Tom and Joy (Hautanen) Pelissero are proud to support the continued maintenance of the ABR Ski Trails by purchasing an Honor Your Trail sign.
Joy’s grandparents were Hannus and Matilda Hautanen. Her great-grandparents were Jacob and Sanna Kinnunen who were the original settlers on the Hautanen Highlands property in the 1890s.
As you skis the Hautanen Highlands, you will ski past the remnants of the Kinnunen homestead.
Hautanen Highlands has been an important part of Joy’s growing up and continues to be important today. Being able to ski the property is a beautiful experience.
“Every time I ski Hautanen Highlands I remember my ancestors. I think about how difficult life was for them arriving here from Finland, not speaking English, having only a small trunk of belongings, but a strong desire and will to settle here and make this their home.”
As a young girl, Joy’s grandmother, Matilda Hautanen, strapped on wooden skis and skied to the neighbors and the country store. Stories have been handed down through the generations telling of Joy’s dad and uncle using those skis to ski down the many bluffs on the property. Today those skis are a treasured keepsake.
When Matilda met Hannus Hautanen, they decided to raise their family here on this property.
“When approaching the trailhead of Hautanen Highland trail,” Joy said, “you will see our sign with the Robert Frost poem. The poem that begins with “The Road Not Taken” is about a traveler who comes across two roads and must choose which road to take, symbolizing the decisions we make in life. It seemed appropriate to honor my ancestors as their journey through life brought me to where I am today. And I am so very grateful.”
