Snowmass to Aspen – 1977

In the 1970’s the building boom in Snowmass was in full swing.  In the summer of 1977 my father was doing the earth moving and backfill
work on a number of new homes up on Ridge Run Road.  One of the houses was being built by the daughter of Walt Disney and her husband, Ron Miller.  Over the weekend my father inadvertently left his surveyor transom on the job site.  When he found out I was going to a High School Party in Snowmass he asked if I would mind bringing it home with me that night.

By the 1970’s a lot of the kids attending high school actually lived up in the Snowmass Valley and commuted into town.  It was not uncommon for one of them to hold a party or two throughout the summer months and on this night a call went out to all of the “upperclassmen” to be sure to attend.  I did not have a car that night but Mark Menscher, a fellow classmate and friend offered to drive.

On our way to the party we stopped by and picked up the Transom.  It was very rare and extremely accurate.  It was kept in a custom made case, made of wood and padded throughout the inside.  All-in it must have weighed 60 pounds, coupled by the fact that all of the dials were made of in-laid sterling silver.  This thing was a beast to say the least.

Around 11:00pm I went looking for my ride and all I found was the transom where the car had been parked.  It turns out that Mark had left
hours earlier, thanks for the warning!  I headed down Ridge Run Road with my thumb firmly extended, hoping for a ride.  About a mile later I was offered a ride if I was willing to jump in the back of a mini-truck for a ride as far as Cemetery Lane, about a ½ mile short of my destination.  Did I mention it was about 40 degrees out and I did not have a coat?  That was a cold ride to town.

My journey home took about two hours including the rest stops I had to make every couple of yards on the “walking” portions of the trip.  The transom made it home safe and as I came in the house my mother heard me and asked how my evening was.  After a detailed description of my harrowing journey home all she had to say was, “You could have called, I would have come get you.”  Thanks mom!

Sadly a few years later the transom was stolen from a job site never to be seen again.  I thought for sure I would own that thing one day, after all; we “bonded” that late summer evening.