Coureur des Bois is a way of moving through winter, under your own power, carrying what you need, and using judgment to get you across the landscape – reading conditions as they change, the snow, terrain, weather, and adjusting your route, pace, and decisions in real time, without a fixed plan. The term comes from 17th–18th century French-Canadian traders who …
I started Telemark skiing in 2006, at what I would consider the tail end of the ‘modern popularity spike.’ Multiple big-name ski companies were then manufacturing telemark-specific skis, boot and binding technology was developing rapidly, and media outlets were documenting the skill of athletes, mountaineers, and novices alike, all on free heel equipment. What was the eventual downturn in popularity …
Your Peoples There’s nothing like having your peoples in the back country with you. It’s late March in Summit County, Colorado, and it’s the first time that I have met face-to-face with the Change Collective squad. Shredding with the Change Collective squad is like meeting your past life regression friends in this life who have reincarnated as backcountry ski and …
A season of soulful ski touring, winter camping, and finding joy in the quiet corners of snow-covered landscapes A Winter Without Lifts — And With More Meaning For the first time since I was a youngster, I had no lift pass. No resorts, no high-speed lifts, and no powder frenzy dawn patrols. Furthermore, the snow conditions were not ideal for …
Decisions, decisions, decisions We make an uncountable number of decisions every day. For each of them, there are two different processes at work. The conscious and the subconscious. Some decisions, we make with logic and thought. This is the conscious. Spoiler alert, most of our decisions are not made with the conscious. As you can imagine, this greatly impacts our …
Working as a Ski Guide throughout a winter season encompasses a seasonal shift that essentially mirrors the snowpack as well as the seasonal life span of a recreational skier. I would break the seasons of the ski guide into four distinct chapters: Hopefully, this post works in two ways. To inspire folks who are looking for more mentorship in backcountry …
While living in the land of the Rising Sun for ten years, Dr. Fanon Wilkins, aka The Dusty Foot Philosopher, taught African American history at Doshisha University. He also became one-half of the founding partners of Epic Life Adventures, which curates exotic international ski trips for people of color to unworldly locations all over the planet. And, although the Dusty …
As tele-mentorship continues to grow and mature, and I mean both introducing new folks to telemark and the use of digital communication to share mentorship remotely, I’d like to share an example of how this can like using the tools, space, and support model from part 1. Particularly, I think it’s a great chance to highlight and build from the …
There is so much to be said about the lessons I’ve learned from my partners in the mountains that I could literally write a book from their teachings. Choosing the right backcountry ski partner is the most important choice you will make about your day, not just for safety, but for having fun and growing as a backcountry skier or …
Outdoor sports have a complicated relationship with mentorship. On one hand, there’s a long history of oral tradition and mentorship in outdoor pursuits… Whether learning to hunt from a community elder or following a more experienced friend around a skin track. On the other hand, access to a mentor often requires the mentee to be part of the “in” crowd, …
