Bernie Baeckmann and Dave Nelson were both ski instructors at Mount Washington. “They were both 20-year employees with the company,” General Manager Peter Gibson said.
Friends of both of the men raised money and paid for the bench installation, and a dedication ceremony was held. “It was touching both times,” Gibson said as he recalled both Baeckmann and Nelson.
Nelson taught skiing for 20 years and was a Level 3 ski instructor. “In his previous life he was in the Air Force,” Gibson said.
Baeckmann was also a Level 3 instructor with the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance. “He was known in his earlier days for putting on a sing-along, the Tuesday Night Sing-Along,” Gibson related. Baeckmann would often show up clad in lederhosen, and could always engage the crowd. Baeckmann and his wife, Judy, were also instrumental in starting up Mount Washington’s ski week program.
A bench honoring Baeckmann (1936-2003) is nestled among some trees and alpine flora, with the main lodge in view. Nelson’s is in another scenic spot in the woods just off the Eagle chairlift loading area, a beautiful testament to his love of the mountain.
Anyone else wishing to memorialize a friend or family member with a bench or cairn along Memory Lane can contact Peter Gibson at 338-1386.