by Kristina | Feb 9, 2017 | Skiing, Turns All Year, Tutu
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...
by Kristina | Feb 2, 2017 | Action Figure Mascot, Backcountry, SheJumps, Turns All Year, Tutu
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...
by Kristina | Jan 27, 2017 | Climbing, Mountaineering, The Mountaineers
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...
by Kristina | Jan 19, 2017 | Nonprofit, Outdoor Industry
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...
by Kristina | Jan 5, 2017 | Mt. Rainier, Skiing, Turns All Year
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...
by Kristina | Dec 29, 2016 | Life
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...
by Kristina | Dec 23, 2016 | Backcountry, Outdoor Industry, Skiing
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...
by Kristina | Dec 15, 2016 | Skiing, Tutu
My friend is a real Dick. I had the audacity to post a photo of me with “Rollercoaster Face” in the mountains, and he decided to respond with a rewrite of “Colors of the Wind” from the not-at-all racist, highly popular Disney film Pocahontas. I...
by Kristina | Dec 8, 2016 | Skiing, Turns All Year, Tutu
For November turns this year – the first official turns of the season – I revisited the place from October and wow, did it look different! I went with the Sippel Sisters, a pair of real-life twins and the born-into owners of one of the best potential...
by Kristina | Dec 1, 2016 | Life, Montana
Going through a box of old pictures the other day, I came across what I believe is my first selfie. Based on the glasses (and the teeth and the bangs and the seersucker shirt), this is roughly 1992, and I am 8. We had the 1989 GMC Safari van for at least 12 more...
