Cron invited
into ‘the bubble’
Ski patrolman skis with Kerry
By ADAM TANOUS
Express Arts Editor
For most, the rarified environment
of presidential politics is seen from the outside in. Tim Cron, a Sun
Valley ski patrolman, last week got a taste of life inside what the U.S.
Secret Service calls "the bubble." That "bubble" included Democratic
presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry, a
few top aides and, of course, unidentified men with big jackets. Cron
spent several days skiing and hiking with the senator from Massachusetts
who is vacationing here.
As is the case when any VIP skis
or boards on Baldy, a member of the ski patrol is assigned—for safety
reasons—to accompany the VIP. Cron got that duty Thursday morning.
Kerry began his snowboarding day
on Upper College, with Secret Service men in front and back, and at the
top and bottom of the mountain. Cron stayed behind Kerry with the
trailing agent. When the party stopped at the bottom of Upper College,
Kerry looked back at Cron and said, "Who are you?"
Cron introduced himself and asked
if it was okay if he hung out in back and shadowed him. Kerry waved Cron
over and said, "Come on, let’s go skiing." The two skied and boarded
together the rest of the day, probably four or five runs, including
College, Flying Squirrel and Limelight, Cron said. By Cron’s account and
those of others watching, Kerry is a strong boarder. "He was rippin’
it," Cron said.
After that first run, Cron rode
the lifts with Kerry, two members of the public or an aide, Marvin
Nicholson, and a member of the public. He described the experience as
pretty intense with people constantly coming up to talk to and
congratulate Kerry. He said Kerry was very polite to everyone, but
clearly was not in political mode. "He was just into boarding, having a
good time. He seemed to have a real appreciation for the mountain
environment," Cron added.
At the end of the day Kerry
mentioned that he would like to do some hiking on Friday, maybe up
Durrance Peak. Cron, who has spent a fair amount of time in that area
explained, "Senator, it didn’t freeze last night, so skiing is going to
be marginal at best, more like survival skiing."
"Yeah, I know, but it’s good to be
out there. I’d love it if you could join us," Kerry said.
And so Cron sent the Secret
Service to The Elephant’s Perch in Ketchum to get outfitted for
snowshoes. The next day he met the agents at the headquarters of the
Sawtooth National Recreation Area and jumped into their Suburban, which
was littered with skis, snowshoes and Kevlar vests.
At the parking lot for the
Durrance hike, Cron met Kerry. The two, with agents, headed up the peak.
After the approximately two-hour hike—Kerry carried all of his gear and
snowboard—the party reached the top. Kerry commented on how much he
enjoyed the quiet. Then his cell phone rang. He answered, said he was on
top of Durrance and would call back. After a long pause he repeated,
"No, I don’t want to talk now. I’ll call back in an hour or two."
Cron said he was impressed with
Kerry’s wherewithal in the backcountry. He strapped on his own avalanche
beacon, knew how to use it, and was very self-sufficient. "He knew what
he was doing," Cron said.
The ski down was challenging, as
the snow was a little too soft to hold them up. Kerry, being relatively
light and on a snowboard, did pretty well. The bigger Secret Service
agent—Cron said he was approximately 220 pounds plus whatever firearms
he had—was having a tough time getting down.
But they made it. Cron got back
into the Suburban and was dropped at his car.
Saturday morning Cron was back on
duty. It was another beautiful Sun Valley day and Kerry had decided to
spend it on Baldy. He was on skis this time, and more than once, left
some videographers and various press people in the proverbial dust.
Kerry skied all over the mountain and took time out for a visit to the
ski patrol shack during lunchtime. The senator spent Sunday on Baldy as
well
Cron was happy enough with the
duty. He said Kerry was very "likeable guy and a great ski partner."
By Sunday afternoon the Secret
Servicemen looked a little ragged. It seemed running alongside a
limousine in downtown Washington is a bit different duty from hustling
up and down the mountains in Sun Valley.