Icon of Mammoth Mountain, who shaped slopes for 20 years, dies suddenly as massive rescue effort ends in vain

The California skiing community is in mourning this weekend, after a beloved skier who helped shape a Northern California resort, passed away suddenly during a backcountry run.

Bernie Rosow — a Mammoth Mountain skier and snowcat operator — passed away Thursday morning, during a hike up Bloody Mountain in the Sierra Nevada range, near the town of Mammoth Lakes.

He was hiking up the mountain with friends, when he suddenly collapsed around 9:30 a.m., according to one of the friends he was with, Christian Pondella (via SF Gate).

“Everything was normal, just a typical day. Just out of the blue he said, ‘My back hurts, it hurts between my shoulders,’” Pondella told the outlet.

Pondella said that he sat down and stopped responding to questions, adding, “it happened so quick. Two minutes before that he was having normal conversations.”

A search and rescue helicopter was called and arrived on the scene, but they were not able to revive him. His partner, Amber Feld, said they believe he had a heart incident.

“We are absolutely devastated. Bernie was his eight-year-old son Alexander’s favorite person in the entire world,” Feld told the outlet.

She also shared the news on her Instagram, along with a photo of her, Rosow and their son Alexander.

“We lost Bernie yesterday. Alexander‘s favorite person in the whole world, and my love. He was out doing what he loves to do hiking with friends up Bloody Mountain to ski down,” she began.

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“We presume a heart health incident and passed quickly. When Bernie and I first met in 2011 he told me he was hiking up Bloody Mountain and yesterday it was still one of his favorites,” she said.

“Last weekend he told Alex the mountain got its name because of its red rocks. Bernie we will always live in your spirit. This has always been Alex’s favorite photo of us. We love you so much. 1981-2026,” she concluded with a red heart emoji.

Rosow was born in Vermont, revealing in a 2020 interview with Black Crow Skis that his parents got him started skiing when he was just two years old.

He was involved in several ski racing programs and originally set out to be a professional skier, moving out West to Mammoth to ski when he was just 18 in the early 2000s.

“I was sleeping in my tent in the woods looking for work. I knew I didn’t want to work in the day because I wanted to ski. And a friend of mine was like, ‘You should be a snowcat operator,’” Rosow said.

Rosow worked as a snowcat operator for over 25 years, ultimately ascending to the position of Grooming Supervisor for Mammoth.

Mammoth Mountain spokesperson Emily van Greuning issued a statement that began, “He will be missed greatly by the Mammoth family and surrounding community.”

“His passion for the sport was aspirational, and his legacy will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time,” she concluded.

He told Ski Magazine last year that the only fresh powder day he missed in two decades was the day his son Alexander was born.

“I haven’t missed first chair on a powder day in 20 years. Actually, I take that back. When my son was born in L.A., it snowed, and I was watching my buddies do backflips off cliffs on the webcam,” he said.

Rosow amassed a sizable social media following, with over 41K followers on Instagram and over 101K followers on TikTok, plus over 12K YouTube subscribers.

His YouTube video was posted two months ago, showcasing him effortlessly tackling a run from Chair 5 at Mammoth.

Pondella said that Rosow will be remembered for his seemingly-endless energy, skiing and working full-time while staying devoted to his family.

“A lot of us as friends couldn’t figure out how he just had the energy. He would ski all day and then work from 4 p.m. to midnight, come home, get to bed at whatever time, and then be the first one at the mountain the next day and do it all over again,” Pondella said. 

Pondella added, “He was one of the more talented skiers I’ve ever skied with, and I’ve photographed the world’s best skiers over the last 25 years of my life.”