Life in a ski town is a carefree existence of high-altitude hijinks and fast-paced thrills. Work is something you fit in between last chair and first, slinging beers just to earn enough dough to keep you in ski gear, and sleep is something mostly enjoyed by the dead. Right?
For many, that’s true, but in order to keep this whole crazy machine running smoothly, there are also plenty of mountain folk who work a good old fashioned 9-to-5 — teachers, bank tellers, accountants and librarians just to name a few.
Out in the real world, there’s nothing wrong with a job that’s 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but in a ski town, it can feel like a death sentence for all the fun and games you moved here for. You miss out on midweek powder dumps and have to ski on the weekends
with 20,000 weekend warriors. Choosing between freedom and stability can be a real source of conflict for locals.
“There were moments when the call of the powder days and serene slopes pulled me in one direction while the 9-to-5 routine tugged in another,” recalls former Valley resident Irene Emma, who worked at Bravo as finance and administrative director for 13 years. These days, she’s working on a book about reshaping the workplace paradigm, leveraging her experience in a ski town.
If you’re torn between the call of the mountain and the security of a regular job, Emma, along with several other current and former locals, have some practical advice for surviving a 9-to-5 in a ski town.
EMBRACE CREATIVITY
So you don’t miss out on every powder day, Emma recommends pushing for more flexibility and coming up with creative approaches to staffing.
“Don’t be afraid to explore unconventional avenues. For instance, my colleagues and I championed ‘powder days,’ where a minimum staff count allowed us to relish those fresh snow moments guilt-free. It transformed the workplace dynamic and enriched our lives.”
Melissa Bartoletta, former marketing manager for the Vail Valley Foundation, suggests you communicate your values to your boss and explain how more flexibility could benefit the entire organization.
“Make a case as to why getting the freshies will make you show up better for your job.”
ENJOY THE NIGHT
Liz Koskinen, a teacher at Berry Creek Middle School, can’t take off every time it snows, so she focuses on all the fun she can have after 5 p.m. when most hospitality workers are clocking in for their shift.
“Working a 9-to-5 job offers plenty of opportunity to never miss a show at Ford Amphitheater and the Vilar. I like working during the day and having various activities to do at night. Full moon snowshoe outings are also very peaceful.”
REMEMBER YOUR WHY
Bartoletta says she found it helpful to remember why she had chosen her job at the VVF, which involved enhancing the life of other Valley residents and visitors.
“I was very much connected to the work I was doing, because I felt like I was more deeply involved with the local community.”
In the spring, having to stick around while her friends disappeared for six weeks turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“Being around during the off-season helped me to connect even more with the local community, which was another value of mine.”
TAKE SKI SNACKS
You might not be able to ski for hours, but if you can catch an hour at lunch, grab it by the horns, and be grateful, advises Bartoletta.
“Don’t be greedy! Enjoy an early morning session rather than being bummed you can’t be out for the whole day.”
At the end of the season, you’re still bound to have chalked up a lot more vertical feet than any Front Ranger.
EARN YOUR TURNS
If your greatest fear about accepting a 9-to-5 is that it means you’re stuck indoors while the lifts are turning, locals like Ellen Miller have just found different ways to get some runs in, like skinning uphill. The former outdoor fitness coach and mountaineer has turned to a more stable profession as a caretaker in recent years, but says it hasn’t hampered her ski time.
“Many of us enjoy human powered skiing before or after work; the resort mountains are much nicer then. I haven’t had a ski pass in years, and I get to ski a lot!”
ENJOY THE BENEFITS
Job, housing and financial insecurity are issues that plague many ski town residents. A 9-to-5 may afford you a stable income and benefits like health insurance and PTO that Bartoletta says she found grounding.
Emma concludes that it might allow you to enjoy life here more consistently. “Health insurance and a pension plan became my safety nets. A steady income stream proved to be golden in a world that embraced both adventure and responsibility.”
