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Show Chamber Member Profile SlSSl ill - ' lot r itii1 5 -ill' I tp! - MlnkMjN tf K nil ill -I y vrt I1 ftiH lir V ; r ; - Freedom, grace, experience, experien-ce, adventure, respect and warmth arc words which might be used to epitomize Jim Miller and Steve Erick-son Erick-son of White Pine Ski Touring Center. Their private pri-vate and professional lives evolve around their enthusiasm enthusi-asm and commitment to nordic (AKA cross country) skiing, making it appear that they arc always working... or docs it appear more like "play?" As committed outdoors enthusiasts; Jim and Steve share a mutual respect for nature and the benefits of . actively participating in it. Steve, a native of Salt Lake City, has been employed by the ski industry for the past nine years, unlike Jim who came to Park City to learn to ski! Becoming friends while employed at Park West seven years ago. these two men exchanged tips on alpine and nordic skiing. The "back-country bug'' bit and y they quickly learned the skills necessary to survive in the back-country that they explored. Their enthusiasm and appreciation for touring needed to be shared. Thus, the creation of a dream and the budding of a company. Determined to share the thrill of ski touring. Jim and Steve pooled their resources (all the monev thev earned during the summer of 1974 pouring cement), purchased some equipment, and acquired ac-quired a "space" at Park West for their first vear of operation . Dependent upon work-of-mouth to advertize, their business rapidly expanded ex-panded to the school programs pro-grams and the high Uinta's. The realization of a dream allowed them to expand their territory, serving Park West and White Pine Canyon their second season. 1977 brought them to their current location at the Park City Golf Course. Although 'it's not always easv to operate a seasonal recreational recre-ational enterprise. Steve and Jim maintain the optimum of enthusiasm. That "spirit" is contagious and '.'immediately felt when visiting the White Pine Ski Touring Center, when talking with Jim or Steve, and when talking with any one of the six part time staff members who share in the teaching and day-today operations of the center. White Pine's intimate headquarters, near Adolf s at the edge of the Park City Golf Course, are filled with adventure stories of Steve and Jim's July 4th King's Peak tour, their 22-day tour of the entire Uinta range, and excursions as leaders of overnight 3 and 5-day tours into the back-country. There is also talk of White Pine's "direction.". sometimes t ? ' '"''. 5a,J ,. . . . . . . 'k '.': ' A h t 111 ! : ! i who enter. A warming-hut warming-hut for the spectator, lessons for the beginner, intermediate intermed-iate and advanced nordic skier, a track for the competitive racer, equipment equip-ment for sale or rent, and the exchange of ski touring experiences can easily be found during business hours. 9am to 5pm. seven days a week. u The summer time 18-hole 18-hole Park City Golf Course is transformed to a winter paradise, featuring a marked and maintained five kilometer kilomet-er track, staffed with certifi- ed instructors who eagerly answer the most basic or technical question. Races are sponsored each Saturday, and for the beginner; lessons are provided daily from 10am to noon, taking you from the very basics to advanced techniques. Special lessons and excursions can be arranged bv calling Steve or Jim at 649-8701. Go in and confirm for yourself that nordic skiing and the White Pine Ski Touring Center is a "vehicle to a mvriad of highs!" sharing concerns expressed by the Utah Wilderness Society and the Utah Forest Service, about the delicate balance between development develop-ment and access to the wilderness experience, and the gradual restriction of areas for the beginning or intermediatejiordic skier. Perhaps their most effective b us iness ni e e t i ng was a ten-day climbing hiking experience ex-perience into the Wind River Range where they reconfirmed reconfirm-ed their commitment to sharing the "White Pine experience" and philosophy, exposure of the sport to the community, sharing of the day-to-day responsibility among their competent and experienced staff, and expansion ex-pansion of the ski touring opportunities for advanced skiers and extended ski-development ski-development trips. Occasionally, the conversation conver-sation turns to "off season" adventures, when Jim and Sieve head separate, yet compatible, directions as outward bound climbing and outdoor skills supervisors. Steve heads for the Southern Cascades of Oregon, while Jim heads for the Sawtooths of Idaho or the Northern Cascades of Washington. Regardless of the geographic area both Jim and Steve have stories to share. ..just for the asking! An hour in the White Pine j shop reveals the warmth. , personality and enthusiasm of not only its owners, but the patrons and staff as well. Its owners are quick to credit the "people who make the difference! " Clearly, the Center demonstrates their philosophy of life, described by Steve as ' their "mainstay "main-stay of existence and identity" iden-tity" and is contagious to all |