always an interesting experience.

Listening to the Snowbasin guide at the top, she has a document that she reads outlining all the do’s and dont’s of the skiing experience from the top of the Mt. Allen Tram. Don’t ski beyond the ropes as there is no rescue available from the ski patrol. Ski under control and other warnings fitting for what was the top of the Men’s Downhill at the 2002 Olympics. You can see the start house on the right in this photo above. But the interesting descent is a knife edge trail that leads to the slope right below the start house. As the rest of our crew that day went in to have lunch, three of us decided to have a go of the skiing opportunity.

My wife Janet and me on the John Paul Chair

Judy Smith, Ralph Phillips and I ascended the stairs to the tram and joined a bunch of younger “dudes” in the tram and began our ascent. The interesting thing about skiing is that it puts together people of all ages. We could have been the parents of these kids or maybe even the grandparents because I am not sure of age these days. Hard to tell with all the helmets and facemasks but the “dude” this and ” dude” that kind of gave it away. They kind of looked at us like ” what are you old dudes doing with us?” And we looked at them kind of the same way. But again, skiing unites all ages and sometimes people surprise each other. I looked at Ralph and Judy and said, “let’s go before we have to fight these “dudes” for a piece of the narrow trail in front of us.” We were halfway down before they saw us,and it was probably a good thing. Sometimes experience wins the day and maybe they thought that the old dudes and dudette could handle themselves despite their initial reaction to us in the tram.

After a nice lunch together in the John Paul Lodge, our group enjoyed all that Snowbasin had to offer. The views are breathtaking, there is something for everyone including the endless runs off the Strawberry Gondola. At the end of the day, Mike and Judy Smith and I took a few flyers on the Wildflower Downhill which was part of the Women’s Downhill at the 2002 Olympics. Steep and a little ungroomed, it proved a little bit of a challenge but great fun.

The Flying Smittys, Janet and me.
The beauty of Snowbasin.

I think a lot about that Beer Can though. You can see Austrian Leonhard Stock’s name on the outside of the tram as he was the gold medalist at the 2002 Olympics in the men’s downhill. I think about all those athletes that were transported to the start in the Beer Can and as I always look down from the start, I think about how they hit 60 MPH quickly and then hit a compression at the bottom of that face. Downhillers are fearless and skilled and the Mt. Allen Tram saw the world’s best that day. If you ever get the chance to ski Snowbasin, don’t miss the Mt. Allen tram and don’t miss eating lunch at the John Paul Lodge and take in some truly spectacular scenery. Thanks for reading and think snow. We need it here in the East.

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The Operative Word is…..” Yes.”

Winter Hike with the Bride.

You know, last time I referred to a saying in my post that goes like this. ” You don’t quit skiing because you get old, you get old because you quit skiing.” You could really plug in any activity there. ” You don’t quit golf because you get old, you get old because you quit golf.” Really any activity you could plug in there and the lesson is still valid. I remember talking to Scot Nichol of Ibis Bikes one time and asked how long he thought we could ski and mountain bike like we do, and his answer is one that I always reference and think about. Scot says” Don’t even think about it Pat. Just keep doing it.” So true. Whenever you ask any older person what keeps them going they always say………” keep moving.”

So, the other night Jan and I were out to dinner and we ran into some folks that we knew. Had a nice conversation and the question came up whether we were still skiing. We said “of course” and they kind of chuckled when I asked them if they still skied, and they sadly said no. They said they thought they were getting too old and they didn’t want to get hurt at their age. The saying above immediately came to my mind but I didn’t verbalize it. I just left things go and Janet and I left the restaurant thinking that our path in life is a pretty good one. We are blessed for sure and we keep moving. When someone wants to do something, we just say “yes.” It is just the two of us now and we tell people all the time that we are flexible and can make some spur of the moment decisions.

The Smittys. Our skiing and snowshoeing pals.
Lifelong friends- The Birsics

Soon we will be heading west to ski with our pals from Philly – the Smiths, and our local Park City resident friends, the Birsics, on what has become an annual affair at Deer Valley. We all comment on how there are fewer and fewer of us who still ski together and how important it is to keep going. The days and years go so quickly now that the operative word ” yes” is even more important. We will also ski this winter out in Bend with our friends, the Chetlins, the Hutchinsons, and the Durfees. Jan and I are the common denominator on this trip introducing our friends the Chetlins to our other skiing pals- the Durfs and the Hutch’s. We really like making introductions like this so that new adventures can be shared with some new friends. So important to keep like minded couples together doing things well into our older years. We met the Hutchinsons through the Durfees and now the Hutchinsons and the Durfees will meet the Chetlins through us. Kind of a cool dynamic with active couples who keep doing things together.

Julie and Jeff Chetlin hiking at Laurel Mountain.
Lifelong friends the Durfees from Lake Tahoe.
Vermonters Mark and Nancy Hutchinson hiking in their beloved Green Mountains.

So I guess the point of this virtual Venn diagram is to point out that as we age, we need to keep active and keep friendships going. It takes work, as we all know, to schedule things with friends. But it is so important. Time flies so fast and if you don’t keep in touch, the years fly by and your friends become nothing more than a memory. This year, Jan and I will also start taking some bucket list trips that we have the time to do now. We don’t want it to get to the point where we said, ” we really should have gone here and there and now it is too late.” Do things with your friends, schedule trips with your friends, do the bucket list trips, and make the operative word” yes” part of your senior vocabulary. Thanks for reading.

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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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The Adventuremen

The Adventuremen plus Julie!!

Organized mountain bike rides are usually a lot of fun, especially when they are in the Laurel Highlands. Great trails, sunshine, beautiful state forest greenery, and challenging rock sections. But this day was special among the scores of organized rides at this time of year. http://www.adventuremen.org was the host with the founder Greg Nass at the helm. Adventuremen is an organization of Christian men who enjoy the outdoors together. The signature event is Adventurefest which is a camping event the weekend before Father’s Day. Great speakers, bonfires, mini-bike riding, fishing, Harley riding, mountain bike riding at Raystown, basketball, air cannons, drones, and a plethora of other activities that make the weekend a blast. The venue is at Agape Farm and I have posted on it before. Great group of guys and a great event. But Greg and I decided it was time to branch out from the fest and perhaps schedule some outside events like the ride at Laurel Mountain. It was special on many fronts.

Our fearless leader- Greg Nass.

First of all, my pal Jeff Chetlin came with his wife Julie- even though technically it is a men’s event. Julie rides the rocks better than anybody though, and she was a welcome addition. Jeff, as I have posted before, is returning from a stroke about a year ago and this was his first ride back on some technical trails. Our buddy Pete and Jeff rode together and it was amazing that Jeff has made the comeback due to a lot of hard work on his part and answered prayer. Julie rode the rocks with us. Jeff will ride them soon.

Next amazing story was my pal Tom Tiernan. He has come back twice from cancer and was in terrific shape. Tom pays a lot of attention to his fitness and it showed on the ride in the Laurels. He is an amazingly enthusiastic guy despite some pretty major health setbacks. He enjoys life and really likes mountain bike riding as well as road cycling. He is back and his health and fitness show it. And he talks the whole ride- can’t figure it out. He must have lungs of iron. He and I wouldn’t let anyone else get a word in edgewise. LOL!!!

The group was rounded out by the dentists- Steve Gurtner, and his pals Brad and Sean. All great riders with whom I have ridden many times. Along with Steve’s son Dan who decided to ride with the old guys this day. Julie and Jeff were in the dental field as well and if any one of us had any issues with our teeth on the ride- well we were covered. Roger Evans brought his posse up from West Virginia. Roger and I ride at Adventurefest every year at Raystown and it was great to see him again. My pal Sandy McKee came along and all in all- 16 riders of different backgrounds, faiths, believers, non-believers, and general good guys all hooted and hollered as we left the parking lot after a thoughtful prayer by Greg asking for protection. Greg also asked for prayer requests which were numerous in coming.

The West Virginia Boys and Pete.
Steve and Dan at Wolf Rocks- watching for rattlers.
Sandy taking a breather.

The cool thing about the outing was that even though it was sponsored by a faith based outdoor organization, there was nothing uncomfortable about it. Everyone, no matter if you have faith or no faith, likes to have a prayer said on their behalf. Greg handled it with grace and it was well received. The misnomer about a lot of Christian men is that they are extremists, right wing, condescending when nothing could be further than the truth. Real Christians recognize that they are sinners and in need of the Savior. There was no uncomfortable discussion, no shoving anything down anyone’s throat, just plain fun in the mountains on our bikes. Christian guys are not weirdos. Just come to Adventurefest and see for yourself. They know the good news of the Gospel and are willing to share it, only if asked. Just normal Joes like the most of us. No need to be intimidated by Christian men whose battle cry at the front of the pack was “Halle……….then the back of the pack responds ……..lujah.” And the whole group chuckles and keeps riding.

Mountain biking is a cool way to get 16 guys together and 1 cool lady for some exercise and fun in the woods, with some great dialog. People have issues, or have friends and family with issues, and no better people to discuss them with than the guys from Adventuremen at what they call ” Dirt Church.” I am happy to be associated with them and in fact Greg asked me to be on their board. I was truly honored. So guess what he gets out of me? An enthusiastic guy who organizes fun rides or as I call them Pleasant Pat Peddling. I am going to try to organize some more rides, hikes and even a ski day or 2. Check with me or http://www.adventuremen.org. Adventuremen on Facebook and Dirt Church on Facebook. If you have interest, join one of these FB groups and get all the latest information on rides and events. Greg, Shark, Pete and I invite everyone and it is amazing who God puts together. Normal people – mountain bike riders – in the woods, discussing life and its ups and downs, and how faith in the Lord can fuse it all together. Thanks for reading.

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Send It

UCI World Cup Snowshoe- home of the “Senders”

So I go into Trail Flo Bikes the other day to pick up my mountain bike after a minor repair and after I say “thank you” for the quick service the owner, Tom Florcik, says to me- “send it.” I kind of chuckled because I always liked this expression of devil may care bravado. He basically was saying – ” take your bike Pat and go throw caution to the wind.” “Send it”.

Women’s UCI Downhill- Snowshoe, WVA

Now when you go to a World Cup mountain bike event, and watch the downhill, you see some real senders. They absolutely have no fear and go as fast as they possibly can to win. They stand in the starting gate and you hear their coaches and team mates say “send it” right before they launch into the course. If you have any thoughts of slowing down at any point, you are out of the top ten. Similarly, if you watch any of the Red Bull Rampage out in Utah- you see some amazing scenes of guys and gals riding impossibly steep descents complete with back flips off jumps. They send it for sure, again with no fear. Well, maybe a little bit in the starting gate, but for the most part, they are amped to compete.

Corbett’s Couloir- Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

I can remember standing on the edge of Corbett’s Couloir in Jackson Hole, back in the day, and thinking of where I was going to slide in and make my first turn. Something in me said, ” send it” and I went for it in my own way. Today’s kids start roughly 100 yards above the couloir and do a back flip into the abyss in the Kings and Queens of Corbett’s much to my amazement. Their meaning of “send it” is much different than mine. Today- at my age, I like to ride to ride another day and also stay on the ground. Mountain biking is exercise for me and not hucking off some cliff or big rock outcrop. Skiing is making nice turns and staying on the ground as well. “Send it” is a relative term these days.

Looking down from the summit of Mammoth Mountain, California.

I like to think that occasionally I can rise to the occasion and be like Toby Keith when he says, ” I ain’t as good as I once was, but I am as good once as I ever was.” Nice thought but for the most part only dreaming. ” Send it” today has a much different meaning to me than what it means to today’s generation.

Attitude plays a big part too in “sending it.” Take Missy Giove here back in the day after her loss in the dual slalom at the NORBA Nationals in Snowshoe. I rode up the chairlift with her and she was quite engaging and talkative, but you could tell she was pissed that she lost. She then got off the chair and launched herself back down the course with the attitude of ” send it” in a much different meaning. Kind of funny – the crowd thought so too.

Missy the Missile

When I think of the term, ” send it”, it conjures up nerves. I think about getting out of your comfort zone and with a little bit of reckless abandon, you do something you might not ordinarily do . You have to get the negative ” what if” out of your head and think positive. That can have consequences or if you pull it off, it will have you ” smiling like a butcher’s dog.” Even though I am fairly conservative these days, there are the occasions when I will try something relatively imposing, but that is the rare occasion. Getting hurt takes a little more healing time and you have to face the reality that you are not 25 years old anymore. ” Send it” might be something relatively docile compared to the old days.

I do think there are ways though these days where you can ” send it” under different circumstances. For instance, my friends who live in Florida volunteer for Samaritan’s Purse. They live a comfortable life in Florida but when SP calls, they are deployed to some really needy places in the world. They probably think, ” ahh, do we really want to go?” But then they “send it” and off they go to places and people who really need their help. We can ” send it” the same way when we have a friend in need, a sick neighbor, someone who needs some comfort or friendship, maybe some help with something with which you really are not familiar but you are willing to go out on the limb to help. You think, ” ahh, not now. I really don’t feel like doing that.” But as you stare into the possibilities that it might not work out, or you will be ridiculed, or you maybe can’t quite pull off the task, you ” send it” and hopefully come out smiling like that butcher’s dog.

Another sender.

My mother always said that ” Happiness is like a perfume. You can’t sprinkle it on others without getting a little on yourself” You feel good when you are able to help someone. Maybe you don’t feel like doing it or getting involved? But you pick yourself up and go for it. It is usually worth the effort.

Most of us will never be like the Red Bull athlete, or the World Cup MTB downhiller, but in our own way we can ” send it”. Look for the opportunities, think about standing in that start line of life, not sure of what will come by throwing caution to the wind, and …………………………..” send it!” Thanks for reading.

Snowshoe title picture courtesy of Steve Gurtner

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My Neighbor the Southpaw

PITTSBURGH – 1987: Pitcher John Smiley #57 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during a Major League Baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium in 1987 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

A couple of years ago- I saw this guy across the street struggling with the heavy snow in his driveway. I was using my snow blower at the time and went over to help him. He appreciated it and we got to talking. He looked kind of familiar and he introduced himself as John. Turns out he is John Smiley, formerly a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I remember him pitching and remember his great career of 12 years with the Bucs, the Minnesota Twins, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians. With an ERA of 3.80 and a 126-103 win loss record, John has a lot to be proud of in his former career.

PITTSBURGH – 1989: Pitcher John Smiley of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during a Major League Baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium in 1989 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

Fast forward and I see him a lot recently hitting whiffle golf balls in his yard as he has taken up the game of golf again after his arm is finally healed after all these years of curve ball abuse. Of course I engage him about baseball. I was always a fan of baseball as my dad used to take me to Forbes Field as a kid and I saw all the greats from the 1960s play. Sometimes professional athletes or former athletes hesitate to engage in conversation about their sport but John is an extremely knowledgeable and engaging guy who loves to talk baseball. Right up my alley. We got to talking about his fun times in the Fantasy Camps in Florida in which he participates. For those of you who do not know, fantasy camps are for old guys trying to relive their youth on the baseball diamond with their old heroes. They pay a lot of money to play and the former professional players like John love to participate and tell all the old war stories in the evenings around the dinner table. John loves to tell me how funny former pitcher Steve Blass is and also about Bill Mazeroski’s amazing stories about the 1960 World Champion Bucs. I was amazed that Maz still participates at his age but these guys love baseball.

The University Club Father Son Baseball back in the day with my dad.

John likes to tell me stories about the nuances of the game like when he was pitching and the opposing team would pick up on his cadence and signal to the batter what pitch was coming. They stole the signals. One game in Montreal, John and his catcher at the time decided not to use any signals to throw the opposition off. They won easily and it was a moral victory for John and his catcher. I asked him what he thinks of the new electronic strike zone and John enthusiastically applauds it saying that any technological advance in the game that takes bad calls and chance away is a good thing. I was always a fan of baseball and loved my time playing in minor league, little league and pony league as a fat little catcher before moving on to other sports. But always liked baseball and to have a neighbor who loves to talk baseball and knows what he is talking about is a plus.

John also talks about how his father worked with him and got him to be dedicated to the game at an early age. Like a lot of kids who grow up to be professional athletes, there was not much time for fun outside of baseball. You had to train, play and practice at a very high level to make it. He said that he missed a lot of things as a kid growing up but would have never made the major leagues if it had not been for his dad and the coaches he had. He said that making it involved a lot of playing in the south in the heat. That separated the men from the boys, in John’s opinion, and in order to make it in the majors, you had to be dedicated and able to perform in all weather especially the heat.

A lot of professional athletes, again, don’t like to engage in conversation with fans. But John is quite the opposite. He sees that I am enthusiastic and interested in what he has to say about the game of baseball. I love his stories. Jan thinks I may be bothering him but I always insert myself in conversation with John while he is practicing with the whiffle balls. He is always quite energetic and never minds my endless questions. But that is who he is. A successful retired professional who loves the game and now has a nosy neighbor with whom to trade stories. As you would suspect from maybe knowing me, I tell him stories too. But nothing can compare to a career on the mound for a professional baseball team.

I am a talker. I struggle with listening sometimes but I always make a point of listening to John. I force myself to shut up and listen. A skill which needs constant work. But my talkative nature has led to some great conversations and ultimate friendships with some really interesting people. If I hadn’t initiated conversations with John, I would never know the great stories he has in his head. You have to listen, but you also need to initiate conversations sometimes. You never know how you will be rewarded. Thanks for reading.