I climbed onto the shiny new red Sunrise Gondola at Pendry Plaza, quickly lifting into the winter air above Canyons Village. My cabin mate for the journey to Red Pine was Chris Ingham, the new vice president of mountain operations. Ingham’s story echoes that of many ski bums who migrate west e ach winter chasing snow and a life in the mountains. Growing up in the coastal town of Marshfield, Mass., he moved to California with a buddy after high school. But the ocean air couldn’t replace the pull of winter. Before long, they realized how much they missed skiing and snowboarding. “It was a bit of a coin flip between here and Breckenridge at the time,” recalled Ingham.  Back in Massachusetts, he had worked for the uncle of former Park City Mountain manager Brian Suhadolc. When Ingham decided to head to the mountains 20 years ago, Suhadolc helped him land a job as a snowmaker in Park City in 2006. “The irony, or cool thing, is that now I’m sitting in his office! Isn’t that wild?” As we ride through Canyons Village, Ingham carries the calm confidence of someone who has spent two decades learning the rhythms of the mountain business. His path includes 13 seasons at Park City Mountain before heading to Colorado, where he spent six years in senior mountain operations roles at Keystone and Breckenridge. This fall’s return to Park City was, in many ways, a homecoming for Ingham and his family. “I feel so lucky,” he said. “I reflect on that a lot — how lucky I feel to be here.” When Ingham began his career at Park City in 2006, the resort was owned by POWDR. Eight years later, Vail Resorts acquired Park City Mountain and in 2015 connected it with neighboring Canyons via the Quicksilver Gondola. Ingham credits his career progression not just to experience, but to the people around him. “My career is largely because of the company that I work for,” he said. “I don’t think I could have gotten here in a different way.” Today, he finds particular satisfaction in mentoring younger employees working their way up through the ranks. “It’s maybe the most rewarding and fulfilling part of my work.” His job is no small assignment. Ingham oversees mountain operations at Park City Mountain, the largest ski resort in America, with more than 7,300 acres of skiable terrain and 43 lifts stretching across two sprawling mountainsides. “Park City is unique — it’s really big,” he said. “There’s a ton of complexity. And so my day can be anywhere from starting out on snow and checking out different aspects of the operation, or talking about the future with capital investments, or working to develop leadership capabilities.” Ingham’s first season at the helm has come with its share of challenges, particularly from the weather. “I’ve long held this belief that constraints breed creativity,” he said. “And we’ve really seen that come to light this year.” He spoke with pride about the ingenuity of his team as they worked to keep the resort operating despite a winter that often lacked the generous help of Mother Nature. Snow was hauled in trash barrels on chairlifts to reinforce loading areas. Buckets were fitted to snowcats to shuttle snow from place to place. Crews even built makeshift loading docks so snow could be pushed directly onto the beds of utility snowcats. From lift operators to snowmakers to grooming crews to patrol, everyone pitched in. “I know it hasn’t been an exciting winter, particularly for locals. But we’ve had such positive feedback from destination guests — and that has been really healthy for me to hear.” In a season defined by operational challenges, Ingham lights up most when talking about something far simpler: skiing with his daughter. Now nearly 5, she made big progress on snow this winter. “She was in lessons last year at Breck, but never got on a chairlift. This season, on the first day, she was riding Payday. By the end of it, she was riding Bonanza and Silverlode. I’m so excited for that. To be able to go skiing with my kid is just the coolest thing ever.” Reflecting on the season, Ingham pointed to his team’s ability to adapt. “Sometimes our standards can be dictated by what’s possible and not what’s perfect,” he said. “And that doesn’t make them bad. It means we are caring for the moment that we’re in.” Earlier this season, while cruising down Miner’s Mile toward Home Run, his mind drifted back nearly two decades to his first winter in Park City, when he was a young snowmaker dragging snow guns up the hill to open those same runs. “I had this wave of nostalgia wash over me,” he said. “I was able to be super present in the moment and appreciate the mountain and the community for what it is. Even in a tough season, Park City is one of the best places to be in the world.” The post Ridgelines: Finding joy in an uncharacteristic season appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less