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If you have skied at Marmot Basin in the last 40 years you have probably seen Ruth Mathes out there in her yellow coat.
But the volunteer snow host will be out of action for at least the rest of the season after breaking her leg on the mountain.
It was the last week of January, and Mathes, who has been a regular at Marmot since 1974 and a snow host for more than 15 years, was skiing down Highway 16 when she fell.
She called the ski patrol herself and was taken to Edmonton hospital where she was told she had broken her femur, the bone in her thigh.
鈥淩ecovery varies from person to person, but I鈥檓 doing fine,鈥� said the retiree.
Mathes said she has had many people send well-wishes since the accident, and 鈥渉asn鈥檛 thought about鈥� if she will return next season.
鈥淚 think they can probably manage pretty well without me,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are some pretty confident people and I am sure they can manage just fine. It鈥檚 a very enjoyable program.鈥�
Mathes lives in Edmonton, but every winter packs her bags and comes to Jasper to live close to the slopes for the ski season.
And as a volunteer snow host, it鈥檚 Mathes鈥� job to welcome newcomers and get them comfortable with the mountain, so every week she suits up and shows off the slopes to anyone looking for a tour.
鈥淚 enjoy meeting all the new people,鈥� she said.
鈥淭here are a lot of overseas and out-of-province tourists who are very impressed with Marmot Basin and the mountain and the quality of the snow.鈥�
Mathes said it is a pleasure to talk to them and find out how they are enjoying it - 鈥渁nd brag a bit about the ski hill and the park鈥�.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very pleasant thing to do and I am encouraging people to get up there,鈥� she said.
Snow hosts have been at Marmot for more than to 20 years.
Part tour guides, part ski instructors and part historians, the small group of volunteers act like ambassadors of the mountain.
Mathes said: 鈥淚 would like to thank everybody at Marmot. I have been treated very well there over the many years I have been there.
鈥淚 appreciate being part of the snow host program and encourage anybody interested in people to get involved. It鈥檚 very rewarding.鈥�
