I have written before of the McDonald's, my friends and Kingdom brethren here in Jackson Hole. This wonderful family doesn't do church but they definitely ski. LOL Everything is about family with Stephen, Christie and the four kids. They love the Lord and where ever they go, they truly are His Epistle set before men.
My little friend Liberty at two years old befriended me first and then it was as if the family adopted me. What a thrill and even a rarity it is to have others in the same community that espouse the sovereignty of God and His love for all mankind. So it has been with the McDonald's these last five years.
With all that in mind, I was thrilled to read in the local newspaper this week, that Liberty was becoming well known on the ski slopes and was about to set a record. I had to call her last night and give her a shout out for her accomplishment. She's was excited as she had just set the record yesterday. I'll tell ya something else, Liberty, like the rest of the family will bask in the limelight for a few days but then gladly go back to living humbly and quietly before the Lord.
I know you will enjoy this news story and possibly get a feel for what it is like to grow up in an area like Jackson Hole.
Young skier on track to set recordBy Brandon Zimmerman
She's a bit of a celebrity at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
The lifties at Thunder know her by name. Skiers on the Sublette chairlift sometimes yell encouragement as she slices through the Alta chutes below.
Liberty McDonald has developed a big-time presence at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort this season. It's an interesting twist, since she's one of the smallest skiers on the mountain.
Liberty, who is just 7 years old, is on pace to become the youngest person to ski 100 days in a season at the resort.
Liberty skied her 97th day of the season Tuesday and is expected to reach 100 days by Friday. The resort will close Sunday, after being open for 128 days this season.
"We must have missed twenty-something days somewhere," father Stephen McDonald said.
McDonald and his wife, Christy, have lived in Jackson for 18 years. Liberty is one of four children. She is able to ski every day because the couple school their children at home. A typical day will include several hours of skiing in the morning, and schooling in the afternoon.
"We ski almost every day," McDonald said. "We're pretty recognizable at the village."
Liberty especially.
That's because this youngster doesn't spend her days toiling around on the lower mountain. She's up high with some of the town's most skilled skiers.
She skies Paintbrush, Toilet Bowl and the Cascade and Alta chutes.
On Monday, Liberty skied Alta 1 for the first time. As she did, skiers and boarders on the Sublette lift were yelling support down to her.
"She can get around very well," her father said.
Liberty, like many youngsters, seems to have no fear.
"I like going fast," she said. "I'm not scared."
The reality of Liberty's push toward the 100-day club came about slowly through the season. As lifties scanned her pass each day, the number of days she's skied would appear on the scanning gun.
"They would look down and be like, 'Wow, man. That's 50 days. That's more than some of these guys are skiing,'" McDonald said. "It really raised some eyebrows.
"We'd see some of the same lifties, ski patrollers out there and mountain hosts," he said. "They were all talking about the 100-day club. They would see her skiing and recognize her and ask, 'Liberty, what day is this?' "
Curious, McDonald began asking Jackson Hole Mountain Resort's public relations office about his daughter's potential achievement. Resort Brand Director Anna Olson told him that to the best of the resort's knowledge, Liberty would be the youngest pass holder to ski 100 days in a season there.
"They were all amped about it," McDonald said.
Liberty is, too. When she joins the 100-day club, she will get an extra day of skiing Monday, a free breakfast and a patch commemorating the achievement.
"I want to get the 100-day patch," she said.
Liberty came close last year when she skied 96 days. She began skiing at the age of 3. McDonald took her down the cat tracks at Snow King, snowplowing with Liberty between his legs. Soon, she was skiing straight down Elk.
Now, it's almost impossible to keep her off the mountain.
"It's so fun," she said. "I love skiing."
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