Madeline Pierce: Snowmaker of the Year, A Career for Life

Ski Area Operations / Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus

Madeline Pierce grew up in New York’s Adirondack State Park, and became interested in snowmaking when she was eleven years old while skiing at nearby Oak Mountain Ski Center. Madeline enrolled at Colorado Mountain College to study Ski Area Operations, one of only two such programs in America.

While in college, Madeline was hired to work on the snowmaking crew at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Summit County.

“Lots of people train on the job for this kind of work,” Pierce said. “But getting a degree in Ski Area Operations from CMC gives me a professional advantage for making this a career.”

In summer 2021, Madeline won the Colorado Ski Country Double Diamond Snowmaker of the Year award.