Warren Miller: Face of Winter

Warren Miller. The name says it all. He’s a beloved figure that pulls together the modern era of skiing. The man spent his whole life making ski movies that brought skiers together into a big, goofy, welcoming community. The original ski bum was the sport’s greatest evangelist.

WME in Alaska

We lost Warren this year. He hasn’t controlled the company that bears his name for years but his spirit and legacy live on in Warren Miller Entertainment’s recent films and in the wider community of ski-filmmakers and snow sports enthusiasts. I’ve been a big fan of Warren Miller movies for a long time so I’m always viewing WME’s products with a critical eye, trying to decide if they’re living up to the standard set by Warren.

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The Monster of North South Lake

I saw something once, something big and monstrous and unbelievable. I’m not talking about Bigfoot or the Lochness Monster, which I can’t bring myself to believe in. My monster was more mundane then an eight foot tall North American ape or a leftover brontosaurus. What I saw does exist. Nobody disputes that; it just wasn’t supposed to be where I saw it.

North South Lake boat launch

It was five years ago, while padding on North South Lake, upstate, in the Catskills. I had the whole family out on the water, enjoying a sunny afternoon in our canoe. There were lots of folks out that day camping, picnicking, fishing, paddling, swimming and hiking on the footpaths around the lake and in the surrounding woods.

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Tappan Zee Bridge Tour

Several years ago, I saw a show on the History Channel focusing on America’s deteriorating infrastructure that featured the Tappan Zee Bridge prominently. The program highlighted the fifty year old span as the poster child for deteriorating infrastructure that was likely to collapse without warning — and soon.

Tappan Zee Bridge boat tour

That may have been overly dramatic, but the people I knew who used the bridge back then had formulated a plan to get out of their car if the bridge collapsed and dropped them in the river. I recall my sister talking about the order in which she would unbuckle her children. When New York announced we were finally getting a new bridge, everyone was grateful.

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