LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 27 Natalie Bombard was born to be on skis. That's simply how her life unfolded. Nat's mother, Charlotte Littlejohn, was an early skier in the area and a great outdoorswoman. She hiked, golfed, swam, and even went skijoring ― an exciting sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse. Her love for the outdoors was passed on to Natalie, who loved to tell how her mother would ski with little Natalie in a pack on her back. It wasn't long before Nat was on her own skis. Nat grew up skiing all over Dewey Mountain. For a local girl with a passion for skiing, Dewey was like a snowy playground despite its paucity of established trails. Nat, her friends, and her brother Doug put hash marks on trees so they could find their way if it snowed while they were out. They'd roast hot dogs at the top of the mountain, and were even known to bring a Victrola and do a bit of dancing. By the time she was a teenager, Nat was a force to be reckoned with on any slope. Accepted into one of the first classes of air hostesses, she instead attended St. Lawrence University, where she made her mark on the ski team. Her coach was Otto Schniebs, already a legendary coach who would go on to help design the downhill trails at Marble Mountain, predecessor to Whiteface Mountain's ski resort. When Nat's father, Douglas, died in a tragic and devastating drowning, Schniebs helped her keep going. Less than a month after the death of her father, Natalie wowed the likes of The New York Times, which highlighted her feats at the 1949 St. Lawrence Univer- sity Carnival, a statewide intercollegiate event at the university's expansive, top-notch Snow Bowl. Calling her efforts for her team "heroic," The Times reported that "Miss Bombard, a Saranac Lake native, cut the lines sharp in her winning and expert exhibition of controlled skiing." Natalie's "amazing exploits" led to her triumphing in the downhill, slalom, and combined events. Saranac Lake had a skiing star on its hands. For the rest of her life, skiing was an essential part of who Natalie was. Skiing was so much a part of Nat, that to say it was in her blood would be an understate- ment. It doesn't capture the effervescent joy she got out of skiing. When she talked about skiing, it was as if suddenly she wasn't rooted on the ground, but float- ing. She was in her element. Dewey Mountain, and skiing in the area in general, defined Natalie's life for decades. When the Town of Harrietstown decided to create trails, she was in- volved. Fundraising for a lodge? Natalie stepped up to help. Because Dewey belonged to the community, it meant something very special to her. She believed in kids having a great, affordable place to ski, learn, play, and enjoy. Whether she was teaching skiing at White- face or Pisgah — which opened in the 1950s — along- side her mother, or traveling the world on skis, she was an advocate for the sport for everyone. Eventually, Saranac Lake, which had always loved Natalie, having crowned her Winter Carnival Queen in 1951, named a trail after her at Dewey: Natski. The first time I visited Nat's apartment at Will Rogers Village, I noticed she had a Natski trail sign hanging up by her Olympic pin collection. She was delighted by the honor, to be remembered by a place so dear to her heart and such an important part of her life. Upon her high school graduation in 1948, Nat's year- book photo and list of activities were paired with a quote that captured her perfectly: "Atomic Energy will never replace our 'Nat.'" I met Nat when she was in her 80s and that quote was still apt. Natalie gave so much, so often. She gave friendship and kindness, shared her wisdom, championed local authors, handed out gifts of books and old ski pins, and told stories to eager young ears ― even randomly passed out packages of jelly beans. She was a whirl- wind of support for the village, for remembering and celebrating the village's extraordinary history, and for lifting everyone up. One of her favorite things was to be out and about and hear someone say, "You taught me how to ski!" Amy Catania, Executive Director of Historic Saranac Lake and a friend to Natalie for many years, remembers. "She was very proud of that lega- cy ― of how she taught more than one generation of Saranac Lake kids how to love skiing." No matter how old you are, whether you've been on skis your whole life or never, Dewey Mountain is the perfect place for cross-country skiing. The woods are beautiful, the trails a great mix of challenges. The lodge offers rentals and lessons. Lights have been added for night skiing. The community comes together for ski swaps, competitions, and a youth ski league. It's the sort of place where everyone is welcome, whether it's for a full day or just a quick lunchtime ski. At Dew- ey, it's about enjoying nature and the delight of skiing, just as Natalie did. Natalie Bombard Leduc died in December 2020. She is missed by many. I like to think she's off somewhere skiing, that broad smile of delight on her face.

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