Matthew Gustafson used to get up at 1 a.m. to hike four or five hours in the dark up 14,000-foot peaks with Jack Rossman. Then the men would ski down in the fresh snow.
“There are few people that will do that with you,” said Rossman, who survived the same avalanche that killed Gustafson Saturday. “I’ll miss him.”
Gustafson was a loyal, honest friend and an excellent athlete, friends said. The Vail resident died in an avalanche in the East Vail chute called “King Tut.”
Gustafson grew up in Jamestown, N.Y., and moved to Vail in 1994 after he graduated high school. He worked at the General Store in Lionshead for a couple years and then moved on to Vail Ski Tech, where he worked for several years.
Gustafson started his own business, Matthew Gustafson Woodworks, but also laid tile and installed stone in people’s homes.
Gustafson was a skilled carpenter and liked to make cabinets and custom pistol cases. He completed a large stone fireplace in his East Vail home.
He lived there with his girlfriend, Kerry Nagurney, of four years. Nagurney had dated Gustafson in high school and later moved to Vail to live with him.
The jobs Gustafson held in Vail gave him plenty of time to ski.
Gypsum resident J.J. Mikels, who has known Gustafson since the men moved to Vail the same year, had seen Gustafson fall less than five times in 14 years of skiing.
“He was one of the best skiers I’ve ever had the pleasure to ski with,” Mikels said.
Friends said Gustafson liked skiing above Eisenhower Tunnel; Loveland Pass; Fourth of July Bowl, Mount Baldy and Buffalo Mountain in Summit County; Independence Pass; Mushroom Bowl near Vail Mountain; and others.
“The list of places he skied is infinite,” Mikels said.
Powder days on Vail Mountain usually ended in East Vail Chutes when the untracked powder disappeared.
Gustafson skied “fast and smooth” on powder, cliffs, hard pack and crust, Mikels said.
“He made it look easy,” he said.
http://www.vaildaily.com/news/vail-man-loved-backcountry-powder/
“There are few people that will do that with you,” said Rossman, who survived the same avalanche that killed Gustafson Saturday. “I’ll miss him.”
Gustafson was a loyal, honest friend and an excellent athlete, friends said. The Vail resident died in an avalanche in the East Vail chute called “King Tut.”
Gustafson grew up in Jamestown, N.Y., and moved to Vail in 1994 after he graduated high school. He worked at the General Store in Lionshead for a couple years and then moved on to Vail Ski Tech, where he worked for several years.
Gustafson started his own business, Matthew Gustafson Woodworks, but also laid tile and installed stone in people’s homes.
Gustafson was a skilled carpenter and liked to make cabinets and custom pistol cases. He completed a large stone fireplace in his East Vail home.
He lived there with his girlfriend, Kerry Nagurney, of four years. Nagurney had dated Gustafson in high school and later moved to Vail to live with him.
The jobs Gustafson held in Vail gave him plenty of time to ski.
Gypsum resident J.J. Mikels, who has known Gustafson since the men moved to Vail the same year, had seen Gustafson fall less than five times in 14 years of skiing.
“He was one of the best skiers I’ve ever had the pleasure to ski with,” Mikels said.
Friends said Gustafson liked skiing above Eisenhower Tunnel; Loveland Pass; Fourth of July Bowl, Mount Baldy and Buffalo Mountain in Summit County; Independence Pass; Mushroom Bowl near Vail Mountain; and others.
“The list of places he skied is infinite,” Mikels said.
Powder days on Vail Mountain usually ended in East Vail Chutes when the untracked powder disappeared.
Gustafson skied “fast and smooth” on powder, cliffs, hard pack and crust, Mikels said.
“He made it look easy,” he said.
http://www.vaildaily.com/news/vail-man-loved-backcountry-powder/
Matthew Gustafson used to get up at 1 a.m. to hike four or five hours in the dark up 14,000-foot peaks with Jack Rossman. Then the men would ski down in the fresh snow.
“There are few people that will do that with you,” said Rossman, who survived the same avalanche that killed Gustafson Saturday. “I’ll miss him.”
Gustafson was a loyal, honest friend and an excellent athlete, friends said. The Vail resident died in an avalanche in the East Vail chute called “King Tut.”
Gustafson grew up in Jamestown, N.Y., and moved to Vail in 1994 after he graduated high school. He worked at the General Store in Lionshead for a couple years and then moved on to Vail Ski Tech, where he worked for several years.
Gustafson started his own business, Matthew Gustafson Woodworks, but also laid tile and installed stone in people’s homes.
Gustafson was a skilled carpenter and liked to make cabinets and custom pistol cases. He completed a large stone fireplace in his East Vail home.
He lived there with his girlfriend, Kerry Nagurney, of four years. Nagurney had dated Gustafson in high school and later moved to Vail to live with him.
The jobs Gustafson held in Vail gave him plenty of time to ski.
Gypsum resident J.J. Mikels, who has known Gustafson since the men moved to Vail the same year, had seen Gustafson fall less than five times in 14 years of skiing.
“He was one of the best skiers I’ve ever had the pleasure to ski with,” Mikels said.
Friends said Gustafson liked skiing above Eisenhower Tunnel; Loveland Pass; Fourth of July Bowl, Mount Baldy and Buffalo Mountain in Summit County; Independence Pass; Mushroom Bowl near Vail Mountain; and others.
“The list of places he skied is infinite,” Mikels said.
Powder days on Vail Mountain usually ended in East Vail Chutes when the untracked powder disappeared.
Gustafson skied “fast and smooth” on powder, cliffs, hard pack and crust, Mikels said.
“He made it look easy,” he said.
http://www.vaildaily.com/news/vail-man-loved-backcountry-powder/
“There are few people that will do that with you,” said Rossman, who survived the same avalanche that killed Gustafson Saturday. “I’ll miss him.”
Gustafson was a loyal, honest friend and an excellent athlete, friends said. The Vail resident died in an avalanche in the East Vail chute called “King Tut.”
Gustafson grew up in Jamestown, N.Y., and moved to Vail in 1994 after he graduated high school. He worked at the General Store in Lionshead for a couple years and then moved on to Vail Ski Tech, where he worked for several years.
Gustafson started his own business, Matthew Gustafson Woodworks, but also laid tile and installed stone in people’s homes.
Gustafson was a skilled carpenter and liked to make cabinets and custom pistol cases. He completed a large stone fireplace in his East Vail home.
He lived there with his girlfriend, Kerry Nagurney, of four years. Nagurney had dated Gustafson in high school and later moved to Vail to live with him.
The jobs Gustafson held in Vail gave him plenty of time to ski.
Gypsum resident J.J. Mikels, who has known Gustafson since the men moved to Vail the same year, had seen Gustafson fall less than five times in 14 years of skiing.
“He was one of the best skiers I’ve ever had the pleasure to ski with,” Mikels said.
Friends said Gustafson liked skiing above Eisenhower Tunnel; Loveland Pass; Fourth of July Bowl, Mount Baldy and Buffalo Mountain in Summit County; Independence Pass; Mushroom Bowl near Vail Mountain; and others.
“The list of places he skied is infinite,” Mikels said.
Powder days on Vail Mountain usually ended in East Vail Chutes when the untracked powder disappeared.
Gustafson skied “fast and smooth” on powder, cliffs, hard pack and crust, Mikels said.
“He made it look easy,” he said.
http://www.vaildaily.com/news/vail-man-loved-backcountry-powder/
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