Your correspondent recently had the opportunity to fulfill a longtime aspiration when he cornered skiing legend Junior Bounous. If you know who he is there is no need for explanation, but by all means read on because this first installment (of two) is full of fun facts about his life and times here in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Canyon Blog met him on a pleasant July morning at Snowbird’s plaza deck where we’d agreed to take the tram and explore the pika populations around hidden peak and talk about his life. Armed with hiking poles and water and snacks for both of us the 98 year old made it clear he was ready to hike anything your correspondent was.

“I worked as a ski instructor in Alta starting in 1948 for ten years before moving to Sugarbowl in California. Then I ran Sundance’s ski school and shop from 1967 to 70, but I didn’t trust Bob Redford so when Ted Johnson asked me to come and layout the runs at Snowbird for its opening season I agreed.”

What he doesn’t mention is that Snowbird’s founder met him when Junior won the Alta Gelande ski jump contest that year setting a record of 166 feet with impeccable style to clinch the victory.

“I worked in the architect’s office at Snowbird and was paid something like $1,100 a month, which was pretty good money back then.”

Junior and his wife Maxine shared 67 years of adventures and marriage on skis. “It’s really seventy years if you count the three we dated,” he adds. Along the way he’s skied everything there is to in Little Cottonwood, including 15 runs down the famous Pipeline off Twin Peaks. The last time he skied it? Age 80. He also happens to hold the Guinness world record for oldest heli skiing skier when Powderbird took him out in his 95th year. “I brought slalom skis for the day but shoulda taken my powder skis,” he admits sheepishly.

In the Peruvian Tunnel you’ll find that Junior is the first picture you see (the cover of Skiing magazine’s inaugural cover show’s Junior and Maxine skiing Alta). And the very last. This is the shot of him as a 2002 Winter Olympics torch bearer. In between are shots of him from the 50s and 60s.

Snowbird has placed a bench honoring Maxine’s legacy for everyone to enjoy during the summer months in mineral basin. The skier shown on the bench is Junior on his record setting heli ski day. The bench is positioned so you can sit and view Hidden Peak and Powder Paradise and on their slopes the pika nests that appear in summer.

So, tune in next month because Junior and Canyon Blog will reveal the secrets of the cutest residents in the canyon then…