In the 1880’s Providence Grays pitcher Old Hoss Radbourn had a three-year stretch of dominance on the mound. He achieved so much on and off the field. 

I’m sharing this because today I feel a lot like Old Hoss. 

After a little over three incredible years in Steamboat Springs, I am moving on to new endeavors.

I came to Steamboat fresh out of college in June 2022. I was the cocky kid from Connecticut who was ready to take on the world. Only, I moved to a ski town and had never skied a day in my life. What was I thinking? 

Not only that but as the sports reporter for the Pilot my job revolved around, you guessed it, writing about skiing and snowboarding. 

The truth is, it took some time but I managed to fall in love with snow sports. Learning of our community’s 100 Olympians, the influence Carl Howelsen still has over a century later, and watching our youth dominate with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club has inspired me in ways I never thought possible. 

Eventually I tried my hand at sliding on snow myself. It was a rough go at first, but thanks to some help from the greatest friends on the planet I became… not terrible. 

In Steamboat I learned to get out of my comfort zone, embrace new hobbies and always ski Arc over Towers. I learned that living in a small community means making deep connections with high quality people.

I’ll miss dunks in the river, afternoon volleyball and my second home on Nob Street. I’ll miss bumping into community members at the high school sporting events or the ski jumping competitions at Howelsen Hill. 

Most of all, I will miss serving the community of Steamboat Springs and being a part of your morning routine when you pick up the newspaper — even if only to do the crossword. 

I would like to thank Bonnie Stewart, Eli Pace and Shelby Valicenti for trusting the 21-year-old Temple University graduate with the roles I have been honored to work over the past three years. 

I’d also like to shout out John F. Russell for taking me under his wing and showing the ropes to the newbie in town. John, your knowledge of the newspaper industry and this community is second to none.

I take a lot of pride in having worked with so many incredible individuals at the Pilot. I can assure you the Pilot staff is working very hard to provide Northwest Colorado with quality journalism. 

My request to you is to pick up the phone or send an email to the Pilot staff if you have a news tip. We do our best to stay on top of all the county’s happenings, but many times our stories come from you — the people. 

In return, my vow is to take the spirit of this community with me to my new home in Arizona and beyond. Routt County may not have made it to the end of my story, but I will always have the corner folded down on its page. 

It was one of my favorites.