Paul’s Chairlift Has a Home

It's funny to sit on the chairlift in July.

I'm used to being on them in the coldest of weather. Back in 2006 I found a way to sit on one all year long.

Let me catch you up to speed.

I'm a skiing fanatic. It's the reason I even moved to Colorado in the first place. After college, I went straight to Breckenridge, and I've pretty much been here since.

I've learned that, even though I don't want to ski every single day, it's something that I truly love, and will never stop doing. I love almost everything about it. First, I love nature, and chairlifts and skis are one of the quickest and most fun ways to put a bunch of distance between me and civilization. Take a chairlift, and walk a little ways, and you can really find solitude.

Besides that what do I like? Everything. I like the gear. I like the snow. I like the cold, and I am completely fascinated by snow.

So, when I saw a chairlift for $50 on craigslist back in the day, I jumped on it. Since I'm the early bird, I got the worm. I saw it posted at about 7 a.m. Called at 7:10. Left work early to get there and she said between the time we talked and when I picked it up five people called. But I got it.

Renovating it took forever. First, my tactic was to spray paint it green. When the paint didn't stick, I took a new tactic. I did nothing. For seven years. It was gnar.

Eventually, we moved and I finally had a place to put it. That made me want to finish the project. So, I did.

I had it powder coated and replaced the boards that were dry rotted. Even that took a long time, but at least the ball was rolling.

Eventually, I finished the boards, and the patio on which it would sit.

Now, the energy of the ski resort lives at my house. It will draw more great mountain experiences to me, and will mean that I am never far away from one of my favorite types of seats in the world. A chairlift.