ALTA -- Town Marshal Jerry Larson "walks the beat" with a wink each winter.
As for any Utah law officer, it's Larson's job to flush out lawbreakers. In Alta, that means patrolling the mountain -- on skis.Someone is always trying to enhance an afternoon on Alta's slopes with a marijuana joint, he said. So duty calls -- and Larson and his skis are happy to answer.
In 14 years, the ski-bum-cum-marshal admits "I've never paid for a day of skiing."
There was a time when Larson could catch his breath each summer. Crowds disappeared with the snow, leaving him with little to do some days but decide where to throw his line into Little Cottonwood Creek.
"Now," he said, "it hardly slows down in the summer."
Larson and his three deputies make up the entire Town of Alta police force -- and almost a fourth of the town's full-time employees. Alta police officers generally don't take vacation during the ski season -- when as many as 6,000 visitors a day make their way up the canyon highway.
Still, Alta can't afford to cut back on police staffing during the summer months. Vigorous growth in the Salt Lake Valley means crowd-weary urbanites are hungry for space and solitude -- all without leaving the county, Larson said.
"Quite a few people come to Alta just to see our wildflowers," added longtime Mayor Bill Levitt.
The mayor recalls when there was "literally nothing up here in the summer" 30 years ago. Now Alta has become a warm-weather destination because of the town's recent improvements on walking and biking trails and campgrounds.
And, with many nearby canyons charging an entry fee, Alta makes for an inexpensive excursion for summer campers and hikers.
While demands on the town change little during summer months, Levitt said winter visitors patronizing the ski resort and seasonal lodges still pay Alta's bills.
"In the summer (visitors) don't pay anything," the mayor said, laughing.
Although Larson and his deputies are busy year-round, their duties suggest a tale of two cities.
The marshal said he's something of a town "info-officer" in the summer. Outside of breaking up the occasional teen beer party, Larson spends most of his time answering questions and accommodating visitors and the handful of Alta's full-time residents.
In contrast, ski seasons pack ulcer-inducing stress. What other local law officers are charged with protecting their town from avalanches?
Plus there is the endless task of parking enforcement.
Larson said he rarely has to tow a vehicle in the summer. But an illegally parked car during the ski season can slow down town and ski operations and foil the steady stream of traffic winding both directions through the canyon.
"Sometimes it seems we're full-time parking attendants," Larson said.
A Minnesota native, Larson came to Alta, he said, to live a ski bum's life.
"Law enforcement was the furthest thing from my mind," he said.
He eventually moved on to a more responsible vocation -- although Larson and his deputies never stray far from the mountains. Busting pot-smoking skiers and snowboarders from favorite Alta hiding spots offers Larson a good excuse for some on-duty skiing.
"It's my foot patrol in the park," he said.