An ode to THOMAS

Here at Adventures in Whitewater, we take a lot of pride in our hodgepodge assortment of people movers- the vehicles we use to get you to and from the rivers.   Our main vehicle up here is a 1985 Thomas Safe-T-Liner. This bus has a backstory that would be fitting for a Hemingway novel- it started its life down in Denver, Colorado, as a school  bus for the Cherry Creek School District.  For near fifteen years it dependably moved kids to and from school and field trips.  All things considered, that's a pretty standard story for a school bus.  It's after it was sold from the school district in 1997 that the story gets interesting.  For three years after it was sold, the bus belonged to Winter Park Resort- moving guests between the base area of Winter Park and Mary Jane. When Winter Park decided it was time for it to move on, it was sold to Berthoud Pass Ski area. For those unfamiliar with Berthoud Pass Ski Area, this was one of the coolest resorts ever opened in Colorado.  Featuring a huge amount of Double Black terrain, and ample backcountry access, this resort was one of the first areas offering Extreme Skiing in Colorado.  For four years, Thomas chugged reliably up and down Berthoud Pass, spending most of that time operating about 10,000 feet.  If you look at videos from Berthoud Pass Ski Area, you can see Thomas faithfully waiting in the parking lot to move people back up to the base area.  However, due to a permitting issue, Berthoud Pass Ski area had to close in 2004-  coincidentally the year Adventures in Whitewater was founded.  Earlier this year in June, Thomas got a face lift, and became the largest green bus in American.  And last week, Thomas was part of AW's biggest day ever- doing his part in moving 87 people down to the river for a morning trip!  Not a bad life!