Owen Evans is a reporter with Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.

Among his peers, ski patroller Brian Lindner is often described as the unofficial historian of Stowe Mountain Resort, a title he’s earned after 51 years working on the mountains and more than 25 years working to preserve the story of the resort’s past. 

Born in 1952, Lindner spent the first 10 years of his life in housing provided by the job of his father, Erwin Lindner. That job just so happened to be forest ranger for Mt. Mansfield State Forest. And the housing? The state shelter at the bottom of the mountain, known today as Mansfield Base Lodge. In fact, the room that currently houses the ski patrol was built as a bedroom for Lindner and his brother. 

Growing up on the mountain, Lindner witnessed the history of Stowe take place in real time. Charlie Lord, who was in charge of cutting the first trails on the mountains, is someone Lindner considered a friend. Perry Merrill, who was charged with managing the Vermont branch of the Civilian Conservation Corps and widely considered the “the father of Vermont skiing,” was Erwin Lindner’s boss. 

But Brian wasn’t fully aware just how significant those around him really were, including Merrill.

“When he was around I knew we had to be on our best behavior. I did not recognize until decades later the importance that man had to Stowe and skiing in Vermont,” Lindner said.

In 1973, while studying mass communications and history at the University of Vermont, Lindner was hired part time at the resort, starting out as a ski instructor. In 1988, Lindner transitioned to ski patrol, where he’s been every winter since. Outside of Stowe, Lindner spent his career with National Life in Montpelier and is still there part time as the corporate historian.

Lindner, now a Waterbury resident, is a lifelong history buff known for meticulously researching the 1944 crash of a U.S. military training flight on Camel’s Hump as well as other Vermont mountain plane crashes. Lindner didn’t begin his work on the resort’s history until a conversation in 1996 put things into perspective. 

“We had a rookie patroller, and we were sitting around at our top station at the top of the (FourRunner) Quad, just kind of randomly talking Stowe Mountain Resort history. This one rookie, he looked around the table and he said, ‘Other resorts would kill to have a history like this.’ And that statement stuck with me, and I said, ‘He’s right, and I need to start documenting this.”

Since then, Lindner’s collection has grown to include documents, photographs, newsletters, DVDs and pretty much any other materials he can get his hands on having to do with the resort.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s really fun,” he said. 

Some of his work can be seen in Stowe Magazine, which published a story written by Lindner about the history of the Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol in the Winter/Spring 2024-25 edition. Lindner also wrote an article for the Burlington Free Press titled “The Epic History of Stowe Mountain Resort.”

Through his love for resort history, Lindner has developed a strong connection with the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, located on Main Street in downtown Stowe. 

He’s a “huge ambassador for what we do,” said Abby Blackburn, the museum’s director. “He takes a lot of pride in this place and always has us on the forefront of his mind.”

When the resort replaced the Mountain Triple lift with the Sunrise Six in 2022, Lindner made sure one of the chairs from the triple made its way down to the museum. 

His contributions are many, Blackburn said. “I mean, call him unofficial historian? I would call him the official historian.”

Lindner’s “insatiable curiosity about Vermont’s ski history has served the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum well,” and he’s “a generous sharer of knowledge,” added Poppy Gall, museum board co-chair.

While he’s not necessarily working on any major projects currently, Lindner has documents such as a resort timeline, list of fires on the mountain, the history of each lift and more that he maintains. 

“It’s a very, very, rare week I’m not updating two or three of those with something. It’s not a single project, it’s just, ‘Keep all this stuff updated.’”

Lindner, who’s been skiing at Stowe for more than 71 years, was sidelined by a broken leg earlier in the season. But he has no plans to call it quits, and once he’s healed up, Lindner will be back at the mountain for his 72nd season. 

“I plan to patrol as long as I possibly can,” Lindner said.

As for his archives, Lindner has already decided where he’d like them to wind up. 

“When I kick the bucket, it’ll all go to the ski museum,” he said.