(1947 – 2018)

Larry Fisher, aka “Old Man Winter,” founded Ski & Bow Rack in 1985 and proudly ran it for 33 years. He had a mustache that was the envy of the town. He knew more about custom insoles than most people knew about themselves. (At one point half the town were probably wearing his insoles, and the other half were on the waitlist for an appointment.) His passion for fitting ski boots bordered on fanaticism. He made the best homemade ice cream this side of Saturn, a recipe that – like everything else he did – he tinkered with for decades. He never took the easy way, unless the easy way was also the right way. He was a beloved boss, father, grandfather, and ski buddy whose predictable answer to any greeting was “I’m doing just pretty good.” His legacy lives on in the shop and in the hearts of those who loved him.

Brittany, Larry’s daughter, basically grew up in the shop. At present, she carries on her father’s incredible legacy, and while her work behind the scenes keeps Ski and Bow Rack functioning, her perpetual encouragements keep the staff happy. Well that and the fact that she writes paychecks. That definitely helps. Her husband, the great Robert Bedtke, has picked up where Larry left off in the wizard-ing world of insoles, custom boot fitting, and crazy, daring adventures. You can always count on service with a smile from Robert, and his bubbling optimism is super contagious. Pessimists beware. When their busy schedules relax, which probably isn’t as often as these busy bees would like, you can generally bet they’ll be playing on the slopes or the lake with their four children, Trent, Peyton, Eden, and Summit.

There’s only so much you can say about a guy who loves Jesus; loves his wife Heather; sons Edmund, Janner, Kian, and Corin; daughter Berea; and after that, fishing, skiing, hiking, writing, soccer, and most everything outdoors. Also, jokes. By the way, did you hear about the guy who threw his alarm clock out the window? He wanted to see time fly. Really, you can tell that he grew up here and never got away–in the best way possible. Also, what do you get when you cross a sheep and a bumble-bee? A bah-humbug. If you want more jokes, you have only to ask.

Our resident backpacking wizard, Chase has logged more than 6,000 miles across 23 states on America’s long-distance trails (AT, PCT, CDT, Colorado Trail, Ouachita Trail, Big Bend 100). An unapologetic gear nerd, he loves demystifying the often overwhelming world of outdoor gear so customers can make smarter purchases and better enjoy their time outside. Chase is also an avid fly/Tenkara angler & tyer, an enthusiastic mushroom forager, and a middling bird hunter. These days, he and his wife Jenna are busy tackling their biggest challenge yet: learning how to camp with a toddler.

Chace grew up in Fort Worth, but he got to the mountains as quickly as he could. He cut his teeth fly fishing the Texas Hill Country and brought his skills up to Pagosa Springs. Despite the fact that he is 6’5”, we know him around here as “Little Chace.” He likes long walks on the river chasing trout, and if the fish aren’t biting, he can always woo them with his charming Texas drawl. In his spare time, he volunteers with Archuleta County Search and Rescue. We kinda like him, and we know you will, too!

Born in Albuquerque and raised in Phoenix, Andrew moved to Pagosa to pursue his passion for the outdoors after completing his degree at Arizona State University. Andrew is our favorite kind of adventure buddy, the guy who greets every opportunity with an enthusiastic “Heck yes!” While the rest of us make excuses about “having too many hobbies already,” Andrew quietly goes about fly fishing, snowboarding, bow hunting, packrafting, hiking — you name it, this guy does it. We don’t know where he finds the time!