Re: Aug. 4 obituary; and “On our birthday, a Colorado parable,” Aug. 7 news story.
With joy tinged by melancholy, I read your obituary and editorial tribute to Ike Garst, the first snowboard-permitting ski area operator in Colorado.
Some memories: the Berthoud Pass Ski Area’s east-side lift had one chair with a “Reserved for Elvis” sign; Berthoud had the best powder tree runs on the planet; school buses met you at the bottom of runs; you could watch west-side cliff jumps from the restaurant; they had pervasive helmets (easier to break through tree limbs); and, naturally, there was the Hoop Creek Trail.
A ski-shop picture of the natural half-pipe was titled: Denver Post: “Hoop Creek Trail — Best Damn Snowboard Run in Colorado.” That trail still runs from the south end of the parking lot to the wide turn-around area a couple miles down the road.
Helmets off to Ike. You gave us the first, and many think the best, boarding hill in Colorado.
Ƿɱɾ, Greeley
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