The True Mountain Experience

Over the last couple of posts I have talked about doing what you love to do, and to settle for nothing less. I have done some soul searching the past couple of months and have realized that the office lifestyle is not me... Yet that it is. I looked at jobs that would let me ski or at least be outside for the majority of my day. I originally found a job working up in Beaver Creek working in one the several stores, but I just couldn't make it work financially. I continued looking for jobs within the ski industry and was discouraged with the results. With the holiday season coming around I knew that my chance of changing my life was closing, and I found a job with Silverton Mountain. I thought I would give it chance and see if they would even call me. Within 2 hrs of applying I was having a phone interview. Within a day I had skype interview and had the job offered to me.  I told them that I would have to think about it and see if I could make it work.

After a wole night and day thinking about it, my logical side took control and told me that I couldn't make it work and this was going to set me back. I called Silverton and informed them I was going to have to turn the job down. After a nice 10 minute conversations I hung up and within minutes I had a huge feeling of regret. I kept thinking about it and I thought that I might end up regretting this decision later in life. I was at my sister's house and we were all talking about it and my mom said, "Zach, it's 5-6 months of your life." That really hit home with me! Seriously, what is 5-6 months of your entire life... Right then I emailed Silverton back and the next day I accepted the job, and on Thanksgiving I will be calling Silverton home for the next 6 months.

To give you a little background on Silverton, it is not your typical ski resort or even ski town. It is far from anything that most people experience when they think of skiing. Silverton has a population of no more than 500 people, Durango is the closest town (50 miles) and it is about 6 hours away from Denver if the weather is good. There are a couple of hotels (no Marriott), a couple of bars, a general store and that it pretty much it. Silverton Mountain is the closest thing you can get to Alaska or Canada, and has none of the amenities that your typical resort has. I will be working in an outdoor tent everyday, yea that's right a TENT, not a building or structure, A TENT! I will be in charge of the retail sales, bar, and several other things that I don't even know about yet. The skiing is like nothing else in Colorado, and I will be doing true back-country skiing everyday, hiking up to over 13,000 feet, and enjoying the life of a ski bum.

So stay tuned for updates on a daily basis, videos hopefully on a weekly basis, and a lot more that I can't even think of right now. I am living the Ski to Work or Work to Ski lifestyle, and I will be a totally different person after this is said and done. Stay tuned People!