SNOWMASS VILLAGE – Veteran ski instructor Ed Petrosius proudly led us off a Snowmass ski trail and into the ungroomed terrain beyond. He stopped at the ropes marking the ski area boundary. A few yards beyond, a commemorative plaque, employee name tag and laminated photo graced the trunk of a tree.
This small, out-of-the-way memorial holds a place of tender significance for Petrosius. It honors his late wife Susan.
Susan’s shrine is one of about 100 ad hoc memorials gracing the slopes of Aspen’s four ski hills. Most consist of photos and memorabilia attached to trees. With rare exceptions, they lie hidden in the forest, out of sight of skiers on groomed trails. The majority were clandestinely created with their builders maintaining total anonymity.