ON THE MOUNTAIN
FAMILIAR FACES
If you believe in reincarnation, you might want to be on your best behavior, because maybe – just maybe – you will get to live your next life as a ski patrol dog. It’s a pretty sweet one – just consider Wiley, veteran patroller Erik Aura’s 9-year-old golden Labrador. Wiley’s day begins riding Lift 7 to Middle Earth, the ski patrol shack at the top, where, according to Aura, he gets treats and pets before attending morning meeting. WILEY Next, the pair snowmobile to the Ski Patrol Avalanche Dog Top of the World, the ski patrol FAVORITE RUN shack between Lifts Nine and UPPER SEE FOREVER Six, where Wiley hikes and sleeps by the fire. Wiley does have to work, but for a dog it’s still play. To keep the dogs sharp, they run drills – essentially games of hide and seek in the snow. When Wiley makes a find, Aura explains, “You basically go nuts with love and praise, which is his motivation.” Wiley’s favorite aspect of patrolling? It’s face shots, just like the rest of us. “His favorite thing is running downhill on the slopes at the end, especially in fresh snow,” Aura says. “It’s coming home.”
This winter will be Kuntz’s 41st season teaching skiing in Telluride. Although her long, thick ponytail is speckled with gray, one can still see the 20-year-old who arrived here in 1976 in the depth of her green eyes – especially when the conversation shifts to skiing. “When I moved here, I paid $75 a month in rent on North Oak Street,” Kuntz recalls. “I taught skiing, bartended at the Sheridan and waited tables. We all had so many jobs.” MARTI MARTIN KUNZ In the late 70s and early 80s, Ski & Snowboard School Kuntz raced on the women’s pro FAVORITE RUN tour and became a champion DIEHEDRAL speed skier. Kuntz was clocked at 110 and 129 miles per hour, fast enough for two world records. “All that stuff is in the Telluride [Historical] Museum,” Kuntz says when pressed for details about her competitive career. “It was a long time ago and I don’t relate to it anymore. Now finesse is my game.”
While much has changed since 1976, it’s clear Kuntz’s love for instructing and the mountain haven’t. “Whether it’s stormy or sunny, there is something about being out there that is so delightful.” And retiring? No, Kuntz, says. “The passion comes from seeing people grow and learn to love skiing. I’ve had students for a long time. They grow, they change, they get older too. Their kids grow up and want me to ski with their children. It’s really fun.” visittelluride.com | 855.421.4360
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