On October 17, the Bridger Ski Foundation awarded it’s first-ever Volunteer Legacy Award to Frieda and Terry Johnson. The Johnsons impacted generations of Bozeman skiers, and their saws cleared the way for trails that have defined Bozeman as a leading outdoor community.

When Terry and Frieda moved to Bozeman in 1975, they immersed themselves and their kids in skiing. It was in the days before BSF had an office, program directors, transportation, and other support. The Johnsons were devoted volunteers that made skiing possible.  They put on races and camps, drove van loads of kids across Montana. And they got hooked on skiing themselves, too. “Every time we took our kids to race, we raced,” says Terry.  “I didn’t even know how to ski,” says Frieda, who today has raced all over the world as a masters skier and brought home medals at the World Masters Cup. 

In their decades of service, they’ve volunteered at BSF events, organized community race series, built trails, written newsletters, and welcomed a long list of skiers into the community. Frieda even served as president and division coordinator of the Northern Division of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA).

 “If we didn’t have people like Terry and Frieda, we wouldn’t have the organization we have now,” said Dragan Danevski, BSF’s Nordic Program Director, who presented the award. 

But the Johnsons were more than just ski club volunteers. To many, they were the building blocks of the Nordic community, creating trails and introducing Bozemanites to the sport of cross country skiing. It was because of Terry’s reputation as a “timber beast”—working for the forest service—that he starting building trails, often working as a contractor for the Forest Service. Today, those trails are renowned across the West—appreciated by skiers, mountain bikers, hikers, and runners. Frieda explains, “Terry knew all the old roads and he’d connect the roads and trails.” And that’s why Hyalite, for example, boasts such an incredible network of trails. Terry likes to give due credit to the Forest Service, too, for their vision. “I spent 25 years up there connecting trails. It should be a world-class skiing spot— and I think it will be one day,” he says.

Why volunteer so much of their time? “I think we enjoyed the companionship,” says Frieda. “It was family. Everyone from that time is still good friends. … It was just fun to be together.” And that sentiment was contagious. “I used to round up people for trail work days,” remembers Terry. “And fifty to seventy people would show up to cut trails.”

From 1978 to 1983, the Johnsons organized the Langloff series of cross country ski races in Bozeman. Terry designed the race courses and as the the town’s interest in skiing grew, up to 200 people would show up to race. It was low-key, adventure-style racing. Terry laughs, “When I laid out the courses, it was to find out who the best skiers were—not the fastest.” It was about who could navigate the sharp turns, the brush, and the hills. Frieda says, “It got people interested in skiing and it made the Masters group.” 

BSF thanks the Johnson for their years of dedication, their adventurous spirits, and for the enormous impact they had on ski trails and skiers in the community.