Whitefish rallies around retired ski patroller

Just before Thanksgiving, Lauren Walker and her husband Glenn Gustafson stopped by their neighbor Gary Cabell’s cabin set back in the woods near Whitefish. They brought holiday treats and greetings, but when they spoke with their friend they could tell something was off.

They asked how he was doing, and although he said he was good, they saw him struggle to walk. When they asked if he had enough to eat, he replied that he did, but only just barely.

Since Cabell, or “Cabelli” as he is known by friends, is retired, his sole income comes from his Social Security checks. Rising inflation has left him increasingly stretched thin and without enough to cover his food, medication and housing costs.

Cabell, who is nearing age 75, has lived for five years at his current home, a small cabin with no running water or indoor plumbing. When he needs water, Cabell drives 5 miles to fill up in town. These days that is getting harder.

An avid skier, Cabell’s mobility has been severely limited due to nerve damage sustained as side effects of prostate cancer treatment. He had surgery two years ago, but the procedure was not completely successful.

According to Walker, it now takes Cabell, the former star sprinter, 10 minutes to walk 10 feet.

Walker has organized a fundraiser on crowdfunding platform GoFundMe on Cabell’s behalf, with the goal of raising money for his necessities — food, firewood and mortgage payments. They also plan to use funds to drill a well on his property, which would save him the trip and burden of hauling gallons of water at a time.

The organizers are setting Cabell up with a physical therapist who can help him rehab his leg, with the hopes of getting him back on his skis.

As of Monday, the fundraiser had gathered donations from over 250 people, and had raised more than $25,000 of the $50,000 goal.

ORIGINALLY FROM NEW JERSEY, the talented athlete moved out west to Colorado on a college track and field scholarship. It was there that Cabell fell in love with skiing and mountain life.

After graduating with a degree in education, Cabell ended up building ski lifts at Colorado’s Copper Mountain, where he got his first ski pass, according to Walker.

He moved to Whitefish in 1976, and quickly made an impression on everyone who met him.

His first job was as a snowcat driver, although it didn’t last long. Always the independent spirit, Cabell decided he wasn’t making enough money grooming, so he found another way to fund his ski-first lifestyle.

“I asked for a nickel raise and they wouldn't give it to me, so I quit,” Cabell said in a recent interview.

He worked many other night jobs, cleaning bars and restaurants and working as the night auditor at local hotels. He even DJ’d for a spell at The Palm, a short lived downtown discotheque. In the summer he did forestry work.

During the day, he could be found skiing through the trees on Big Mountain.

In 1980, Cabell became a ski patroller, the first and only black man to hold the position, according to Walker’s online statement, though resort officials were unable to confirm the recollection.

What truly makes Cabell special is the way he is remembered by all anyone who has met him, said Walker, and the words of support left by his many donors attest to this.

“I miss breakfast with you at the Alpinglow [Inn, and] I miss seeing your face at the front desk,” wrote Tomcat Pacheco. “It's memories like these that made my time on Big Mtn special...thank you.”

“Gary is what Whitefish is all about,” Chuck Haney posted. “Many times, his friendly banter or smile up on the slopes made the day just a little brighter.”

“I worked one season with you at the Alpinglow and I've never forgotten your kind and gentle manner,” reads a submission by Ariel Gross. “One early morning I mentioned how nice it would be if the fire in the lobby was lit. And after that, every morning there was a fire. I always looked forward to … listening to your stories.”

Walker feels the same way.

“He is one of the true kind souls that you meet in this world,” she said. “We want to get this man the peace and rest he deserves.”

When told about how many people have pitched in to help him, the emotion starts to well up in Cabell’s voice. “Man, you don’t know how grateful I am,” he said.

In addition to the online fundraising, Big Mountain Botanicals, owned by Cabell’s neighbor Jesse Miller, is working to organize a party at the Tap House in Whitefish for Cabell’s 75th birthday at 5 p.m. on Jan 7. The organizers are planning a silent auction and want to get some live music booked. Until the event, people who wish to donate can do so at https://gofund.me/5150b2c7.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.