Dear Backcountry Babes, I miraculously just completed your AIARE Level 1 course on Vail and Loveland Pass with Anne, Janine, and Eryka. I think I would follow those ladies anywhere now after witnessing firsthand their experience, knowledge, and leadership skills. Wowza! Before this class I emailed and asked you ladies about the physical requirements/skinning mileage […]
Dispatch from New Zealand: Winter in Aotearoa While North America watches the snowline descend, New Zealanders (nicknamed Kiwis, because of their yummy fruit and their rare nocturnal flightless bird) are skiing the last of their snow. My husband, two boys and I spent August and September chasing storms from the North Island to the South. […]
You’re headed to a 10th Mtn division hut trip in Colorado! Perhaps a Summit Hut Association Hut. What do you really need to bring? 1. Ski Gear Backcountry Skis Touring bindings Backcountry Ski Boots The Backcountry Babes consensus for best make and model? Scarpa Gea RS boots. Ski Poles -adjustable height, lock firmly into place, powder baskets, extra […]
You’re going to a backcountry ski hut! Yay! Untracked pow, great friends, cozy nights. Here’s a packing list to help you prepare for the adventure. Special thanks to SCARPA, G3, PISTIL Designs, BCA, Ortovox, DPS skis, Osprey Packs and CLIF bar for supporting Backcountry Babes. All brands mentioned below are products we use and recommend […]
An excerpt published in Explore Summit, December 2013: Free Your Heel and the Mind Will Follow: uncovering the enigma of telemark skiing by Aaron H. Bible Glissading down a buttery, powdery slope, grinning ear to ear, dancing their way down the hill and gracefully dropping a knee through the bottom of each turn, telemark […]
It is a beautiful spring day in Alaska. What all of us wait around for after the long dark cold winters. The spring days are lengthy with the sun coming up at 6:30 am and not setting again till 10:00 pm. We had a late winter storm that left us with amazing snow-covered mountains everywhere. […]
Still on a high from the weekend, paradoxically my hands are glued to the steering wheel as I drive over Red Mountain Pass. The Astro Sista( the babes astro van) draws s’es on the rocky pavement as I drive the windy road 15-20 mph. No shoulder for errors. Like tree skiing, keep your eyes looking where you want to go and not where you don’t want to go. In this case it would be more detrimental than an interlude with a tree. The drop off is hundreds of feet. Woo, My heart beats. I use my yogic breath to calm the nerves.