Day 7- January 13th

Today was awesome! I was in the group that followed Steve Vanstratt, a lift mechanic, and it was a true joy. I have always had an interest in how the lifts run and how much effort it requires to run a ski area. He explained to us about the history of the lifts and how they run. We actually got to go up into the motor rooms and watch a lift in action! It was really interesting. There's so many parts and different things happening at once. He also told us about the effort put into keeping the skiers safe at this resort. He has a year-round job, and it involves a great deal of inspecting lifts to make sure absolutely nothing is wrong because if there was, it could be catastrophic. After learning all about these complicated machines, we had a nice lunch break and then continued our day with a scavenger hunt. It was a great way to end the day. I definitely feel honored to have had this opportunity with such an experienced person. It was a great learning experience about something that really appeals to me.