Ben Glassmeyer’s work has been enjoyed by thousands of people in Steamboat Springs. Some come to the mountain town specifically to take advantage of expertise.

But unlike a piece of art or an athletic achievement, it is hard for Glassmeyer to get the credit his work really deserves. Most will never know who he is, or what impact he has had.

“I don’t think people realize the kind of work that goes into what he does,” said Alexis Wolf, recreation manager for Steamboat Springs. “I know, I didn’t realize it.”

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In the summer, Glassmeyer is a crew leader for the Parks & Recreation department that maintains the more than 50 miles of trails under the city’s watch. When snow covers the trails, he works at Howelsen Hill to ensure the slope is ready for skiers and snowboarders every morning.

Wolf said Glassmeyer is one of the hardest workers the department has and often takes his work home with them, making notes about needed trail improvements when riding on his own time.  

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“My wife gives me grief all the time,” Glassmeyer said. “We’ll be out riding on Emerald and I’ll see something — getting a branch out of the way or getting the rock out of the trail that’s just sitting there. … I put in all that hard work because I want everyone else to get that same amount of enjoyment as I do.”

Jenny Carey, open space and trails supervisor for the city, said Glassmeyer’s leadership is fantastic and each season he is able to create a tight knit team that works to maintain the city’s trails.

“They get good work done while they’re also having fun,” Carey said. “I think that’s really a direct reflection of Ben’s leadership style. … He’s just a really fun guy to be around and he cares a lot about what our crew does.”

In the winter, Glassmeyer’s work ethic continues. When COVID-19 precautions limited who could be in the Howelsen Hill snow cat, he worked for 32 days straight to groom the slopes, allowing hundreds, if not thousands, of people to continue to use the ski area during the pandemic.

As he is on the trails, Glassmeyer is a frequent flier at Howelsen too and his skiing goes to a good cause.

After his brother died by suicide eight years ago, Glassmeyer found the Breckenridge-based organization Go4Graham.

“It just really spoke to me, that you’re not alone in this whole thing,” he said. “There’s a lot of people out there who have dealt with the same losses or anything tragic.”

The nonprofit promotes mental wellness throgh physical exercise and Glassmeyer feels outdoor recreation is a great way to support your mental health. When Glassmeyer turned 30, he raised money for Go4Graham by skinning up Howelsen, with people donating money for each lap.

A private donator said they would match whatever Glassmeyer raised up to $15,000, and he was able to exceed that mark.

“If we could raise $30,000 to go towards Go4Graham, it would be amazing,” Glassmeyer said. “And we did.”