The older I get, the better I was,” seemed to be the mantra for a mini U.S. Freestyle Ski Team reunion. What better place for a get together with my old teammates than skiing in the backcountry of North Idaho.
This past February several of my old 1980’s US Freestyle Ski Team mates came out to visit. Our plan was to spend a few days skiing Schweitzer Mountain and then one day skiing powder with Schweitzer Backcountry Adventure. Just behind the Schweitzer ski area boundary, Schweitzer Backcountry Adventures offers guided backcountry cat skiing and snowboarding in the west bowl of Schweitzer Basin. If you’ve ever thought about trying snowcat skiing, here’s your opportunity. You can warm up riding at the resort for a day or two, then venture into the backcountry for a powder-skiing adventure you won’t forget. With over 4,300 acres and 6 miles of snow-covered roads, getting to the powder goods is easy riding in a comfortable 12-person heated snowcat.
What better opportunity to show this crew my skiing playground and let them experience first-hand why I call Schweitzer home. Just a few days before everyone’s arrival, Ullr the Snow God blessed us by dropping over a foot of fresh snow. Things were lining up perfectly, and I knew this was going to be a special treat for my guests.
Just like in one of his Olympic medal-winning runs, Lane Spina
is still smooth on his skis.
The posse that came out to visit was a small group of close-knit friends I used to run with back on my stint with the US Freestyle Ski Team. We had two-time Olympian Lane Spina, who won a silver and bronze medal in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics; his brother Yale, who was one of my coaches; World Pro Mogul Champion Johnny Witt from Saratoga Springs, NY; Seth Goldsmith from Portland; and my long-time friend, former teammate and business partner Dan Herby. Dan and I go all the way back to the late ‘70s and our days at Coeur d’Alene High School, where as Dan says, he spent the best six years of his life. Lastly, joining our group were a couple of my local ski friends Alison Murphy and old-time freestyle skier Scott Barksdale, both from Sandpoint.
Our morning started with a 7:45 a.m. meeting at the Schweitzer Activity Center located at the base of the Humbird Hotel in the Schweitzer Village. This is where we sign waivers and get familiar with the backcountry safety gear we’ll be using. Our guides John Grollmus and Eric “EJ” Jensen spent some time with us going over the day’s logistics and teaching us how to use the avalanche safety equipment. By 8:30 we were riding the Great Escape chairlift to the summit where a warm snowcat was waiting for us. EJ did one more individual transceiver check as we all loaded up in the cat. A short 10-minute ride and we were at our first drop-off point.
We were all lined up on the cat track looking over a small section of trees when Grollmus gave us the intel on this run. “Make your way through this small section of trees and then it opens wide up for about 400 yards. I’ll go first and radio back up to EJ once I get in position.”
Grollmus takes off, and a couple of minutes later we hear him over the radio, “It’s really good. Send them one at a time, stay to the left of my tracks and have fun.”
Since Goldsmith was new to cat skiing, we gave him first honors on this run. Having recently retired as orthopedic surgeon, he hadn’t skied powder in several years and was a little apprehensive about powder skiing with this crew because he thought he was a little rusty.
Always smiling, Alison showing the Boys how it’s done.
“I’m standing at the top looking down, thinking, ok, take it easy through the trees,” he said. “I push off, and the first few turns through the trees were a little sluggish. Then it starts to open up, and by the time I’m 15-20 turns into the open pow field, I’m feeling the flow.”
With Goldsmith down, Grollmus says over the radio, “Send the next one.”
Witt is second, and as soon as he hits that wide-open pow field all you can hear is hooting and hollering. “Yeah Baby!” in his thick New York accent.
That first run was fairly easy as the guides always evaluate the client’s ability on the first run. They don’t want to put guests in situations where it’s over their ability. With our crew passing the powder-skiing test, Grollmus brings us to another run of some nicely spaced snow-covered trees that Schweitzer locals call snow ghosts. Many of these snow ghosts resemble characters out of a Dr. Seuss book.
On average most runs are about 1,000-1,500 vertical feet, and by noon we’ve hammered out about five runs. With each run we were all jockeying for those first tracks. And just like the old days, nothing is held back as Barksdale snakes those first lines by duping us that he’s just checking out a line and then pushes off laughing the whole way. You can’t blame him though. I have a saying when I’m skiing powder with a group, “It’s not your line …. until you’re looking back up at it.”
By noon everyone is on their game and charging hard. The 10-to-15-minute cat rides back up are just long enough to rehydrate and get in a snack provided in the cat.
These short rides back up were filled with lots of old stories, laughter and the constant, relentless banter you can only get with buddies who’ve been friends for over four decades. Nothing is sacred, especially with Witt on board, and with Murphy being the only female in this testosterone-filled snowcat, she certainly held her own.
Johnny Witt showing us some of the power and style he had back when he was the World Pro Mogul Champion.
Throughout the day we had a mixed bag of weather from clear skies, fog, snow and even a little sun. But consistent from start to finish was the quality of knee-deep, fresh snow. Conditions could not have been better to show my friends the Schweitzer backcountry.
Spina who dug deep into his closet and wore his old US Team suit from the ‘88 Calgary Olympics said, “We were like kids in the candy store, picking out our lines knowing if we ever crossed a track, there was always open fresh snow just off to the side. This day made my season.”
When you get a group of “has beens” like this posse, you know everyone will be pushing the envelope just like we did back in our prime. From popping airs off rocks and deadfall, to skiing challenging lines through the snow ghosts, each and every one of these old freedoggers stepped up to the plate and pushed themselves. The adrenaline was flowing.
“The day just got better with every run,” Goldsmith said. “I loved every minute of the experience. I’m definitely going to make this trip again.”
Schweitzer Backcountry Adventure proved to be the perfect setting for reminiscing and camaraderie. Even though 40 years have passed since we were traveling the world together as a team, it felt like yesterday. For a group of guys in their early 60s acting like a bunch of 20-year-olds, you would have thought we had found the fountain of youth. It was certainly a good time and a clear reminder that “The older I get…..the better I was.”N
As seen in the 2026 Winter/Spring edition
By: Bob Legasa