Looking to get it the business

[Sinisterkid406]

I spend a lot of my time skiing and wrenching on things. While on a chairlift it occurred to me that ski resorts must need people to wrench on their snowcats. What does it take to be a snowcat mechanic? Next fall I'm going to a tech school for automotive. Should I switch to diesel? If I got a job in this field would I have time to ski or would I just be working all winter?

[cbender]

Definitely take an emphasis in diesel and take any coursework you can in hydraulics. As far as ski time, like many jobs in this field, you will need to focus on work during your scheduled days and skiing on your days off. There are a few areas that will schedule some mechanics on a swing shift (4 pm to midnight) which allows some additional ski time. I suggest that you check out an organization in Colorado called SAVMI (ski area vehicle maintenance institute). You may be able to get some good contacts and ideas there.

[Power Giant]

Ski area shop foreman here, from PNW. I look for diesel school, and welding school grads. Good troubleshooting skills are important. I actually prefer non-skiers/riders, they seem to have better stuff for some reason. They must be more serious about wrenching than skiing. A CDL is a big plus if there is a bus fleet. Hope this was of some help.