Are you a Catskill native? I’m just a poor old farm boy - born and raised in Jewett on a farm. When I graduated high school I was voted least likely to succeed and you know what? I buried every one of my classmates except for two.

What’s the best thing about owning a mountain? You do what you want to do as long as it’s profitable.

What’s the worst? You got to give people what they want. They pay the bills. You have to accommodate them.

What’s a typical day like for you? I’m here from about 4:30 am until about 5:00 pm only seven days a week. When someone tells me it can’t be done, I work harder to prove they were wrong—like when New York State said: “Hunter Mountain’s just a rocky hill. You can’t do anything with it.”

What do you love about the Catskills? I love the mountains—the valleys, the streams and them hills. I was born here. I put in almost 47 months in the Army traveling around the country building schools and I still came back here to start a life. I’m just a hillbilly at heart.

Any last words? I always say: If you can’t get motivated, then get off at the ground floor.

Hunter Mountain is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2009. See the article in this issue of the Guide, or visit www.HunterMtn.com.