My Adventure as Winter VP: Hiring a Winter Caretaker:

A Snowy Tale from the '90s By Robert Rickman

Way back in the '90s, I was the Winter VP, tasked with hiring a Caretaker for the season.

“Don’t worry,” said another long-time member. “It’s all set.” So, we departed for our planned four-week vacation in Europe that October.

Upon returning, I was informed that the arrangement had fallen through.

With no internet at the time, I placed ads in the Truckee and Reno newspapers and lined up three interviews for Thanksgiving weekend at the lodge. Then we were hit with a five-foot snowstorm.

I conducted the first interview in my car by the gondola entrance. The couple seemed nice enough, but they weren’t rugged—she arrived in a skirt, and he wore dress shoes. The second interview was canceled due to the storm.

For the third, I chose to meet the candidate at a store down the road rather than waiting outside. She turned out to be a single woman named Terry Hansen. She accepted the job and proved to be an excellent choice.

Her boyfriend, while not living on-site, helped transport sled loads of food and supplies down the unplowed road.

One of Terry’s goals was never to serve the same breakfast twice during the season. I still remember dishes like baked grapefruit and quiches.