Celebrating Jerry's 90th Birthday

Thank-you Jerry for being a generous host, and to Amy, Todd and Dee for making the gathering happen. Jerry's original plan was to ski with his friends, and gather in the bar later. Unfortunately Jerry had a mishap on the slopes a couple of weeks ago, and was not able to ski today.

Thank-you to the Baldy folks who adjusted their schedules to be here for the gathering.

Jerry can boast that he skied at age 89, and if all goes well, he may still be able to ski this season at age 90.

The ski patrol gifted Jerry the "Forney's" sign. Jerry cut the original run with a blind entrance. In later years, It was opened up and a sign was posted. That terrain now contains many dead trees, standing and down, so the sign had been removed. Down the road when that area is cleaned up, the family hopes there will be a sign "Forney's Glades".

Jerry was a volunteer CSPS patroller for many years, and would hike with his chainsaw in the summer. Before Powderkeg, Jerry and friends cut the "Hospital Run" , just wide enough for figure eights, again with a blind entrance. Most of that trail is now part of Powderkeg.

When the glading was done across the hill, Jerry went up in the summer and got his firewood from the downed trees, in effect cleaning up the new glades.

In the early nineties, Borderline Ski Club was operating the ski hill for the original ownership group. We raised the funds for a new haul rope for the Baldy Tee, but it was awhile before we had the funds to re-open the T-bar. Jerry led the work party, cutting down the trees that had grown up during the closed years. The original Kettle, (not what is called Kettle now) was heavily treed. He came back to me with a big grin – he said he left some spaced trees because the kids would like to ski around them.

Jerry salvaged lumber from a building stateside, and built one of the early cabins at Baldy. Age has not slowed Jerry down on cabin maintenance. He has been spotted recently on a ladder painting, and clearing the roof. He and Audrey are very hard workers, and it was quite impressive watching them build a rock wall on the property a few years ago.

Todd, Jerry, Amy, and Dee

We missed Audrey today. She was at home in Oroville preparing for the family birthday dinner tonight.

Marian B. photo.