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South Valley Riverton Journal

Ski & Snowboard News / Alta turns 80. Bob Murdoch turns 94.

Mar 27, 2018 06:49AM ● By Harriet Wallis

Good friends Nick Looser (l) and Bob Murdoch / photo Harriet Wallis

Alta, one of the oldest ski areas in the country, just celebrated it's 80th year of operation. It opened its first ski lift in the winter of 1939.

And skier Bob Murdoch, one of the oldest skiing members of Alta's senior ski group the Wild Old Bunch, just celebrated his 94th birthday on skis at Alta.

He's one of many skiers across the country who ski into their 90s and enjoy their mountain friendships every bit as much as much as the ski slopes.

Bob, a retired hydro engineer, skis with his good friend Nick Looser, a retired culinary artist,who baked two specialty cakes for the birthday celebration. He knew there would be a big crowd to wish Bob a happy 94th birthday.

The two men currently skis three days every week, and Bob's love affair with Alta goes back a long way. He skied the mountain in the 1930s -- before it was a resort and before it had lifts. He hiked up to ski down.

Skiing has changed a lot since the days of ungroomed snow and long uphill hikes. But we celebrate those hardy, early skiers, and we hope we can grow up to be like them.

Go, Bob, go! Skiing on his 94th birthday / photo: Harriet Wallis