Vibe-Winter-2425 - Flipbook - Page 50
Althea Cranton @Wildcat
Althea Cranton has been skiing for 76 years, and she’s been hitting the slopes at
Wildcat since it opened in 1958. Her daughter was on the Wildcat Ski Team in
the 1990s, and Cranton served on its board of directors and as president.
“I always thought that I might want to teach skiing, and in 2000 when Wildcat ran a five-day program to become a ski instructor, I jumped at it,” Cranton
“I always thought that I might want to teach,
and in 2000 when Wildcat ran a five-day program
to become a ski instructor, I jumped at it.”
recalled. She taught in the kids’ seasonal program until the 2019-2020 season,
and is still an instructor in after-school programs at Wildcat. She also works in
the Lion’s Den childcare program at the resort.
Cranston said that while she enjoys seeing kids’ progress in seasonal
programs, there’s nothing like inspiring “the challenge of discovery” with a child
in a two-hour lesson. She especially likes teaching on the long, winding green
circle Wild Kitten Trail at Wildcat. Kids love the “trail experience,” she said, and
are in awe of the views coming down.
Her love of teaching skiing prompted Cranton to switch careers to become
a middle school teacher. She remembers telling her husband when they first met
that her goal was to ski until she was 80. In keeping with that, in a clinic several
years ago, she told the examiner that she would not be taking the “last run.” (Skier
superstition has it that you never call your last run of the day the last, fearing
you’ll jinx yourself and get hurt.)
Cranston turned 80 last March, and she has a new goal: “ski until I can’t.
And I will continue to teach until I am no longer an effective instructor.”
LOCAL, FRESH, AND FUN FOR EVERYONE!
Our new addition is
open ... More great
food and libations!
100 Kilometers of Groomed XC Trails
in NH’s White Mountains
Recharge your batteries
Family fun
Snowmaking
Ski with your friends
Located on main street in the heart of North Conway village,
we are your neighborhood restaurant serving up fresh, local
and delicious food in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
• 100 Kilometers of Groomed XC Trails
• Five Distinct Trail Networks
• Easy Loops & Epic Long Distance Routes
• Trailside Dining & Lodging
JacksonXC.org
50
Jackson, NH
In NH’s White Mountains
(603) 356-4747 • ChefsBistroNH.com
2724 White Mountain Hwy, No. Conway Village, NH
MWVvibe.com
