Official Operator Spotlight: Carter Cummings
From the moment Carter got behind the sticks, he knew he wanted to be in a PistenBully full time.
Carter runs his own excavation business in the warmer months, so he adapted quickly to snow grooming. He likes to say that he can fine-tune any part of the machine, and he is excited to bring more operators to the red side.
Tell us about your career path.
I grew up skiing in New England, and I was always intrigued by the snowcats and how the mountains were thrown together. I would watch the PistenBullys at Mount Snow build up Carinthia from the lift. I would ski slowly past the mountain shops to see the cats up close. I knew it would be something I'd like to do at least once. When I started my own business, doing excavation in the summer, I needed to find some income for the winter months. As a guy who hates plowing driveways, I wanted to do something more interesting. I turned to the local mountain, Jiminy Peak, to see if I could snag a seat as an operator for the winter. It didn't take long to get hooked on the machines and the work.
If you had to pick just one thing, what would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
Being trusted with the snow and being able to shape it into something fun and enjoyable for skier traffic.
What feature or capability of PistenBully machines/products do you find most critical for your work?
I use every park function, every night. Some of the tools I use the most are the tape measure and AutoTracer.
What is your best advice for mentoring/training?
You should follow someone more experienced around. It's important to find someone who knows more than you do and is willing to give you an understanding of how things should look. Ask as many questions as you can.
What do you hope to see PistenBully offer in the future?
There are two machines I would love to see: a 600 ParkPro Winch with a KFX ProFlex Tiller. This would be a game-changer for us in terrain parks. I'd also love to see a NoDeck 600 ParkPro.
What's something you want others -- especially those who are not familiar with your line of work -- to know about snow grooming?
The satisfaction from the perfect slope for me is enough, but when I see people complimenting the conditions, it really brings home the purpose of why I do it! There are some nights when we can’t change the weather or the way the snow will set up, but we will still be out while you sleep, trying our best to play the cards we were dealt.
What do you do in the summer?
I own my own excavation company, Cummings Excavation, in the warmer months. Because I had a lot of heavy equipment experience, it was easy for me to make the transition into a PistenBully.
