Groomed for adventure: Captain Ginge connects with local skiers

Lots of people work hard to keep the Mount Spokane cross-country ski experience enjoyable, but Joseph Nelson, aka Captain Ginge, is bridging the gap between groomers and skiers with his captivating trail condition updates which read better than an engaging winter novel.

“I often hear that folks tune in (go online) just to read my satirical posts which is awesome … I feel like because of that, when it really matters, I can reach folks with the info they truly need,” said Nelson, who much like his reports, answered questions for this story in writing.

Before he cleared Nordic paths, Nelson served with the Coast Guard in Alaska and San Diego. An outdoor enthusiast, Nelson was lured to the Spokane area by a Silver Bow Fly Shop fishing video and attended Eastern Washington University where he earned a degree in criminology. He later dabbled in woodworking and filled in as a substitute teacher with the Mead School District before being hired as a Mount Spokane maintenance mechanic where he worked repairing equipment, roads and water systems before setting his sights on a trail grooming position.

“It was daunting at first. We were desperately short on staff,” Nelson said. “My original goal when wanting to learn to groom was to reduce that burden on whomever was the primary groomer,” added Nelson, who was inspired by a coworker named Nathan.

“He was an amazing guy, running a concrete business by day and grooming trails at night just to keep the mountain afloat. He did so because he truly cared about the mountain,” Nelson said. “We now have an awesome crew, way better equipment and it just keeps getting better and better.”

A colorful storyteller with a red beard, Nelson recorded his first grooming reports on a snow hotline in a Robin Williams, “Good Morning, Vietnam”-style fashion. “I’d start off saying something like, ‘Good morning Mount Spokane, this is your favorite ginger-bearded maintenance man with today’s ski report,’ ” said Nelson, who became known as the Ginge, but later gave his nickname a facelift. “To poke fun of the world where so many people have made up job titles I decided to self-promote to Captain Ginge. I figured I earned it.”

Indeed. Captain Ginge has attached himself to the local ski community firmer than fresh powder. In a recent grooming update posted to the Spokane Nordic Ski Association website, he reminded skiers to “Be well, be kind, bust out those skinny sticks and come get after it.”

That humorous lingo, combined with fine-tuned trail reports have earned Captain Ginge celebrity status on Mount Spokane.

“People send us thank-you messages all the time. The ski community has really just embraced him and they love him for the casual, fun, thoughtful guy that he is,” said Spokane Nordic Ski Association Communications Director Dee Finchamp, who frequently forwards fan mail to Nelson. “He goes into such great detail and just has such a casual way of talking about it … now everyone just understands on a deeper level what it’s like to be in his shoes and to be out there at night grooming.”

An Alpine skier since the age of 4, Nelson would rather groom cross-country trails than ski them.

“I’ve Nordic skied a few times, but I’m beyond terrible at it,” Nelson said. “It was important for me to try it though, to give me some perspective from a skier’s point of view.”

While Mount Spokane remains fully staffed during the evening, inherent dangers always exist for night groomers. Nelson has encountered bobcats, cougars and bull moose while clearing Nordic paths.

“Cutting up the down(ed) trees and moving them is the most risky part of our job and the most laborious,” said Nelson, who has multiple avenues for contacting co-workers in emergency situations and is protected by a Nordic Pulse app which constantly tracks his location on the mountain. “Warm weather, wet snow and high winds are what keep me up at night. That’s when we see devastation out on the trails. A few years back it was mayhem. Hundreds of trees down, but more than that, (there were) branches and debris everywhere.” He added that bitter cold temperatures, such as the ones Spokane recently experienced, can also make his work arduous.

While Nordic trail grooming isn’t for everybody, Nelson enjoys the breathtaking views and diversity his job high atop of Mount Spokane affords.

“Sometimes the multitude of hats we wear can be challenging, but I could never do a job where I’d have to do the same task day in and day out,” he said. “The mountain has a funny way of rubbing off on you. Being a little part of the history of this place is a cool feeling.”