Through ski patrol over the last two yeas I've had great pleasure getting to know two very amazing people. Karen and Stuart Merrill came to Traverse City when Stu, AKA Captain Stuart Merrill; USCG, was stationed at Air Station Traverse City as the Commanding officer in 2007. Karen and I were on the ski patrol at Mt. Holiday and spent a lot of time training and skiing together. As an avid skiier who grew up on the East coast, I eventually got to know and spend a lot of time with Stu as well. Karen and Stu are the type of people you want to have in your life. They are the type of people that talk the talk AND walk the walk. They are down to earth, outgoing people who leave a lasting impression on those who cross their path.
Two years flew by and on Thursday we had to say goodbye to our good friends as they begin the next chapter in their nomadic coast guard life. There were a handful of fellow patrollers and friends in attendance at the ceremony that took place inside the main hanger on the Coast Guard Base in TC.
After awards and some very kind words by the Admiral of the Coast Guard 9th District, Captain Merrill took the stage to share what the last two years as meant to him. For him the ceremony was not a time to recognize his accomplishments, and there were a lot of them, but was an opportunity for him to remember and reflect on the reason people make the decision to serve their country. He shared with us the memories of friends he has known and lost who have served in the Coast Guard. With the parents in the audience, he reminded everyone of the tragic loss of a young Traverse City coastie who lost his life in a recreational swimming accident. His words brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience and it brought about a sense of pride that our country seems to forget about far too often. For the brief minutes of his speech, the buzz and craziness of everyday life, the doom and gloom news of the economy, and the greed of our culture seemed to disappear. For those brief minutes there was an incredible sense of pride and patriotism in that room. Captain Merrill thanked and recognized the men and woman of his station that made the decision to be part of something much larger than themselves. These people made a decision to serve their country and be part of the Coast Guard Family.
Unfortunately the Merrills are heading to Boston, MA for their next assignment and I left the ceremony having to say goodbye to two amazing friends. I am so thankful for the opportunity to get to know the Merrills and share a small part of their life. I won't forget the type of people they are and I certainly won't forget the many great ski runs we made during the two winters they stopped in Traverse City.
Marquette Mountain has this great little area called "The Back Door" on top of the mountain. It is located down a trail back in the middle of some woods that have been cleared away. The Back Door is an adult’s tree fort that is sweet. The area was made by the locals and each summer they haul wood to the top of the mountain and stack it for the winter. But they don't just stack it in piles; instead they make a sweet wintertime picnic area and shelter out of all the stacked wood. The Back door is complete with a ladies restroom, gentleman’s rest room ( or area with a lot of yellow snow) a wall of wood to block the cold north wind coming off the lake, a room made of stacked wood for days it's really cold, a fire pit with grill and cooking utensils, chairs for around the fire, two pantries to store food and condiments, and hundreds of old skis used as fencing around the area. It is really a neat place and a skier’s paradise. We stopped into The Back Door twice during our trip and had some good conversation with some local yoopers. They too were very nice and offered us food they had cooked over the fire. We spent the rest of the afternoon skiing until about 6:00p.m. Then we said goodbye to our new patroller friends and headed into town for dinner at The Border Grille, a fantastic little Mexican restaurant.
