Sanctuaries in the Snow

The Pete and Carol Bedford Crosses (Snowmass)

The Pete Bedford Cross is on Snowmass.  Pete and his wife, Carol, ran the Mountain Chalet in Snowmass Village from 1969 to 1987.

In an article in the Snowmass Village Sun ("Snowmass ski lodges have colorful history") by Catherine Lutz, Ralph Melville, the original owner of the Mountain Chalet in Aspen and Snowmass Village, is quoted as follows:  “We built it in the summer of 1967 and it was ready to go by Christmas.  But it was one big construction site.  Since we had one in Aspen, we felt we could expand a bit.”  Lutz goes on to write,  "Pete Bedford came on in 1968 and he stayed 19 years.  (Pete and Carol Bedford are well-known names in the Village, and to this day received nothing but praise from their former place of employment.)"
 
The Bedford Ballroom, which used to be on the Snowmass Mall, was named after the family.  In November 2013 the Bedford Ballroom was turned into a bowling alley; see:  http://www.aspentimes.com/news/9093792-113/reece-alley-bowling-snowmass.
 
The Famous blacksmith, Francis Whitaker, made the cross (see:  http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/31/nyregion/francis-whitaker-blacksmith-dies-at-92.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm.)  It is made of a dark metal material and Pete Bedford's name is etched into it.  (Whitaker also made a cross for Pete's wife Carol, and it is near the east fork of the Brush Creek and the Snowmass golf course.  See section below for more information on her cross, and photos.)
 
Pete had three sons (John Peter Bedford, Jr., Bo Bedford, and Jim Bedford) and a daughter Michelle Foley.
 
For a related item, see this page for information on "Wacky Jack" plaques that exist in various places:  http://www.aspensnowmassshrines.com/index.php?The-Wacky-Jack-Plaque.  Pete's son, John Peter Bedford, Jr., was known as "Jack" and "Wacky Jack."
 
The Pete Bedford Cross is on a tree near the Whispering Jesse run at Snowmass.  On a nearby tree is a Wacky Jack plaque (see http://www.aspensnowmassshrines.com/index.php?The-Wacky-Jack-Plaque).  Pete's and Jack's ashes are sprinkled under these trees.  Whispering Jesse was one of Pete's favorite runs.  According to one of his sons, "Pete Bedford ruled the Big Burn."  The cross was installed on the tree in 2004.  Thanks to Dr. Alex Goldberg and BB for helping the author find this cross. 

See this article in the Snowmass Sun of January 25, 2012, "The Pete Bedford Cross, ‘Wacky Jack' plaques well known" by David Wood.   http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20120124/NEWS/120129988.  (The full article is set out below at the bottom of this page.)

Photos of the Pete Bedford cross on Snowmass are in the first photo section below.  Photos of the Carol Bedford cross (which is not on the ski mountain) are in the photo section below that.  For even more photos of the Pete and Carol Bedford crosses, see this Facebook photo album (you do not need to have a Facebook account in order to view the album):  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.631709340234367.1073741925.100001859201674&type=1&l=634441661f.  

If you have any information about this item that you would like to share for use on this site, please write to the author at [email protected].


Click on images to enlarge.

The Pete Bedford Cross


Photos of the cross in memory of Carol Bedford are below.  This cross is attached to a tree that is located near the Snowmass Club golf course.  Her ashes are buried at the base of this tree. For even more photos of the Pete and Carol Bedford crosses, see this Facebook photo album (you do not need to have a Facebook account in order to view the album):  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.631709340234367.1073741925.100001859201674&type=1&l=634441661f.  

Click on images to enlarge.

The Carol Bedford Cross


Below is the article from the Snowmass Sun, written by David Wood.  http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20120124/NEWS/120129988.

The Pete Bedford Cross, ‘Wacky Jack' plaques well known.
Snowmass Village Sun

(Photo) The Pete Bedford Cross is on a tree near the Whispering Jesse run at Snowmass. The famous blacksmith Francis Whitaker made the cross.

The Bedford name is well known in Snowmass Village. Pete and his wife, Carol, ran the Mountain Chalet in Snowmass Village from 1969 to 1987. The Bedford Ballroom in the Snowmass Village Mall is named after the family. In an article in the Snowmass Sun (“Snowmass ski lodges have colorful history”) by Catherine Lutz, the original owner of the Mountain Chalet in Aspen and Snowmass Village, Ralph Melville, is quoted as follows: “We built it in the summer of 1967 and it was ready to go by Christmas. But it was one big construction site. Since we had one in Aspen, we felt we could expand a bit. … Pete Bedford came on in 1968 and he stayed 19 years. (Pete and Carol Bedford are well-known names in the village and to this day received nothing but praise from their former place of employment.)”

The Pete Bedford Cross is on a tree near the Whispering Jesse run at Snowmass. The famous blacksmith Francis Whitaker made the cross. It is made of a dark metal material, and Pete Bedford's name is etched into it. (Whitaker also made a cross for Pete's wife, Carol, and it is near the east fork of Brush Creek and the Snowmass golf course.)

Pete had three sons, John Peter Bedford Jr., Bo Bedford and Jim Bedford, and a daughter, Michelle Foley. Whispering Jesse was one of Pete's favorite runs. According to one of his sons, “Pete Bedford ruled the Big Burn.”

The cross was installed in 2004.

One of Pete's sons, John Peter Bedford Jr., was known as “Jack” and “Wacky Jack.” There are brass plaques attached to trees on the Gunner's View, Whispering Jesse and Showcase runs at Snowmass, all three are identical, and they read as follows: “Wacky Jack Skied Here.”

One of Pete's sons supplied the author with the following information about Jack: He was born in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 2, 1950, and was a graduate of the Aspen High School class of 1969. He died in Westminster on Aug. 7, 2000, at Park Forest Care Center, his home for the prior eight years. He lettered in football, baseball and skiing at Aspen High School. He worked for the Snowmass ski area as a ski instructor in the late 1960s and was known as “Little Stein” for his skiing style, which was similar to that of Stein Eriksen, who headed up the ski school at the time.

In 1971, Jack fell while skiing under Snowmass' Campground lift and received a severe head injury that caused partial paralysis and a memory loss of about 10 years. In 1972, he moved to Telluride, where he was employed in a variety of jobs, including that of ski instructor for the Telluride ski area. Jack was known for his quick smile, easygoing manner, laugh and occasional bizarre behavior that sometimes seemed just right for Telluride's early skiing days. He often lived up to his nickname, “Wacky Jack.” Some of Jack's ashes were scattered on a run called Happy Thought off Telluride's Lift 6. Also, some of his ashes, as well as Pete's ashes, were scattered on the Whispering Jesse run mentioned above, near the place where the Pete Bedford Cross is mounted and also near where there is a “Wacky Jack” plaque attached to a tree.

There are some 400 of these “Wacky Jack” plaques spread around areas where Jack skied and lived. They started appearing sometime around 2002.

 

David Wood ([email protected]) is the author of the best-selling book about the Aspen shrines “Sanctuaries in the Snow — The Shrines and Memorials of Aspen/Snowmass.” He donates all of his profits from book sales to the Roaring Fork Valley Scholarship Fund. The book can be purchased in Snowmass Village at Snowmass Sports, the Stew Pot, Sundance Liquor and Gifts, and the Village Market, as well as at various locations in Aspen.

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Sanctuaries in the Snow

The Shrines of Aspen/Snowmass (Including Plaques, Memorials, Displays and miscellaneous items) All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission from the author. For any such permission contact [email protected]

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