I first met Chester the day that he walked into Jaywalker Lodge. I was a client at the time and immediately sized up the new kid. Just another Texas boy out of his element in the Rocky Mountains was my initial assessment.
The next week I found myself skiing with Chester at Snowmass. I wanted to ski the expert terrain on Hanging Valley Headwall and was able to convince the new-to-snow Chester that he would be fine up there. I told him I’d stay with him and help him down. Within 5 minutes of dropping in I had lost the guy. The snow was good, and I still hadn’t quite grasped the idea of other-centered behavior, so I rationalized that Chester could take care of himself. When I loaded onto the bus at the end of the day, already in the back sat a fuming Chester. Apparently that had been his one and only run, due to the fact that it took him several hours to navigate through the trees and waist deep snow. He mentioned seeing signs for ski runs that to this day I have not been able to rediscover.
Thankfully, Chester was quick to forgive and after our stay at Jaywalker we lived together for two years. Only recently did we find separate living situations, and I must say I miss the little guy. Anyways, over the years I have watched Chester’s confidence and awareness, both on and off the slopes, grow exponentially. He is as comfortable shredding big lines in the Highlands bowl as he is sharing his powerful story in front of a group of strangers. Between work, school, and a healthy dose of recreation he has been extremely busy bettering his life. From what I understand he is set to graduate from college very soon, and I can’t wait to see what his next move will be. Chester, I’m stoked to call you my friend.
Happy four years buddy.
Adam Mink
Landing Supervisor
