MONARCH — Relying on the use of just one eye hasn't slowed down the daring and drive of one teen who now teaches others the sport of snowboarding.

 

Walker Mehess, 14, of Rye, started snowboarding when he was 5. Now he helps his instructor, Drew Middlemiss, teach newcomers to the sport as an apprentice snowboard instructor at Monarch Mountain.

 

"He told me, ‘Every instructor built a piece of me, Mom,’ and he's come a long way," said Alis Stockton, Walker's mother.

 

Walker was born blind in his left eye, which means he has none of the depth perception that others rely on to get around in day-to-day life. But Walker didn't want people to underestimate him, so he set goals for himself and worked to do things that even the nay-sayers can't do.

 

Even as a snowboarding student, he knew he wanted to be a teacher by the time he was 14. He reached that goal this year and is the only eighth-grade apprentice at Monarch. The others are freshmen in high school.   At times he thinks about aiming for new snowboarding goals, like the halfpipe event that two-time gold-medal Olympian Shaun White demonstrates so well. Or perhaps he could try a speed race like two-time gold medal winner Seth Wescott's snowboardcross, but for now he's content to teach the basics to younger boarders.

 

The first time he taught lessons at Monarch, he told his mom about a "reward" he got.

 

"He worked with a kid with muscular dystrophy and said, ‘I taught that boy to snowboard. Do you know how that feels? He'll always remember me.’ And that really touched my heart," Stockton said.

   

"It is a privilege to teach," Walker said. "I get to teach disabled kids. One had been shot in the head and lived, and another had a spinal injury."

 

Right off the bat, Walker will tell his disabled students about his vision.

 

"I tell them to make them feel comfortable, and they realize, ‘He has a problem like me.’ Then I see them a few days later and they are doing runs I didn't think they could do that   quickly,   so   I   learn something new from these kids every day," Walker said.



"He is very patient. He's taught seven of his friends and even his mom how to snowboard," Stockton said.

 

"He loves to glide through the trees, and that's is pretty amazing because he has no depth perception. He just figures out the timing on his own," Stockton said.

 

Sometimes if lessons are slow, Walker will work in the children's center, help load lifts or do whatever he can to contribute. Stockton, a single mother who works 65-hour weeks for Express Scripts, also works at Monarch's ticketing office so she can afford to take Walker to Monarch every weekend.

 

Saturday mornings start at 4 a.m. so the two can get a jump on the three-hour drive to Monarch.

 

"It is hard at first, but you get used to it when you realize you are teaching kids and having fun. And when I have fun, I know they are having fun, and it makes them want to come back to learn more. It feels good to make a difference," Walker said.

"It is phenomenal that Monarch has this apprentice program, and I am so thankful to Monarch for a lot of the opportunities Walker has had. It is pretty decent of that company to offer the apprenticeship program," Stockton said.

 

The eighth-grader doesn't concentrate all his attention on the winter sport he loves so much. He's on the honor roll at Craver Middle School, plays left tackle for the football team, runs track, kayaks and water boards, is a member of the Boy Scouts and even hunts.

 

He got a huge thrill this year when he bagged his first deer with his father, Bill Mehess, and grandfather, Jack Stockton, 82, at his side.

 

At home he cuts wood and feeds the livestock, serving as, "the man of the house," his mom said. The only things he found he really can't do well are basketball and baseball.

 

His dream is to go to college to study engineering. He likes it most of all when he can work with his hands.

 

"He's a good enough instructor that he could probably walk into any ski resort and get a job so that could be a means of financing to get himself through college," Stockton said.

 

Walker said he is grateful to his mother for her support, as well as Monarch's Jack Sciacca and Pat Waldron for guiding him to different programs at the ski area. Bobby Walker at The Edge Ski, Paddle and Pack in Pueblo has helped him get his snowboard and boots.

 

"I like to live every day like it is your last — don't let a day go to waste," Walker said.

MONARCH MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT, Colo. - As the sun rose above the Rocky Mountain peaks, three buses full of Mountain Post Soldiers and Families weaved their way through the serpentine mountain passes of Colorado Jan. 15.



Some passengers slept, trying to gain a few more minutes of rest before a tiring day, while others watched the rugged terrain in anticipation of the rush of sweeping down the mountainside on skis and snowboards.



The travelers' arrived at their destination, Fort Carson Day, a directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program-sponsored event held at Monarch Mountain Ski Resort providing an exciting and inexpensive opportunity for Soldiers and Families to have fun on the slopes.



Eric Ramsey, marketing coordinator for Monarch Mountain, said the resort hopes to host more Fort Carson and military days in the future.



"With the huge military presence at our back door, it is our pleasure to have days like today," he said. "We are very proud of our military and having military discounts is our way of showing our appreciation to the men and women who protect this country."



By noon, many of the group found the trip had surpassed their expectations.

"This trip is the most fun I have had in a long time," said Spc. Bradley Kelso, a medic assigned to Company B, 10th Combat Support Hospital.

"This was a really good deal, the rentals and tickets were cheap and I am having a blast.

"

Kelso's battle buddy, Spc. Mike Cohen, also a medic with Company B, said the BOSS and DFMWR programs should sponsor more events like the ski trip.

"

It is really cool; we got to come out for such a low price," he said. "If we had events like this every weekend, it would get single Soldiers out of the barracks and out of the bars and doing something different and exciting."



U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Robert Oury, joint terminal attack controller, 13th Air Support Operations Squadron, stationed at Fort Carson in support of the 2nd and 4th Brigade Combat Teams, 4th Infantry Division, and 10th Special Forces Group, said he believes the BOSS program did a great job getting the word out to the Mountain Post community.

"

A lot of us have never been to the mountains before," said Oury. "BOSS events like this are a great chance for us to see the Rockies."

MONARCH, COLORADO
Annual snowfall: 350 inches
Vertical drop: 1,162 feet
Skiable acres: 800
One-day lift ticket: $54

Perfect for: Expert powder skiers—real experts, not just the ones that check off Type III on their rental forms—hungry for a snowcat adventure

Why here: Monarch is beautiful. Located in central Colorado's San Isabel National Forest, it's surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Sawatch Mountain Range. But you're not here to gawk: Monarch's snowcat terrain is some of the best in Colorado…and it's empty. Monarch Snowcat Tours will take you on 10 to 12 runs down steeps blanketed with pure, dry, untouched Colorado powder. The cost? $250, way cheaper than heli-skiing in British Columbia. Sold? Well, you should know that without fresh snow, Monarch's modest acreage won't entertain for long. So check the forecast, plan a two- or three-day trip, and bring your snow-dancing shoes.

The highlight: Mirkwood Basin. It's only a 15-minute hike from the top of the Breezeway lift, but its 130 acres of fresh snow make it feel miles from a resort. If you're backcountry savvy, the gates on the far side of the bowl will open up a whole new world of white.

Sleep for cheap: At first glance, the Monarch Mountain Lodge looks like the hotel from The Shining, but like the lifties, it's always warm and friendly. The rooms try to pass off trail maps as artwork, but there's an indoor pool and an outdoor hot tub (speaking of shining, the latter provides some of the best star-watching in the state).

-Kimberly Thompson

On my third turn, with half our group below me looking up the treeless bowl and half the party above me standing on the cornice I'd just dropped off, my ski tips broke through the crusty wind slab into the soft powder below, and I did a head-first roll. I came up shaking snow out of my collar, my pants and sunglasses. Welcome to Monarch Snowcat Tours.

Last Friday, on an almost painfully bright, sunny day, I found myself standing atop the Continental Divide at an elevation of more than 12,000 feet in the staggeringly beautiful Sawatch Range of south-central Colorado surrounded by 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks. I was part of a group of 10 skiers and two snowboarders, plus two guides, out for a day of adventure in the ungroomed steeps and deeps above Monarch Mountain Ski & Snowboard Area just 20 minutes west of Salida.

The resort's Bombardier snowcat (essentially a large metal box atop tanklike treads) had just dropped us off and lumbered away to the pickup point. It was showtime and we all wanted to look our best. Oh well. ... Over the course of the day and 12 runs we made, almost everyone — except the rock-steady guides — would make some silly move, crash and burn, and a warm camaraderie grew among the former strangers sharing in the glory of unbroken powder, brilliant blue skies and challenging skiing.

Noted Scott Peterson of Salida, "I love it, especially in the trees. It's quiet. There's solitude and it feels all yours." The marketing director for a local rafting company called River Runners, which launched in 1972 and specializes in Arkansas River excursions, added, "There's no other tracks, and it's like no one has ever been there before — you're the first to explore that line. Then it snows and it begins all over again."

We found our best tree lines in a run called No Name Trees, which offered up a 1,200-foot vertical drop over wind-sculpted berms and around the bases of large evergreens, the terrain sloping away at a nice, consistent angle. Most of the runs here are not huge — averaging 800 feet of vertical.

The greatest vertical drop was found on No Name Bowl, which started high above tree line. We had to hop off a 6- to 8-foot-tall cornice at the top and land on a steep slope — the site of several inglorious splats. Then it was creamy turns all the way to the bottom where we grouped up, followed by another leg through woods to where we found the warm cat — as always — waiting for us.

I hoisted myself into the front cabin to ride up with the operator, Steve McClung, who has been driving the $200,000-plus machines for 12 years. Looking at the vast array of levers and buttons and joy sticks — one of which could move the front "blade" in 12 different directions — I asked him how he mastered it. A man of few words, he said, "Mostly just training on the equipment — you just get in it and drive it."

Laying down the snow "roads" — they actually have names — is one of his most challenging tasks. He explained that they begin compacting the roadways as soon as possible — sometimes in September. As some of the exposed ridges have fierce winds that strip away the snow, he has to move downslope and "farm" snow from banks and push it up to the intended roads. So far, he's never tipped over, though once in preseason he got mired in some tractionless sugar snow and had to be pulled out by other cats. So what drew him to his work? "I was looking for something different after nine years of grooming."

For our lead guide, the hard-charging Kelly Millward, the appeal is "skiing backcountry, which gives you a sense of freedom and adventure." He has been a cat guide here since 1991, two years after the operation began. Growing up near Seattle, Millward skied a lot as a kid and noted, "Ever since I was 19 years old, it's all I've ever wanted to do. I first migrated east to Utah, where I spent two winters. I started out washing dishes at Snowbird and worked my way up, then landed my first patrol job at Snow Basin. It's my life — I'm a ski guy."

Our other guide, the graceful J.T. Fell with the GQ smile, said challenge is a big part of the appeal for him. He explained the guides have to have certification in Outdoors Emergency Care and in the use of explosives, as the 1,000-acre cat skiing area must be managed to prevent avalanches. Long before skiers arrive, the resort's ski patrol and guide corps lob hand-held charges into avalanche-prone areas to trigger small slides. "This is where I learned a lot of my backcountry, avalanche awareness. This has been my classroom."

Gail Bindner, now in her fourth season as snowcat manager and the head cat guide for seven years prior, said they have been fortunate there has been only one partial burial of a customer and a few injuries (including one death when a skier struck a large rock). But even a broken wrist or tweaked knee means an end to skiing that day, as evacuation in the remote bowls takes a few hours.

Cancellations are also rare. Occasional daylong white-outs, or spring warm-ups followed by cold temperatures but no snow, will result in closures. In that case, rebookings or refunds are offered.

- Daniel Gibson

Leave it to the crew at Monarch to keep it Green. Check out the details on thier new terrain park:

This unique terrain park is filled with all natural features including table tops, log a-frames, up-logs, a field goal log, cannons, bonk logs, and a rainbow log. Accessed from the top of the Breezeway lift, this course flows down hill like a seemingly never ending roller coaster ride. Our park staff utilizes trees cut from the mountain during various projects. Some trees were sent to a local mill to be planed down, providing a perfect sliding surface. The park is updated often and maintained daily.

-K2

Skiing was not at the forefront of Luis Lopez’ mind when he struck up a conversation with a young Colorado girl at a coffee shop one fateful day in 2007. Lopez was the kind of guy who thought 55 degrees was “freezing,” who had only seen snow once, in Canada, and who spent most of his life in or near the small, tropical city of Tapachula in southern Mexico.

“Tapachula is beside the Pacific Ocean in the middle of nowhere in the jungle,” he said, “The only place you can actually touch something like that was the snow in the fridge.”

Little did he know that his conversation with Denver’s Jessica Mason, who was traveling through South and Central America at the time, would lead to a day learning to ski at Monarch Mountain ski area in south central Colorado on a recent February Day a year-and-a-half later.

When Lopez busted a move over a café Americano, he may have known (or hoped) that one thing would lead to another: but he never imagined Mason one thing or another would lead him onto a pair of skis in the snowy Colorado mountains.

Nor was he unduly excited about the prospect of launching himself down a mountain while strapped to two rigid boards with sharp metal edges.

Lopez was quietly tense on the morning of his first ski day. He sipped a mochaccino at Bongo Billy's, a top-notch Salida breakfast spot, and then delivered philosophical lines: “When I was a boy and I was facing a tough day I always said to myself, ‘It’s OK, I’m going to laugh about it later.”

Laughing didn’t seem in his future at the time, however. His main exposure to skiing came through the television: and no matter how cool Glen Plake and Seth Morrison seem to expert skiers, Lopez was convinced that high-speed falls and a broken bone awaited somewhere in his near future.

Meet Petrina:

Patrina Crockford was also a bit nervous about her first day on skis. Born in Del Rio Texas — a small town on the Mexican border — she was raised in the balmy climate of Central Valley California.

While working in the literary world of New York City she met and fell in love with writing professor and novelist Tyler Sage, who was born and raised in Vail and grew up terrorizing the cliffs of Vail Mountain on fluorescent, 210 cm straight skis with his pack of Vail Mountain School friends.

Skiing had long been on the “to-do list” for Crockford, but even after Sage and Crockford moved to Gunnison together she felt overwhelmed by the gear, the speed, and like Lopez, all the extreme near-death moments she’d seen on Fox television.

“It’s an intimidating sport when you come from the outside because you hear about extreme skiers doing the ‘gnar-gnar,’ and Tyler growing up in Vail, I was thinking, ‘I can’t hang with these guys.’”

Luis Lopez and Petrina Crockford get some pointers from Rick Boucher on the bunny hill.  

Meet Rick Boucher:

The first move in any new skier’s life is to figure out how they’re going to learn: Will they toss themselves down the bunny hill and hope athleticism and a strong survival instinct keep them from a bloody nose and a broken wrist? Or will they put down the dollars required for a lesson and learn from a pro?

After a few minutes with Rick Boucher, a certified instructor at Monarch, it was painfully evident that the latter choice is the right way to go – not only because Lopez and Crockford were getting along famously with their congenial instructor, but also because the other portions of Monarch’s bunny hill — dubbed “Snowflake” — was enhanced with vignettes of wayward skiers posed in all kinds of acrobatic but not-so-comfortable bodily positions as they slid, sometimes forward sometimes backward, down the gentle slope.

It was not, needless to say, Boucher’s first rodeo. He took his diligent students through the process one ski at a time – literally. After getting used to the idea of wearing boots, then riding one ski, then riding both, the trio headed for the lift and made their first run.

Bit by bit, moment by moment, Lopez’ apprehension melted in the combined brightness of the Colorado sunshine and Boucher’s veteran sympathy.

“Sometimes people from other countries that don’t have sliding sports can have a little fear of sliding sports,” Boucher said, “But since we took it one step at a time I don’t think Luis had any fear.”

And he didn’t. After a two-hour lesson with Boucher ($180) both Lopez and Crockford were headed up the hill to try their first “real” run. Much to the dismay of onlookers, neither skier provided the cherished, entertaining episode known far and wide as the “garage-sale," and came away with nary a fall, scrape, or bruise to validate their efforts.

- Tom Boyd