In 1990 Mikey Franco was a first-year snowboard instructor at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. His 1995 summer was spent guiding the whitewater section of the Snake River. In 2002 he managed catering events for Fine Dining Restaurant Group. In the years between you might have also found Mikey selling T-shirts, making chocolate or serving a porterhouse.
âHaving tons of jobs was just as important then as it is now,â he said.
Iâd imagine everyone reading this knows a contemporary version of this Mikey Franco, if not several: some young person sweating it out to enjoy the recreation opportunities afforded by wide-open spaces and daunting mountain ranges. But that person might not be here long, or may have moved away.