BELAYTIONSHIPS, PACKMANCES, AND NATURE-LOVES By Kristina Ciari, Membership & Communications Director
Kristina Ciari and Theresa Sippel not near the summit of Glacier Peak. Photo by Imran Rahman.
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s far as blind dates go, meeting at 9,500 feet on Wy’East (Mt. Hood) is about as good as it gets. Our mutual friend Johnny invited Theresa Sippel and I to attempt a summit ski in July of 2013. Going into the weekend, I was hopeful that the team would be successful, but I had no idea I was about to meet my future “skilationship” life-partner. Our skimance was love at first turn. I admired her deep knee bend and impeccable ski style. Theresa felt drawn to my notso-subtle pink tutu and gusto for big objectives. We were both committed Turns All Year (TAY) enthusiasts – the silly pursuit to link as many months of skiing in a row as possible. We planned August turns together, then September. We enjoyed the faceshots of winter and began planning for a backcountry skier’s favorite time of all: volcano season. She bought a turquoise tutu. Together we failed twice on Glacier Peak, took a “long twoday weekend” to drive to Shasta, summit, and drive home, and
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mountaineer | winter 2022
spent more time on the Muir Snowfield than I care to admit. We learned how to read each other, often communicating without words in the mountains. Our partnership became a critical part of my outdoor identity. Months bled into years, and we grew to be the best of friends off the slopes too. At 32 weeks pregnant, I gave up my TAY streak at 107 months, and Theresa was the first person I called. When she got married a few months ago, I officiated her wedding with honor. Looking back, the outdoors is what brought us together, but the countless hours in cars and tents are what forged our bond. People join The Mountaineers to learn new skills, but stay because of the relationships created through the outdoors. To celebrate our community, we wanted to shine a spotlight on your belaytionships, packmances, and nature-loves. These are your stories:
