If I thought skiing in January was great, then skiing in February was absolutely phenomenal! Hands down one of my best months ever on snow. With 11 days in 2 states and 2 countries – none of which were my home state of Washington – I covered 77,000 vert,...
Like most outdoor pursuits, you need a lot of stuff for backcounty skiing. Between hard goods and soft goods (and tutus) you can expect to spend anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 to get outside. Yikes! Since you really do need all of this stuff, here’s a handy...
Alpine Touring (aka randonee skiing or splitboarding) is surging in popularity. An estimated 6 million skiers and snowboarders in the U.S. are now exploring the backcountry, according to Snowsports Industries America (SIA). By many estimates Alpine Touring is the...
In May 2016, I was lucky to be whisked away in my first helicopter to the Kokanee Glacier Cabin deep in the heart of the Kokanee Mountains. There, I spent 7-days with my new best friends exploring the beauty of British Columbia. The weather was HOT but the beers were...
January was a good month to chase turns all year. Deep, light, fluffy pow was abundant early, then cold temps assured our snow would stay light before the rain came mid-January and squashed our powder dreams. The rain slab made for scary conditions in the backcountry...
Earlier this week, The Mountaineers hosted a speaking event with the iconic father-son duo: Jim and Leif Whittaker. I was honored to introduce the Whittakers to our audience, and even more grateful to experience their presentation full of brand new, never-before-seen...
This week Backpacker Magazine posted an article about diversity in the outdoors. In “How Do We Make The National Parks More Diverse?”, author Ted Alvarez presented four perspectives from experts discussing ways in which we can help break down barriers and...
Winter has been good in the Pacific Northwest so far this season. Early on we had an abundance of snow, most of which was relatively stable in the backcountry until recently. Better still, it was light, fluffy, and playful powder. None of that ‘cascade...
The holidays are a complicated time. While some people enjoy huge celebrations with loving families, many spend them alone with little fanfare. I was one of the lucky ones. I grew up decorating locally-acquired, “Charlie Brown” Christmas trees, hanging...
I recently joined the board of the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) – our local avalanche forecast and education center – and I’m really excited to learn more about the nonprofit and its mission. When I started backcountry skiing 5-years ago, I had...
