Bitterroot Valley - Preserving Diverse Wildlife and Western History

A New York-based hedge fund manager, Steven Saslow holds a consultancy role with Blackstone Group and focuses on advising hedge fund investments and mentoring young professionals. In addition to his work with Blackstone Group, Steven Saslow has a passion for the outdoors and regularly vacations in locales such as Sun Valley, Idaho. He frequently travels north from that community toward the Continental Divide and the Bitterroot Valley on the Montana border.

Known for its exceptional fishing and wildlife, the Bitterroot Valley stretches south from Missoula and is along the route of explorers Lewis and Clark, who traversed the United States in the early 19th century. The valley was inhabited early on by fur traders from the Hudson’s Bay Company, and in the 1840s, Jesuit missionaries settled the area. The valley was one of the last strongholds of Native Americans in the Rocky Mountains, and Salish tribe members still lived in traditional ways there until the 1890s. 

Today, the Bitterroot Valley has a vital role as a grassland and wetland preserve of diverse wildlife, including amphibians, reptiles, and dragonflies. Common mammals include whitetail deer, raccoons, beaver, meadow vole, and yellow-bellied marmot.

Idaho’s Salmon and Trout Rich Big Wood River

Steven Saslow is a longtime manager of capital market trading businesses and former New York hedge fund manager who engages with Blackstone Group as consultant. Away from Blackstone and his financial advisory duties, Steven Saslow enjoys travel and considers Sun Valley, Idaho, one of his favorite destinations. He is drawn to outdoor activities such as cycling, hiking, and fly fishing in locations such as The Big Wood River and the Salmon River.

Stretching 137 miles throughout central Idaho, The Big Wood River offers excellent rainbow trout fisheries and is also known for brown trout. Beginning as a fast-running alpine stream at headwaters near the 11,000-foot-high Galena Peak, the walk-and-wade river has abundant wild fish.

The river broadens and slows at the juncture of the North Fork, 10 miles north of Sun Valley, and the 25-mile stretch to Bellevue is the most popular among anglers. South of Bellevue, fishing continues with brown trout becoming more prominent as the river winds toward the fertile Snake River Basin plains. The largely freestone river finally reaches a single dam before petering out in the desert of southern Idaho.

Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia

After a successful career as a financial senior executive, Steven Saslow retired from The Blackstone Group but remains a consultant, and also enjoys mentoring and training a new generation of analysts and associates. A frequent traveler throughout his career, including his time at Blackstone, Steven Saslow considers Barcelona as one of his favorite cities.

Located on the northeastern coast of Spain facing the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is Spain’s second-largest city. In an area settled by Phoenicians and Greeks, and later by Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Franks, and finally won by the Catalans, Barcelona boasts of over 2,000 years of architectural gems.

The most popular architectural monument in Barcelona, and perhaps all of Spain, is the La Sagrada Familia, with approximately 2.8 million visitors each year. The Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family was commissioned by the Spiritual Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph, and construction began on St. Joseph’s day, March 19, 1882.

The task of designing and constructing the temple ultimately fell to Antoni Gaudí. He designed a temple 60 meters wide, 95 meters long and able to seat 13,000 people. It features a central 170-meter tower and 17 more towers 100 meters or more high. The work became Gaudi’s obsession, and when funds were depleted, he used his own money and raised more however he could.

When Gaudí died, only one tower, one portal, the crypt, and the apse walls were completed. Work continued and design changes made. Today, visitors are struck by its awesome verticality and the method used to mimic medieval cathedrals. Mired by controversies, construction continues, and the project is expected to be completed perhaps in the 2040s, over 150 years after it began.

Hiking in Missoula, Montana

Steven Saslow retired from The Blackstone Group after helping build what was said to be the world’s largest hedge fund of fund for discretionary investing. Currently serving as a consultant and mentor at Blackstone, Steven Saslow has more time to travel out West and head to his favorite hiking destinations, including those around Missoula, Montana.

Located where three rivers converge, Missoula is ringed by seven wilderness areas in the northern Rockies, ideal for outdoor lovers. The city is noted for its trout fishing, and visitors can kayak and raft as well.

While the area offers numerous trail options, one way for hikers to get started is to take the Riverfront Trail, which can be accessed from downtown Missoula or the University of Montana (UM). The paved, flat path travels along the Clark Fork River on its south side, and after around one and a half miles, it becomes the Kim Williams Trail, a gravel path in between the river and Mount Sentinel. This trail is around two and a half miles and leads to other trails.

Another popular trail is the “M” Trail. Starting from the UM campus, there is a steep three-quarters-of-a-mile climb up Mount Sentinel, were a huge white “M” sign is located. Another mile takes the hiker to the top of the mountain, which offers a breathtaking view of the Clark Fork River, the Missoula Valley, and the remote mountains.

The Importance of Physical Fitness in Retirement

After having created New York’s Blackstone Group’s first in-house hedge fund in 2002, Steven Saslow retired 2007, but continues to act as a consultant and mentors students and young professionals interested in a career in finance. In his free time away from his work at Blackstone, Steven Saslow is passionate about physical fitness, and stays active through yoga, pilates, hiking, and climbing, and acts as an athletics and weightlifting coach.

While retirement offers an excellent opportunity to take the time to start working on an active fitness regime, many people over age 60 don’t exercise at all - around 30 percent tend to be sedentary in this age range in the US. As it turns out, physical decline as we age may be much more the fault of not exercising than it is the natural process of getting older. Exercise in retirement can help prevent muscle and bone density loss, and improve balance which can help prevent falls.

Exercise can also help with a range of other issues like pain, chronic disease, and stress, and an active lifestyle can contribute to a healthy social life, which is especially important in retirement. With extra free time and the loss of social opportunities that were provided by daily work, fitness classes or community center gyms can provide a space for retirees to meet other people and enjoy their workout, which will almost certainly to lead to better physical and mental health.

Hiking in Nature Minutes Outside of New York City

Steven Saslow is a retired former managing director of Blackstone, a New York City investment firm. Though he officially retired in 2007, Mr. Saslow still serves as a consultant with Blackstone. One of Steven Saslow’s hobbies is hiking; just outside New York City lies the Fort Lee Historic Park, a gateway to hundreds of miles of hiking trails.

Just on the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge, hiking enthusiasts will find the Shore Trail. The southern trailhead is located near the Fort Lee Historic Park’s visitor center. Instead of offering one hike, the Shore Trail offers multiple hikes suitable for hikers of all ages and skill levels. Hikes along the Shore Trail take hikers along the Hudson river, where you’ll pass multiple picnic areas.

More experienced hikers might prefer the aptly named Long Path, which goes all the way from Fort Lee, New Jersey to Altamont, New York, outside of Albany. Stretching over 350 miles, you will have plenty to explore and see, and the ability to take the hike as far as you want. Early in the hike, you will pass through the Greenbrook Sanctuary woodland preserve and multiple lookout points with spectacular natural views, and views of New York City.

Rutgers’ Road to Wall Street Jump-Starts Financial Careers

A retired investment manager based in New York City, Steven Saslow draws on decades of experience in the financial sector to serve as a consultant to The Blackstone Group. In addition to advising The Blackstone Group’s senior executives and investment committee, Steven Saslow also mentors the firm’s upcoming analysts. Outside of work, he prepares the next generation of financial professionals through Rutgers University’s Road to Wall Street program, which he helped develop as a means of providing valuable resources to students interested in Wall Street careers.

The Road to Wall Street program connects Rutgers students with professionals from leading firms such as Citi, Credit Suisse, and Goldman Sachs. The program’s resources extend beyond general professional guidance to include technical skills workshops, interview prep, and networking assistance.

A highly competitive program open only to sophomores and select freshmen, candidates must carry a GPA of at least 3.3, submit a strong resume and cover letter, and undergo an interview matching process that ultimately connects them with a Wall Street professional. To ensure that the program is tailored to support the success of each individual participant, applicants must also provide a preference ranking of the Wall Street divisions that they are most interested in.

During the spring semester, Road to Wall Street participants take part in six two-hour boot camps that prepare them for summer internship interviews the following fall. The program also includes site visits to Wall Street offices, as students continue to gain insight from their professional mentors. In this way, Road to Wall Street not only offers students a head start on careers in finance, but it helps them discover the various career paths available to them within the sector.

An Overview of the Road to Wall Street Program

An experienced trading and financial services professional, Steven Saslow has served as a consultant with the Blackstone Group since 2007. In addition to his work with Blackstone, Steven Saslow helped create the Road to Wall Street program at Rutgers University, where he earned his economics degree.

Open to undergraduate students attending the Rutgers University campuses in Newark and New Brunswick, New Jersey, the Road to Wall Street program is designed to be a comprehensive educational experience connecting participants with financial sector careers. With components ranging from interview preparation to technical skills training, the program partners students with an alumni mentor who currently works with companies such as Citi, Credit Suisse, and Goldman Sachs.

After passing the application process, students begin the program and its six mandatory two-hour boot camps, which build to an intern interview season in the following fall quarter. The Road to Wall Street program offers a number of benefits for both mentors and participants. Not only do more than 50 percent of participants get internship positions with Wall Street firms or other businesses, but all of the students gain the experience to help them succeed in their professional careers. Similarly, Road to Wall Street mentors benefit by connecting with their school and its students and showing them the scope and opportunity of the industry.

Road to Wall Street Program Exposes Students to Wall Street Careers

Formerly the chief investment officer of an in house hedge fund at The Blackstone Group, Steven Saslow continues his involvement with the organization in retirement as a consultant. Beyond this, Steven Saslow mentors undergraduate students looking for internships and jobs in Wall Street firms through Rutgers University’s Road to Wall Street program.

Focused on giving students from Rutgers New Brunswick and Newark the chance to see firsthand the types of careers available on Wall Street, the Rutgers Road to Wall Street program pairs accepted students with alumni mentors who represent Wall Street’s different professional divisions. As a part of the program, students maintain communication with their mentors to ask about current and future internships and employment opportunities along with advice about finding success in a Wall Street position. Beyond that, participants spend time at certain organizations to see what working on Wall Street is really like.

The Rutgers Road to Wall Street program is open to students in their freshman, sophomore, or junior years from all majors. Applicants must have at least a 3.2 GPA to be eligible along with a resume and cover letter that clearly shows an interest in starting a career on Wall Street. When applying, students can indicate the employment divisions in which they are most interested. However, it is not always a guarantee that applicants are placed in their first choice, so students must rank several different options.

About the Metropolitan Museum’s The Artist Project

Steven Saslow is a consultant and former senior executive at the Blackstone Group, where he was instrumental in developing the firm’s first hedge fund. Since retiring from Blackstone in 2007, Steven Saslow has lent his support to various galleries in the New York area and is a sustaining member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has served as a beacon in the global arts community for over 145 years. As part of its foundational mission to bring fine arts to the general public, the Metropolitan Museum recently launched The Artist Project, an all-new digital series.

Designed to lift the veil behind artistic inspiration, The Artist Project will bring together more than 100 local, national, and international artists to share their reflections on select Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibitions, ranging from timeless classics and modern installations.

The Artist Project, which kicked off in March 2015, will run for five seasons over the course of a year, providing museum visitors a more personal view of art, what makes it, and why it continues to hold special importance in daily life.

Hiking Lake Placid’s Adirondacks

A consultant for the Blackstone Group in New York, Steven Saslow advises on macro, fixed-income, commodity and emerging market investment strategies. Away from the Blackstone Group, Steven Saslow enjoys the outdoors and hiking through Lake Placid’s Adirondacks.

Home to the 46 High Peaks Wilderness area, the Adirondacks feature summits higher than 4,000 feet. Specifically, the Lake Placid region offers picturesque waterfalls, historic sites, and panoramic views atop its many peaks.

Hikers interested in a memorable water experience may head to High Falls Gorge, where the Ausable River creates 600 feet of cascading waterfalls. Open year-round, the trail, which features a variety of crossing bridges and platforms to reach the destination, allows hikers to set their own pace.

To enjoy a view of the High Peaks, visitors often trek through the south side of Mount Van Hoevenberg. The 4.4-mile path consists of level terrain, until hikers reach the wooded hillside, which requires a simple climb upwards to open ledges. From there, individuals can take in views of the High Peaks to the south.                            

Popular and Successful Live Albums

Steven Saslow spent more than a decade as chief investment officer for the Blackstone Relative Value Fund, managing director for BAAM, and a consultant for Blackstone. Now semi-retired from Blackstone, Steven Saslow enjoys attending theater performances and listening to live music.

Live music, by definition, is something that every fan must experience to truly understand. However, a number of popular bands have recorded special performances and entire tours in order to release live albums. In some cases, these albums have gone on to become more popular than the artist’s studio works. Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive!, for example, sold millions of records throughout the mid-to late 1970s, spending nearly 100 weeks on the Billboard record charts.

Other popular live records come from live performance series, such as the MTV Unplugged catalog. Dozens of internationally recognized musicians have stripped down their music for an acoustic MTV Unplugged performance, though few shows have been praised as much as Nirvana’s 1993 concert. Known for a loud, abrasive style of rock, the Unplugged concert saw Nirvana adopt a softer sound, covering the likes of David Bowie and Lead Belly. Nirvana Unplugged has sold more than 25 million copies to date, making it the band’s second most successful release.

Finally, live albums can serve to commemorate special performances. In 2009, Coheed and Cambria released a four-disc live album following their special Neverender tour. Recorded over multiple nights at the Terminal 5 Club in New York City, the album contains performances of the band’s first four albums from start to finish.