Elevation Outdoors - Fall 2023

In Granby, everything’s a little more independent.

We’re proud to be home to family-owned Sisu Farms. They use regenerative farming practices to care for the land, animals, and community.

It’s not easy work, but the whole family pitches in to provide ethically raised, local food from animals that graze in pastures with fresh air and sunshine.

They’re creating a place where you can know your farmer and where your food comes from. You can even pick it up right off their front porch!

GRANBY. A LITTLE MORE INDEPENDENT.

Order pasture-raised beef, pork, turkey, chicken and eggs at www.sisu.farm

DEPARTMENTS

7 EDITOR’S LETTER

Taishya Adams is supercharging local politics to talk about resilience, joy, and the idea that even wildlife and water deserve a seat at the table.

8 QUICK HITS

Hop out the gates into the Jackson Hole backcountry with Tommy Moe; plan your classy weekend ski resort getaway now; Kathy Woolwine makes Eldora both safe and fun; head to Sandpoint, Idaho, for tree skiing, craft beer, and Scandinavian-style digs; avy safety; and more.

12 FLASHPOINT

Taos Ski Valley has plans to boost amenities and fasttrack access to its backside, but some locals say the ski resort is ignoring effects on its watershed, wildlife, backcountry skiers, and the community.

16 HOT SPOT

Reconnect and rejuvenate with Nordic skiing, sled dogs, and more at YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch this winter.

27 THE ROAD

Kimberly Beekman has been injured often over her years of skiing—but the sport has made her the person she wants to be and helped her heal.

30 ELWAYVILLE

Peter Kray pines for ski season to start and remembers how much the sport means to his family in the latest Elwayville.

17 THE PERFECT WINTER

The best season for adventure and cozy relaxation is right around the corner. To that end, here’s our guide to authentic winter escapes in Colorado and Wyoming.

25 RESORT GEAR

As you wait for the snow to fall, your mind wanders to all the gear you want for an even better season up on the hill this year. We have you covered. Here are our picks for the equipment that will help you perform better and feel more comfortable out in the snow and on the lifts.

FEATURES ON THE COVER

14 MORE FOLKS ON THE SLOPES

Here are the events, programs, and players making snowsports a little more inclusive this season across the Rockies. By Claire Barber

Doug Evans drops off the ridge in Taos. Photographer Liam Doran was there to capture the moment and he has provided the cover for this resort guide issue of EO for the past decade.

liamdoranphotography.com Instagram @liam_doran_outdoors

WANT MORE? CATCH UP ON PAST ISSUES, YOUR FAVORITE BLOGGERS, AND DAILY ONLINE CONTENT AT ELEVATIONOUTDOORS.COM.

DREAM ON: Sven Brunso finds his purpose in the San Juan backcountry. Turn to page 25 for our picks for the gear to help you get here this year.

Photo by Liam Doran.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN doug@elevationoutdoors.com

PRESIDENT / PUBLISHER

BLAKE DEMASO blake@elevationoutdoors.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MELISSA KENNELLY m.kennelly@elevationoutdoors.com

EDITORIAL + PRODUCTION

MANAGING EDITOR

CAMERON MARTINDELL cameron@elevationoutdoors.com

DEPUTY EDITOR

TRACY ROSS

SENIOR EDITOR

CHRIS KASSAR

COPY EDITOR

MELISSA HOWSAM

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

PETER KRAY

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

AARON BIBLE, ROB COPPOLILLO, LIAM DORAN, JAMES DZIEZYNSKI, HUDSON LINDENBERGER, SONYA LOONEY, CHRIS VAN LEUVEN

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CLAIRE BARBER, KIMBERLY BEEKMAN, JEFF BLUMENFELD, COURTNEY HOLDEN, SARAH KUTA, ELIZABETH MILLER

DESIGNER/ART MANAGE R REBECCA CENCEWIZKI art@blueridgeoutdoors.com

ADVERTISING + BUSINESS

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER HANNAH COOPER hannah@elevationoutdoors.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AMANDA LIVERETTE amanda@elevationoutdoors.com

BUSINESS MANAGER MELISSA GESSLER melissa@elevationoutdoors.com

CIRCULATION INQUIRIES circulation@elevationoutdoors.com

DIGITAL MEDIA

ONLINE DIRECTOR

CRAIG SNODGRASS

DIGITAL EDITOR

RYAN MICHELLE SCAVO

PUBLISHED BY

©2023 Summit Publishing, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SUMMIT

What's your favorite ski or snowboard film of all time?

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Apocalypse Snow ! Nothing beats watching seminal snowboarder Regis Roland out-shred a gang of Bondvillain monoboarders in the Alps.

HANNAH COOPER

Do Frozen and Frozen 2 count?

CAMERON MARTINDELL

While not a ski/snowboard specific film, I love the classic European ski lodge scene in The Pink Panther

TRACY ROSS

MSP’s 1999 because I loved Robb Gaffney so much. He passed in September, leaving a gaping hole in the ski world.

KIMBERLY BEEKMAN

The Blizzard of Aahhh’s starring Glen Plake, Mike Hattrup, and Scot Schmidt, the latter of whom graced my teenage wall wearing a yellow one-piece. Though I’m lucky enough to now know both Plake and Hattrup personally, I’m still hoping to someday cross Schmidt’s tracks.

CLAIRE BARBER

I always come back to Jumbo Wild. The first time I watched it, I was 15 years old and in Florida, dreaming about being closer to the mountains.

CHRIS KASSAR

Nexus because it highlights women crushing it in the mountains, but also really focuses on how, regardless of skill level, adventuring in the mountains has the power to bring us together.

ELIZABETH MILLER

Treeline from Patagonia for tying in an appreciation of the ecosystems and ancient species that make our outdoor playgrounds such stunning places to spend time.

LIAM DORAN

I love ’em all but the one that really got me going was TGR’s Harvest. It came out just as I moved into a ski town and inspired me to make life a big ski adventure, which is pretty much how I’m still living today.

PUBLISHING

PETER KRAY

The Blizzard of Aahhh’s All-time. But The Last of the Ski Bums is also an old gem worth finding.

JOY AND JUSTICE

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

We don’t usually get overtly political in Elevation Outdoors, but this year we want to not just endorse but also call your attention to a very special candidate. Taishya Adams is running for Boulder City Council. It’s a small political step, but an important one since the home town of this magazine has been and is positioned to continue to be a national leader in discussions and policy when it comes to climate, public lands, the outdoor industry, and—we have a lot of work to do here— equity. Adams has stressed that her campaign is focused on making Boulder a climate and culturally resilient city and she wants to implement policies that help build a just and joyous community. She has an eye on business and using data to achieve these ends.

She also has the pedigree to get it done. She was a governor-appointed commisioner to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She was a member of the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Business Advisory Council, the policy and education director for Outdoor Afro, an equity specialist at the American Institutes for Research, a member of the Boulder Police Oversight Panel. She climbs. She fly fishes in Boulder Creek, practices at Yoga Pod. But what I love most about her and her vision is that she wants us to think about wildlife and even water as part of this community, as deserving of protection and polices that take them into account. While so many of us understand this mindset is one we must adopt to heal and care for a shrinking and troubled planet, few politicians of her gifts are willing to

make it part of their platform.

I talked to her about this interconnectedness and she expanded on her ideas and I would like to share what she had to say. “When I think of the challenges we face, they are usually related to a disconnect of some kind, right?” she says. “Whether it be disconnect with each other or disconnect with the land. What I love about the outdoors is that it is this place where we can all drop in, where we all play a role, whether or not we are aware of that role or not. It’s a place of joy. That’s one of the reasons I moved to Boulder—because of this incredible outdoor commitment, this love of the outdoors and this desire to preserve and to protect. I’m very mindful and I’m really grateful that the outdoor industry is addressing some of climate issues and also working hard to address cultural issues (by culture, I mean some of the disproportionate representation of racial and ethically diverse people, people with disabilities, LGBTQA+).”

“What I love about the outdoor industry is that it's intimately tied, intimately connected,” she says. “It literally cannot exist without land, w ildlife and waterways. This is something humans need in order to survive. With that line of thinking, the outdoor industry is a critical industry for that human-nature connection. At the same time, we know the gear that we’re using, and the carbon footprint of getting to places we play has reached a point that has negatively impacted the earth's ability to continue to have humans on it. So this is a reckoning for our economic system, but the outdoor industry is not the only one facing it. Every industry has a reckoning right now.”

Taishya Adams is an outdoor indusutry candidate. She is speaking to where we come from and where we need to go. I hope you join me in supporting her.

GQUALITY EAR RESELL

OUTDOOR MINDSET: ADAMS FINDS INTERCONNECTEDNESS IN NATURE.

TAISHYA ADAMS IS SUPERCHARGING LOCAL POLITICS TO TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE, JOY, AND THE IDEA THAT EVEN WILDLIFE DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.

MOE BETTER

JACKSON HOLE’S GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY (INCLUDING WAFFLES) IS ALREADY ONE OF THE BEST OFF-PISTE AND POWDER EXPERIENCES IN NORTH AMERICA. IT JUST GOT BETTER.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) is already in a class by itself. Add in the ability to head out the legendary backcountry gates to access hero terrain—from intermediate rollers to TGR-worthy cliff drops—and untracked snow, and you have an experience akin to the best European touring. Take note: This is the backcountry so the best way to get out here is hire the resort's knowledgeable and highly trained guides (some of whom were members of the Jackson Hole Air Force, pioneering this terrain before the resort opened it up). Go with the guides and you’ll hop on the tram before it opens, eat tasty waffles at Corbet’s Cabin, and then head out on a safe tour catered to your group’s experience level. So how could this get better? Enter Olympic gold medalist Tommy Moe, who has partnered with JHMR to offer the privatetour Tommy Moe Olympic Day Experience, either within resort boundaries or in the adjacent backcountry. Lest you think this is just for the 1 percent, the prices—$1,170 for half-day inbounds, $1,520 for a full day; backcountry touring with the man run from $1,650 for one person to $1,830 for the maximum of four people—are reasonable considering you ski alongside a legend. Book at jacksonhole.com —Doug

Schnitzspahn

GOLDEN CHILD: TOMMY MOE SHOWS HOW IT'S DONE IN THE JACKSON HOLE BACKCOUNTRY.

PLAN THAT SPECIAL WEEKEND TRIP NOW!

SPEND TIME ON THE SLOPES (NOT I-70) WITH THESE CLASSY SKI DESTINATION DIGS.

DAY TRIPS FROM THE FRONT range to your favorite ski resorts are, well, fine–apart from the whole waking at the crack of dawn, dealing with I-70 traffic, and finding a parking spot. Skip the hassle and book a weekend getaway (or two!) this season. Whether you prioritize slopeside accommodations, want a chic yet unique condo, or expect a massage at the end of the day, here are five great choices for Epic and Ikon passholders alike.

The one with the three-story fireplace and the spa

Beaver Creek Resort: The RitzCarlton, Bachelor Gulch

Don’t stay near the mountain. Stay on it. Tucked within Beaver Creek ski boundary lines, the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch offers unparalleled access to your parallel turns. Get first chair on the Bachelor Gulch Express Lift (located steps from the hotel entrance) and hit the glades on Grouse Mountain, but save time to cozy up next to the fire roaring in the towering stone fireplace. Après tip: Honey, avocado, and shea butter make the on-site spa’s skin-nourishing Alpenglow

treatment an ideal way to ahhprès. Starting nightly rate: $1,200

The one where you sleep in a retro-luxe A-frame

Winter Park Resort:

The A-Frame Club

Blending the nostalgia of oldschool downhill culture (Lange girl posters, for example) with the bliss of Malm fireplaces and in-room soaking tubs, the newlast-December A-Frame Club is a sexy tribute to what skiing once was and a lesson in what it should be. Set within an old-growth pine grove alongside the Fraser River, the collection of 31 individual cabins offers away-from-it-all bliss that’s still a mere 0.3 miles from the slopes. Après tip: Sip a Mezcal Monk from the on-site Saloon. Starting nightly rate: $350.

The one that might inspire you to belt out “The hills are alive.” Vail Ski Resort: Austria Haus Architecture throughout Vail Village pays homage to The

Sound of Music’s signature, Bavarian style, but Austria Haus–with red shutters adorning its exterior and exposed, knotty pine beams adding a richness to the indoor decor–dials up the charm to Julie Andrews-worthy levels. Gondola One is just a short stroll away, but don’t walk there in your ski boots. Pick up your gear from the hotel’s slopeside ski concierge instead. Après tip: Enjoy your German Glühwein cocktail with a side of lederhosen at Almresi. Starting nightly rate: $319

The one with can’t-beat-it ski access

Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort: Top of the Village Plenty of slopeside accommodations boast ski in/ ski out access. Book the right two-, three-, or four-bedroom condo with Top of the Village, a Destination by Hyatt Residence, and you could, theoretically, schuss right through the sliding glass door into your bedroom.

Not that we recommend it. What we do recommend: Hitting the onsite sauna, hot tubs, and outdoor heated pool in any order you see fit. Après tip: With a full kitchen, gas grill, and mountain views, why après somewhere other than your condo? Starting nightly rate: $349.

The one that’s steps from the terrain park

Copper Mountain: Copper One Lodge

If catching (or just watching) Shaun White-worthy air is your jam, then schedule a stay at Copper One Lodge. All of their privately owned hotel-style rooms and studio, single bedroom, and two-bedroom condos sit at the base of Copper Mountain’s 22-foot Superpipe–and some offer direct views of this giant park feature from their living rooms. Après tip: Snag a patio seat and Dominga from Fort Collinsbased New Belgium Brewery at Downhill Duke’s. Starting nightly rate: $230.

—Courtney Holden

TECHNOLOGY GEAR WE LOVE BOOKS

ASPECT AVY

Self-described as Guided Avalanche Safety, this app takes the avy forecast for the day and shades slopes with recommended “no go” and “use caution” zones (aspect and angles). But since forecasts can be wrong, the app walks the user through on-site confirmation questions and adjusts the risk tolerance accordingly, even when offline. $50/YR | ASPECTAVY.COM

ECOFLOW WAVE2

Extend your camping season, or at least make it more comfortable with this electricpowered climate-control unit. Offering both air conditioning and heating, the Wave2 can take the temperature edge off and offer more comfortable sleeping conditions. Battery pack sold separately. Remote control the unit with the app and internal Wi-Fi. $1,300 | ECOFLOW.COM

TORRENTS AS YET UNKNOWN

Subtitled Daring Whitewater Ventures Into the World’s Great River Gorges, this book by legendary whitewater trailblazer Wick Walker shares a dramatic narrative tour of 10 of the world’s most incredible whitewater adventures— spanning five continents and 40 years. Discover what these adventurers found on those rivers, and within themselves. $27 | STEERFORTH.COM

VAIL’S AUSTRIA HAUS

LOCAL HERO: KATHY WOOLWINE

SKI SAFE WITH ELDORA’S QUEEN OF HOSPITALITY

BOULDER’S KATHY WOOLWINE spent years in hospitality at The Ritz-Carlton, the Fairmont, and the Four Seasons hotels before joining the Eldora Mountain Resort Mountain Safety Team (MST) in 2019. Then in 2021, she became the group’s supervisor, leading 20 employees dedicated—no surprise here—to on-mountain safety and hospitality. The 14year Colorado resident and mother of two adult sons, Woolwine is laser-focused on enhancing the guest experience at the 680-acre, 61-year-old ski area 21 miles west of Boulder.

The MST begins training in October and continues for the entire season, learning how to make skiing and riding safer and more enjoyable. The team’s distinctive yellow vests can be spotted resortwide, at

DOO RIGHT!

LUXE IT UP

BASK MOUNTAIN CLASS AT OURAY’S REVAMPED WESTERN HOTEL & SPA

trail intersections, slow zones, and outside base lodges—a larger presence in recent years than ever before.

“We’re all out there to enjoy ourselves in this incredible lifestyle and it comes with each guest being responsible skiers or riders,” she says.

STEEP is a guiding principle—aka Safety, Thrill the Guest, Educate, Enforcement, and Patrol Assistance—and members of the team are often first on the scene of an accident. Woolwine is particularly proud of the SafeT-Rex program aimed at the resort’s Eldorables (ages 4–6) and Trek (ages 7–14) programs. Eldora instructors serve as frontline safety educators; from time to time, MST employees can be seen skiing in a T-Rex dinosaur costume.

“Any opportunity we have to interact with our guests is a great chance to introduce the sport and Eldora as a super-local, friendly, family mountain. Your speed and behavior needs to reflect the terrain conditions, the weather, and the people around you. We try to make it fun to stay in control,” she says.

—Jeff Blumenfeld

FORGET ABOUT PACKING

OUT your used TP from now on. The team at PACT Outdoors has come up with a wilderness toiletry kit, and the wipes are made of mycelium—basically, mushroom roots. The included wipes come in the form of a 1-inch puck, but once water is added, it unfolds to a 9-inch wet wipe—leaving you cleaner and you can leave the wipe in the cathole with the waste. Add some of PACT’s other mycelium tablets to support the decomposing process. PACT has two styles of kits available. The original includes a trifold container with straps and pouches to hold the trowel, hand spray, wipe pucks, tablets, and an extra storage pocket for anything else you want handy ($50). Then for the weightconscious, there’s PACT Lite: The pucks and tablets are stored in the handle ($35). The only thing you need to pack separately is the hand sanitizer.

—Cameron Martindell

OURAY WAS A BOOMTOWN during the late 19th century. Miners flocked to this rugged mountain community along the Uncompahgre River to seek their fortune in gold and silver. After toiling all day, some rested their heads at a humble, three-story, wood-frame boarding house built in 1891 in the heart of downtown.

Now, after two years of meticulous renovations, the 132-year-old building has reopened as The Western Hotel & Spa. In addition to 16 bright and airy guest rooms, the boutique property also has a wood-fired restaurant, a general store, a Nordic spa and, in keeping with its Old West roots, a saloon, complete with the original handcarved bar. It’s ready to welcome the next generation of adventureseekers—only, this time around, it’s those in search of epic outdoor experiences, not precious metals, in the surrounding mountains.

—Sarah Kuta

THERE’S A NEW POO KIT IN TOWN THAT’S BETTER FOR YOU AND THE PLANET TOO.

THE HANDCARVED BAR AT THE WESTERN RESORT & SPA

KATHY WOOLWINE

EAT PLAY STAY: SANDPOINT, IDAHO

HEAD TO THE GEM STATE’S PANHANDLE AND SCHWEITZER RESORT FOR DEEP SNOW, AN ABUNDANCE OF CRAFT BREWS, AND THIN CROWDS.

EAT

The star of the show in Sandpoint is Crow’s Bench, the ground-floor restaurant in the Humbird Hotel serving up hearty fare like fondue, wild game meatballs, and elk loin. On the mountain, grab a quick beer inside the Rowdy Grouse yurt and lunch at The Outback, a classic backside outpost with smoked meats and retro decor. For après-ski, plan a (responsible) DIY brewery tour, with visits to MickDuff’s Brewing Company, Utara Brewing Company, and Laughing Dog Brewery. Make your final stop around dinner time

at Matchwood Brewing Company, where you can enjoy pulled pork totchos and buffalo cauliflower.

PLAY

The big draw at Schweitzer (schweitzer.com) is the 2,900 acres of expansive downhill terrain with abundant tree skiing. But don’t sleep on the resort’s 20 miles of cross-country terrain, either, which quietly winds through snow-dusted Engelmann spruce, Western hemlock, and cedar trees. If you’re traveling with nonskiers (or just need to give your quads a break), take a guided snowshoe hike, join a snowmobile tour, or pedal around on a fat tire bike. Kiddos will also love the Hermit’s Hollow tubing park. Wherever the day’s adventures take you, treat yourself to a recovery massage at the new Cambium Spa, located inside Selkirk Lodge.

STAY

All 31 large rooms at the Humbird Hotel (humbirdhotel. com) face southeast—and that’s no accident. Each is outfitted

with a gigantic window and comfy bench seating for gazing out at Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho (and, as legend has it, the home of a Loch Ness-stye monster called the Paddler). Scandinavianinspired decor fills every guest room and public space, including the light-

filled Glass Room, a family-friendly common space with panoramic windows and a contemporary freestanding fireplace. For hopping on Zoom calls in between ski runs, there’s a spacious, glass-paned coworking space on the second floor. —S.K.

SILVERTHORNE, COLORADO

Explore

ENJOY THE VIEW AT SCHWEITZER.

COURTESY SCHWEITZER

“WE PRIORITIZED THESE PROJECTS … AND WE WANT TO GET TRACTION ON THEM, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THERE’S AN APPROPRIATE, RESPONSIBLE PACE TO DEVELOPMENT.”

—JOHN KELLY, TAOS SKI VALLEY

LEAKED POTENTIAL

TAOS SKI VALLEY HAS PLANS TO BOOST AMENITIES AND FAST-TRACK ACCESS TO ITS BACKSIDE, BUT SOME LOCALS SAY THE SKI RESORT IS IGNORING EFFECTS ON ITS WATERSHED, WILDLIFE, BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS AND THE COMMUNITY.

by ELIZABETH MILLER

Snow was falling at Taos Ski Valley when David Page, executive director of the Winter Wildlands Alliance, came to visit family nearby in March, so he headed for some turns at the northern New Mexico ski area. Changes have been underway at Taos Ski Valley— long beloved for steep lines and a quirky vibe reminiscent of European ski towns— since a new owner took over in 2013. Page was curious to check out the newish Kachina Peak chairlift, which started spinning skiers up to lap previously hiketo chutes off the 12,481-foot-tall summit in 2015.

The powder chase also put Page in position to catch a meeting on the ski area’s development plans. These meetings often make for staid, bureaucratic plodding, but not the one he walked into at Taos. Though attending required driving a narrow road twisted up a mountain valley on a midweek evening through the ongoing snowstorm, Page

said, “It felt like the entire community had turned out … and people were pretty fired up.”

The meeting was an informational presentation, not an official public comment session. But attendees hijacked the microphone, insisting on being heard.

Company leadership casts the proposed projects as within their directive of “update everything, but don’t change anything.” But locals have pushed back with concerns for the high mountain

THE RIVER RUNS DOWNSTREAM TO HISTORIC RURAL COMMUNITIES, MANY WITH CENTURIES-OLD IRRIGATION DITCHES CALLED ACEQUIAS THAT WATER FIELDS, ORCHARDS, AND BACKYARD GARDENS, AND RECHARGE AQUIFERS.

environment, watershed, public access, and even socioeconomic effects. At the heart of their worries lies a sense that the ski company keeps saying publicly that nothing is changing, then working on an overhaul locals fear will leave the place unrecognizable, or, perhaps worse, easily confused with any other ski town.

“Taos is still a super-unique place,” says Robert McCormack, a local backcountry

skier and fly-fishing guide and member of the Taos Mountain Alliance, a group of skiers that organized to weigh in on Taos Ski Valley’s future. “That’s the greatest thing about it.”

Better Not Bigger

The resort has planned a suite of changes that would mostly just adjust guests’ experience—like replacing a creaky, slow lift older than most of the lifties—without hugely expanding the resort’s footprint.

“Better not bigger” is the motto. The ski area wants to replace the mysteriously floor-planned midmountain Whistlestop Café and add a restaurant high on the backside for snack breaks, bathrooms, and thawing out without dropping far from the hike-to ridgelines, and add hiking,

snowshoeing, and Nordic skiing trails. New snowmaking equipment would boost that system with a 5-million-gallon midmountain water tank and pump station, but not reach new terrain. The biggest shift would come from a new gondola linking the main base area to the Kachina Basin base area, nearly 1 1/2 miles away, that would reduce cars on the dirt road to that back side, allow people to fast-track to that terrain, and provide a workaround for when wind blasts frontside chairlifts, shutting them down, but the backside remains placid.

“We prioritized these projects … and we want to get traction on them, but we also know there’s an appropriate, responsible pace to development,” says John Kelly, COO of Taos Ski Valley Inc. Some, like the gondola, arose from guest input.

The Carson National Forest—land manager for the 1,294 acres on which the ski area operates—approved the company’s master plan in 2021. But federal law requires environmental reviews before construction starts to show there won’t be negative environmental impacts from these projects. And some basics, Kelly added, like the amount of water the ski area is allotted for making snow, won’t budge. The national forest is currently reviewing the environmental analysis, as well as the 600 public comments.

Skiers entering the main base area stride a bridge over a Rio Hondo tributary—just after the new skating rink and before the new Blake Hotel’s swimming pool and hot tub. The river runs downstream to historic rural communities, many with centuries-old irrigation ditches called acequias that water fields, orchards, and backyard gardens, and recharge aquifers. Already, the droughtstricken river runs low in summer months, and, now, locals worry the ski area’s new activities will diminish it further. They’ve been worried for a long time, says Sylvia Rodriguez, a commissioner on the Acequia de San Antonio and a professor emeritus with the University of New Mexico who studied the interethnic changes around Taos.

In the 1980s, protestors held a mock funeral for the Rio Hondo. The procession of cars trailing the river’s coffin stretched for miles up to the ski valley. (A sewage treatment plant was built soon after.) But the ski area’s latest efforts amount to “a massive program of expansion that no one could have considered before,” she says. “The consensus has broadened that things are going too far and too fast.”

“I’m always surprised that so many really devoted skiers are really heartbroken about what this place looks like now,” she adds.

Water Crisis

Kevin Bersell is one of those dedicated skiers and another Acequia de San Antonio commissioner. The year-round resort rising in the valley stunned him— then he started digging into the water plan for the Village of Taos Ski Valley—the tiny town adjacent to the ski area—and found hints for future construction that included the words “spa” and additional lodging at the Kachina base area that could more than double the water used. The gondola, which would run along a Rio Hondo tributary, he added, could clog the river with sediment and clear trees, raising water temperatures and deteriorating water quality.

Already, the ski valley faces a water crisis. Three times last winter, water outages closed the resort, including once for most of a week. When the ski corporation pushed to start construction on the new Hotel Saint Bernard this year, the village issued that building permit with conditions: Namely, water wasn’t guaranteed. The problem isn’t supply—yet (the main water sources are snowmelt-fed streams expected to shrink with climate change). It’s distribution.

“Our waterworks are leaking like a sieve,” says Patrick Nicholson, planning and community development director for the village.

About three-quarters of water taken into the village’s pipes disappears. Supplying the hotel will require plugging those leaks and racing to be done before the hotel opens in 2025. This summer, the village upgraded some lines and valves, but the total overhaul needed could cost $13 million, an astronomical sum for a village of less than 70 residents.

The village also required the resort to better address the police chief’s concerns for a road crossing kids use going to and from the children’s center, and to build the new hotel so it could withstand a hit from an avalanche. The requests didn’t go over well, Nicholson says, adding: “The disconnect and the dissonance between their public stance and their sort of PR charm versus the behind-the-doors moreheated discussions are jarring.”

The ski area is a rarity in its independent ownership. But every year seems to draw more of the onceindependent businesses under the same corporate umbrella. So, he hopes to see more economic diversity and more local input in shaping the future.

“ We’ve been kind of ignored and in the backwater for a while, and we have one chance to get it right before it’s corporatized,” Nicholson says. “What needs to be rethunk, if you will, is the role of the ski corporation within the community. … What is the public getting out of this, other than a wealthy enclave for skiers that is alienating the local community?”

Taos Mountain Alliance has repeatedly engaged with the Forest Service and ski area to talk about concerns, chiefly about access to a popular trailhead for backcountry skiing among the highest peaks in the state. Kelly said the company worked with the Forest Service to enshrine public access to that terrain, even where it crosses within the ski area’s

boundary (and the ski area doesn’t allow uphill travel during operating hours).

But backcountry skiers say potential avalanche paths cross the route and that it’s rocky and unnavigable on skins. Those conversations continue.

The Trouble with Transparency

The problems, says Page, are built into the process. Ski resorts develop master plans, sometimes without much public input, and the Forest Service accepts those plans. Environmental scrutiny comes only as ski areas advance pieces

analysis, Taos Ski Valley has only been asked to do the less rigorous option. For some, that’s not sufficient.

“We asked some pretty direct, pointed questions about what do they plan to do?” Bersell says. “We got very obtuse answers and misdirection.”

Watching the Hotel Saint Bernard, in particular, has felt like being told one thing—the hotel is being rebuilt—and seeing something else take shape as construction advances. Referencing the old hotel bar, McCormack says, “I spent a lot of time in the Rathskeller, and I’m pretty sure I never saw a pool down there.”

What were they supposed to do, asks Dawn Boulware, vice president of social and environmental responsibility at Taos Ski Valley, with a hotel where chimney fires repeatedly sparked, electrical oddities were common, and water pipes repeatedly flooded the ground floor? The hope, she said, is that the new hotel holds to the historic one in spirit. She’d invite people to come to the ski area with direct questions, rather than cycling through the rumor mill. But the ski corporation–recognizing late last year through this master plan and permitting process that it was up against a community-relations emergency—hired a full-time employee whose sole job is to meet and build relationships with locals.

of their plan. But by then, instead of picking a goal like wanting to move people from one side of a river to another and publicly analyzing how best to do that—a bridge, a ferry, do nothing and let people cope—the ski area has chosen what they want (a gondola). The environmental analysis, which the private company hires consultants to complete, seems hemmed in to look only at how to do what the ski area has already decided it wants to do.

“The whole process tiers off of this thing that was never really vetted,” Page says.

So far, of two tiers of environmental

“We can assure everyone that the ski resort has a tremendous amount of respect for all the different opinions and passions that exist in this area—and this region,” Kelly says. “We recognize that there’s a lot of different stakeholders, there’s a lot of different uses for this area, and we’re only one piece of that.”

Elizabeth Miller is an independent journalist based in New Mexico. Her work appears in Backpacker, Outside, Undark, Scientific American, and The Washington Post, and has been anthologized in Best American Travel Writing 2021.

ABOUT THREEQUARTERS OF WATER TAKEN INTO THE VILLAGE’S PIPES DISAPPEARS. SUPPLYING THE HOTEL WILL REQUIRE PLUGGING THOSE LEAKS AND RACING TO BE DONE BEFORE THE HOTEL OPENS IN 2025.

MORE FOLKS ON THE SLOPES

BY CLAIRE BARBER

SNOWSPORTS, ESPECIALLY SKIING and snowboarding, is historically a stratified space—majority white, majority wealthy, and athlete visibility has been majority male for a long time. The buy in to get into these sports is high, with the costs of equipment, skyrocketing pass prices, transportation, and mentorship stacking up quickly. Added to the ticket are expectations around mobility that have also shut many adaptive athletes out of the conversation.

Organizations and events in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming have been and are making strides, working to bridge the opportunity gap for a wide variety of snowsports athletes. “People are born with an equal distribution of talent,” says Seth Ehrlich, executive director of SOS Outreach, which gets kids on the slopes. “What is missing is connection to resources and connection to opportunities.”

BLACKPACKERS

Patricia Ann Cameron started Blackpackers in 2019 with the goal of helping bridge the representation

gap for Black people in the outdoors. For Cameron, closing that gap starts at addressing the wealth gap for the Black community. She hopes she can open the economic opportunities of recreation to a wider swath of BIPOC folks. “We want to make sure that the experiences can set them up for success on their own or wherever they choose to go in their careers or personal adventures with the outdoors,” says Cameron of Blackpackers’ programming.

This winter, Blackpackers will partner again with Arapahoe Basin to provide two clinics (serving around 70 people, split among instructors), all expenses paid. The clinics are meant for beginners, and gear is provided, including skis/board, boots, helmet, goggles, and base layers if needed. Participants will receive a half-day lesson and a lift ticket to explore the bunny hill beforehand. “When you don't have a lot of financial backing behind you because of generational wealth issues, recreation isn't the first thing on your mind,” says Cameron. blackpackers.org

SOS OUTREACH

Founded in Colorado in 1993, SOS outreach has been part of the snowsports world for 30 years. The organization engages 3,000 youth across 24 mountain resorts in 10 states. It offers a multiyear curriculum from fourth grade through high school to kids who don’t have the resources to get on the slopes. In Colorado, SOS Outreach partners with nine mountains to teach and mentor over 1,800 kids. Equipment, lift tickets, instruction, and mentorship are provided free of charge. You can find programs in Durango, Steamboat Springs, Eagle County, Leadville, and Metro Denver.

Christy Sports and Nordica also collaborated with SOS Outreach and former graduates of the program to design a limited-edition ski, raising $21,000 over the past season from sales of the ski. “With every pair that we sold, we could provide a year's worth of mentoring for another underrepresented kid,” says Randy England, director of marketing at Christy Sports. Twenty skis still remain and can be purchased this season to exclusively support SOS Outreach. sosoutreach.org

ELDORA MOUNTAIN RESORT AND IGNITE ADAPTIVE SPORTS, COLORADO

A Front-Range favorite, Eldora has a wide smattering of partnerships and programs planned for this season. Three outside contractors, including BIPOC Mountain Collective, Native Women’s Wilderness, and Ski Noir 5280 will likely host events, lessons, and clinics at Eldora this year. And local elementary and middle school students can receive rental gear, day lessons, and meals through the Ned Shreds program at a substantial discount.

At the base of Eldora, you can also find Ignite Adaptive Sports. Operating for over 40 years, Ignite provides people with disabilities, both children and adults, the opportunity to get on the snow and shred. Folks can choose from alpine or cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ski biking, and snowshoeing.

And the program won’t turn anyone away for financial reasons. Scholarships are available, as are free adaptive lessons for military veterans with disabilities. The Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center also provides adaptive skiing and riding

HERE ARE THE EVENTS, PROGRAMS, AND PLAYERS MAKING SNOWSPORTS A LITTLE MORE INCLUSIVE THIS SEASON.

lessons at Breckenridge, Keystone, and Copper Mountain. Advanced reservations are recommended and are open now. eldora.com, igniteadaptivesports.org

TAOS SKI VALLEY, NEW MEXICO

You can’t think of New Mexico skiing without thinking of Taos. On the steeps and on the bunny hill, you’ll find a variety of programs suited to a skier or rider’s needs.

For their third year, Taos will host the Jedi Outdoors BIWOC Advanced Instructor Training Program. Black, Indigenous, People of Color are severely underrepresented in the professional ski instructor world, especially at the higher levels. The women who are part of this program receive coaching from Olympic gold medalist Deb Armstrong; Humaira Falkenberg, principal of JEDI Outdoors; and Burt Skall, the sports director at Taos. “The more you see people that look like you as an instructor, “the more you start seeing that you are included in that sport, or that you can have career paths within the sport,” says Dawn Boulware, vice president of social and environmental responsibility at Taos Ski Valley.

Aside from the professional level, youth from underserved communities have several opportunities to engage with Taos Ski Resort and get on the slopes as well. Notably, the Charles N. Romero Snowsports Program for Pueblo Youth provides free skiing to local Native American kids through funding from the Share Winter Foundation and the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund. Additionally, the Taos Schoolkids

Program works to get local shredders on the slopes, providing similar lessons and gear rentals for a heavily discounted price. skitaos.com

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

With the largest wealth gap in the country, Jackson Hole has some real equity issues to address. But beneath the Grand Teton, some folks are stepping in to help bridge the opportunity gap.

COOMBS OUTDOORS

Named after the legendary skier Doug Coombs, who died while skiing in France in 2006, Coombs Outdoors, founded by Emily Coombs, engages underserved youth outside. offering a wide range of programs for both summer and winter sports. Participants receive mentoring in resort skiing, backcountry skiing, and more. Programs engage elementary to high-school age skiers in group settings. Participants in the Coombs Club middle and high school program also receive season rentals and a pass to encourage continuation of the sport and independent skiing. coombsoutdoors.org

ADAPTIVE STEEP AND DEEP CAMP

This season, Jackson Hole Mountain resort has added the Adaptive Steep and Deep Camp. On Feb. 27–March 1, adaptive athletes will learn how to safely navigate extreme terrain and conditions. Expert coaches will provide advice on finding the best line, steep skiing etiquette, and terrain selection. Groups may also have early mountain access and the opportunity to explore Jackson’s backcountry. jacksonhole.com/adaptive

SKI NOIR 5280 AT ELDORA MOUNTAINI RESORT

SKI NOIR 5280

GET DOWN ON THE RANCH

by CHRIS KASSAR

Looking for the ideal winter getaway where you can enjoy all the mountains have to offer while also reconnecting with nature, yourself, and loved ones? Well, look no further. Nestled in the heart of the Rockies near Winter Park, YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch has it all. Spend time at Snow Mountain Ranch and you’ll never be bored. Tire yourself out on world-class Nordic trails, ski pow at nearby Winter Park resort, go dog sledding, get creative at the craft cabin, try yoga, or just chill and soak in the surrounding beauty. With so much to do, this is the perfect vacation spot for adventurers and families alike. Plus, the ranch is dog-friendly so your best buddies get to join in on the fun too.

PLAY

One hundred kilometers of Nordic trails allow you to explore this 5,000-plus-acre ranch in peace. Work up a sweat on long skate-specific tracks or meander endlessly on trails sure to challenge classic skiers. Get in laughs and family time on shorter, simpler ski loops, or explore dedicated trails meant for skijoring with your pup. Rental skis are available, and trails are free to all guests at the ranch. Want to up your game? All levels, beginners to racers, will benefit from a lesson, or from one of the many classes and waxing clinics offered here.

Not into skiing but want to play in the snow? Don’t fear. Tromp through the forest on snowshoe-specific tracks , feel the wind in your face while tubing , or experience an authentic dog sledding adventure wherein Snow Mountain Ranch brings you a real taste of the Iditarod. You’ll learn about the sport and experience it firsthand as a team of Alaskan huskies pulls you on a tour of the property. Short rides, consisting of a quick 2-mile loop lasting 15 minutes, cost $35 per person and are available Fridays and Saturdays. Thirty-minute rides follow a longer path, offer a deeper immersion into mushing, and cost $125 per ride. Each sled can hold one adult and one child. Advance reservations are required due to limited availability.

And this isn’t all. The rec center offers a heated indoor pool and sauna, climbing wall, archery, basketball, volleyball, and so much more. Or get artsy at the craft cabin where kids and adults can tackle a range of creative projects.

REST & REFUEL

In winter, Snow Mountain Ranch offers a few different lodging options. Two- to five-bedroom cabins and/or vacation homes sleep four to 12 people and come equipped with full kitchens, decks, and fireplaces ($185-$450/ night depending on size, type and

date booked). Three lodges on the property offer well-appointed rooms ($80-$250/depending on size, type and date booked). And, because many of the cabins and lodge rooms at Snow Mountain Ranch are ski-in/ski-out or within walking distance from all the fun, you’ll spend more time playing and less driving. Plus, since some of the cabins and rooms are pet-friendly, you can bring along your furry friend for an extra fee. Summer lodging options expand with rustic six-person yurts and a campground that offers tent sites and hookups for RVs.

On-site dining at the Aspen Room includes a buffet offering a range of healthy and delicious options available at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The on-site Rustic Café offers a variety of convenient favorites including coffee, bakery treats, sandwiches, and soups for all three meals as well. Snow Mountain Ranch also offers a grocery delivery service (just one day advanced notice required) and catering for groups of 35 or more.

CAN’T MISS EVENTS

Holiday Magic Christmas Tree

Cutting: Make holiday memories by coming to Snow Mountain Ranch’s annual Christmas tree cutting extravaganza. On Saturdays and Sundays, from the day after

Thanksgiving through Christmas, you can come cut your own Christmas tree. Get into the holiday spirit by making a weekend out of it, complete with a stay in a cozy cabin and special holidaythemed crafts and activities.

Moon Lit Ski & Snowshoe: Experience the enchantment of skiing or snowshoeing under a full moon at Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center on Friday, Jan. 26 and Friday, Feb 23q. Nordic trails will be illuminated for easy navigation.

RECONNECT AND REJUVENATE AT YMCA OF THE ROCKIES SNOW MOUNTAIN RANCH THIS WINTER.

Join Our Outdoor Tribe!

THE 2023 PERFECT WINTER GUIDE

The best season for adventure and cozy relaxation is right around the corner. To that end, here’s our guide to authentic winter escapes in Colorado and Wyoming.

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For the 2023–24 season, Eldora has expanded its parking lots and, as required by Boulder County, will be implementing parking fees for singleoccupancy vehicles (SOVs) on certain days.

Eldora: Real Good. Real Close.

Eldora Ski Resort, a Rocky Mountain gem nestled just outside the charming town of Nederland, Colorado, is a winter paradise that's as convenient as it is breathtaking. Located just 21 miles west of downtown Boulder, Eldora offers outdoor enthusiasts a memorable winter mountain experience with less of the driving hassle.

Proximity and Transportation

Eldora proves to be an ideal choice for Front Range residents seeking to avoid the hassle of ski traffic. Convenient public transportation options seamlessly connect downtown Boulder to the ski resort. You can easily board the RTD's NB bus at the Downtown Boulder Station and disembark just a stone's throw away from the Alpenglow chairlift. In alignment with Boulder County's commitment to sustainable transportation and Eldora's own Play Forever sustainability ethos, the resort offers complimentary RTD tickets for travelers on the NB bus route. Additionally, on Saturdays, Sundays, and select days, visitors can enjoy

complimentary round-trip shuttle services between Boulder and Eldora, further enhancing the accessibility and eco-conscious appeal of this winter destination.

Terrific Terrain

Eldora boasts Colorado’s best snowmaking system and 100% coverage of groomed terrain, so there is never a worry about the quality and quantity of snow! The most difficult trails at Eldora can be found off the Corona lift, where skiers and snowboarders alike can enjoy double black diamond glades with steeps, cliffs, gullies, and more. Rentals and Lessons

are available for kids to adults. Eldora's friendly instructors, manageable size, and laid-back vibe make it the best place to learn new skills—right in your backyard.

Community and Events

Eldora also hosts many events to bring the community together. Visitors can attend 5k/10k runs, music festivals, freestyle competitions, retail sales, and more. Due to the proximity to Boulder, there are many other activities and events in town that make the ski community so close-knit. Not to mention the extensive variety of excellent dining, shopping and lodging options.

For the best deals on day passes, buy your tickets on skicooper.com at least two days in advance of your visit.

Affordable Winter Fun at Ski Cooper, CO

Get the authentic Colorado winter experience without the crowds and sky-high prices. Ski Cooper is an approachable ski resort in Leadville— perfect for families and advanced skiers. Feel the love for skiing right in the heart of the Rockies, for a great price.

Soft Snow and Less Crowds

Ski Cooper prides itself on having the softest snow surface in Colorado, and terrain variety for all abilities. From some of the best beginner trails in the country to epic powder, glades, and bumps, skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels are sure to find their flow in the natural snow here. The smiling faces and family-friendly atmosphere also makes Ski Cooper an excellent place for a family winter getaway without sacrificing the authentic Colorado resort experience. Alternatively, if you are looking to avoid busy weekend pow days, the lack of crowds and two-minute lift lines make Cooper the perfect option for a single-day weekend escape.

Passes and Tickets

Don’t have a big-name ski pass? No problem. This season, Cooper joined the Powder Alliance to explore more terrain. This means that Ski Cooper’s Season Pass offers unlimited skiing and snowboarding at Cooper, plus three free days from a choice of 21 premier winter destinations over three different countries. If you are not ready to commit to a pass, Cooper also offers extremely affordable day-pass lift tickets, as low as $30 on some Thursdays.

Off the Slopes

When you’re finished shredding the slopes, many options to refuel on the mountain or

at the base await. Chow down on a burger off the grill with great summit views at the Ridgeview Café. Or, head to the Cooper Lodge to grab a drink from the full-service bar and an Irish specialty dish at Katie O’Rourke’s Irish Pub. For the meat lovers, The Timberline Taproom serves Colorado craft brews with mouthwatering smoked meats like the smoked beef and brisket chili. The resort also has events for the whole family to enjoy, like the 10th Mountain Day on Friday, Feb. 23. Celebrate Ski Cooper’s founding in 1942 by the men of the 10th Mountain Division with a parade of flags down the Molly Mayfield Trail.

Endless Pow Days at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, WY

Spend less time in lift lines and more time on the slopes at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. With a successful 2022–2023 season under its belt, Jackson Hole is looking forward to welcoming skiers and snowboarders once again to experience the wonderful Wyoming powder.

Record-Setting Snowfall

What could be better than light, fluffy snow that seems to never end? Last season, Jackson Hole experienced its snowiest winter ever, reporting 41 days with 6 inches or more of new snow. Intermediate and expert skiers will delight in knowing that Rendezvous Bowl also experienced a record-setting 595 inches of total snowfall. This half-mile-wide and ~800-veritical-foot slope is steep and has no cat tracks, so first-timers beware. Other slopes and runs experienced excellent conditions thanks to the constant snowfall, cold temperatures, and overall quality of snow. Even on nonrecord-setting years, Jackson Hole has plenty of pow to go around.

Increased Slope Time

If you are tired of long lift lines and packed slopes, Jackson Hole has you covered. Last year, resort guests enjoyed not only record snow, but greater access to the mountain with reduced lift and wait times and advanced ticket sales. Opening the season with five lifts helped this effort, thanks to early season snowfall, continuous snowmaking efforts, and cool temps, which will hopefully continue into the 2023–24 season.

The new Thunder lift—in addition to the Aerial Tram, Sublette and Marmot lifts, and the Bridger Gondola—allows guests to enjoy 4,139 vertical feet of terrain, including Rendezvous Bowl, Cheyenne Bowl, Gros Ventre, and Tram Line. Thunder lift’s opening

noticeably shortened the wait times by less than half of the previous year, giving guests more time on the snow.

Plus, the somewhat newly implemented reservation system only allows for a limited number of skiers on the slopes, and less crowds as well. Guests are able to gain greater mountain access with advanced ticket sales and required reservations for Ikon and Mountain Collective passholders. This is just one reason why Jackson Hole is truly a perfect winter destination.

The Mountain Sports School

Looking to take it to the next level? Check out the Mountain Sport School, which offers classes for beginners to experts. Learn the basics of performing an avalanche

transceiver search before experiencing the backcountry, or take a private lesson to perfect specific skills. The Kids Ranch is a great way for your little ones to spend the ski vacation by exploring unique adventure trails and collecting fun stickers.

A Full Winter Vacation

Experience the highest level of service on and off the slopes. Whether you need to rent some skis, have a quick snack, or stay the night, you are sure to encounter smiling faces happy to assist you. Jackson Hole and Teton Village offer a thriving farm-to-table scene and progressive chef community, relaxing accommodations, unique shopping options, and plenty of nightlife featuring live music.

The 2023–24 season has been extended an extra week to give guests 143 days of mountain fun!

The Bighorn Mountains have consistently been rated as one of the best places in the U.S. for snowmobiling.

A Wild Winter in Sheridan, WY

Looking for a powder paradise? Well, look no further. Nestled in the heart of the Bighorn Mountains, Sheridan is a haven for all sorts of winter activities. Whether you're drawn to the thrill of snow sports, the tranquility of snowy trails, or simply the allure of a crackling fireplace in a historic lodge, Sheridan in winter promises moments of enchantment and unforgettable memories.

Family Activities

Winter is the perfect season to bring the whole family to Sheridan. While the temperatures may be cold, the welcome is always warm. Take the kids sledding at The Bowl or the Trail End State Historic Site, where the rushes of adrenaline will be sure to tucker them out. Or sit behind the glass at a Sheridan Hawks hockey game, where the energy levels are truly unmatched.

Sheridan’s WYO Winter Rodeo comes to town on Feb. 10, and is something you won’t want to miss. Considered Wyoming’s wildest winter event, attendees at Sheridan County

Fairgrounds can expect competitive skijoring and vendors selling delicious treats. The popular event is perfect for the whole family and exemplifies the charming winter spirit of Sheridan.

Epic Escapades

If you are looking for a little more thrill, the mountains of Sheridan are sure to impress. In the Northern Bighorn Mountains, Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area offers three lifts, 23 runs, and 1,000 feet of vertical rise on 225 acres for downhill or cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Other activities to enjoy in the area include fat biking, nordic and snowshoe trails,

Après Adventure

Once you are ready to warm up, there are plenty of restaurants, breweries, shops, and places to stay in Sheridan. Downtown Sheridan, off Broadway and Main Street, you can expect to find everything from cozy cafes and upscale dining experiences. Antique shops, specialty stores and boutiques call out to the shopaholics, while comfortable inns await your slumber. For a more rustic experience of Sheridan, cabins and retreats are also a great place to call home for the night.

backpacking, and snowmobiling through Wyoming’s finest powder.

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SHINY TOYS

AS YOU WAIT FOR THE SNOW TO FALL, YOUR MIND WANDERS TO ALL THE GEAR YOU WANT FOR AN EVEN BETTER SEASON UP ON THE HILL THIS YEAR. WE HAVE YOU COVERED. HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR THE EQUIPMENT THAT WILL HELP YOU PERFORM BETTER AND FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE OUT IN THE SNOW AND ON THE LIFTS.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

1. Dynafit Tigard 130

Here’s the boot that can do it all. Dynafit built this baby to be able to drive big skis when you are baniging the lifts with 130 flex and the Hoji Lock System that keeps the foot stable and in control in the boot. That said, it’s also built to tour, easy to slip into, and features a Grilamid sole for those days when you have to hike over rocks carrying your skis. In short, it’s a boot for all occasions. $900; dynafit.com

2. Dalbello Cabrio LV 130

Dalbello merged the best attributes of its Lupo (Freeride Tour) and Krypton (Freeride) boots to craft this backcountry boot that can take on the resort as well. It’s quite stable both in tour mode and railing groomers—credit that performance to a design that combines the middle buckle with the ankle hinge point. $700; dalbello.com

3. Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 Boa GW

Meet the beast you want to wear to prove your mettle at big resorts like Jackson, Taos, and Telluride. But it’s also just as reliable and versatile for day-to-day at whatever resort you call home. A Boa system dials in fit on the go and the heat-moldable memory foam inside helps you sync it to the oddities of your foot. It tours like a dream when you go off-piste, with a surprisingly good range of motion for a stiff, high-performance boot. $1,150; atomic.com

4. Nordica Santa Ana 104 Unlimited

A take-on-all-comers women’s board for skiing up and rocketing down, this is the ideal ski for those who want just one pair for the resort and the backcountry. At 104mm underfoot and imbued with tip and tail rocker, they stay on top of soft stuff and crud. On groomers they serve up swooping, stable turns. And on the uphill, they shimmy up the track with a light, carbon-blend core. $850; nordica.com

5. Fischer RC 86 One GT

Here’s your answer for those typical hardpack, frontside days when you want to dust your friends. Built with the DNA of a race ski and serving up triple sidecut (different in tip, waist, and tail), it absolutely rips on blues. It’s also got the backbone to take on challenging terrain and can hold its own on a chopped-up storm day. It’s ideal for typical Colorado conditions. $1,150; fischersports.com

6. Vökl Blaze 114

Big fat days call for big fat boards. The beauty of these beauties is that they hop around in the deep stuff like much more svelte skis. They may be 114mm underfoot, but they deliver an 18-meter turn radius on-piste from the center of the ski in a 184cm length. Oh, and ride easy: The base is made of recycled material and the core is a combo of sustainably harvested wood and green core tech. $750; volkl.com

7. Faction Le Mogul Pro

This specialized weapon is made for bumpers—racers and those who want to be them—or maybe just for someone who wants to hit moguls over and over at Mary Jane on a hardpack day. If that’s you, this super-snappy, 66-mmunderfoot slicer will bring you to a new level. $799; us.factionskis.com

8. Jones Snowboards Hovercraft 2.0

The tapered latest version of this proven charger with directional rocker is certainly going to put you above the masses when you ride powder. But don’t think that’s all it does. With a long sidecut and camber underfoot, it can also bomb groomers and give you the power to explore the whole resort. $600; jonessnowboards.com

9. Leki Spitfire 3D

The selling point of this freeride pole is a quick release system that ensures you can both wear the straps and not worry about sangging them on an errant tree. Or use Leki integrated 3D gloves and mittens that snap right in and out. The lightweight aluminum shafts are strong enough to handle hardcore turns too. $140; lekiusa.com

10. Outdoor Research Aspire Super Stretch

Gore’s Paclite material gives this stretchy jacket the power to head out on the skin track or partner with a comfy midlayer for a full day on the hill. It’s also fully waterproof/breathable and good for ski touring and high-energy activities off the hill too. $300; outdoorresearch.com

11. Flylow Foxy Bible

These women’s bibs deliver comfort and performance, keep snow and wet out and never feel too bulky on the hill. The softshell fabric means it's not too crinkly and stretches a bit as you move and a powerful DWR treatment beads away water. Plus, smart chest and phone pockets help keep everything organized. $430; flylowgear.com

12. Rab Khorma Diffuse Gore-tex

Athletic skiers and riders will want to suit up in this waterproof/breathable shell that’s perfect for laps on the uphill skin track followed by leg-burning turns. It’s made from 100% recycled face fabric with a Gore-tex membrane and tips the scales at just 22 ounces in a medium. $525; rab.equipment

13. Columbia Wintertrainer Snow Suit

You had better be good to show off in this insulated one-piece. Or you at least need to be comfortable with looking the part of someone still stuck in the ’80s. Settle in and this waterproof/breathable suit is sure to keep you warm and dry in the worst conditions. $300; columbia.com

14. Gregory Verte 18

With a stretchy hip belt made to move with your torso, an insulated hydration sleeve, and a snow-shedding design in the back panel, this hauler is the ticket for days hiking, hopping out the gates, and riding lifts in between. The A-frame ski/snowboard carry makes it quick and painless to pack up your gear to head up places like Highland Bowl. $150; gregory.com

15. Zeal Cloudfall

The interchangeable lens system in this do-it-all goggle not only gives you the chance to swap for the conditions as the sun pokes in and out during the day—it also offers a wide, unobstructed view so that your vision is not cramped on the hill. $199; zealoptics.com

16. Baïst Scott Schmidt

Made in conjunction with the legendary ski flick star, these sturdy gloves live up to the need of their namesake. The Cordura outer and reinforced rubber knuckles can stand up to day-to-day punishment and a removable liner means you can adapt to changes in weather during the day or the season. $190; baistgloves.com

17. Sweet Protection Igniter 2Vi Mips

Perfectly ventilated and providing plenty of protection for your noggin (including Mips, which mitigates the chance of concussion), the latest iteration of this already impressive lid, provides a sleek fit and nice interface to work with Sweet’s Connor Rig Reflect Goggles ($220). $229; sweetprotection.com

18. Gordini Burke Lightweight Ski Socks

Socks are of course the secret sauce to your resort gear kit. Glove brand Gordini wowed us with its new line that combines two fabric technologies for an easy fit and lots of cushion—it will keep your piggies warm. $25; gordini.com

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

A LIFETIME OF SKIING CAN RACK UP A LIFETIME OF INJURIES—BUT, OH, IS IT STILL WORTH IT.

by KIMBERLY BEEKMAN

The sound an Achilles tendon makes when it snaps is the kind of pop a taut guitar string might make if you shot it with a handgun. Rupturing an ACL, on the other hand, sounds like ripping a fistful of grass out of the ground. Once installed, a full knee replacement clicks softly with every step—unless it’s a step down a stair, in which case it sounds like a bike tire rolling through gravel.

I wish I never knew what music a body makes when it breaks. But I am a

skier. After years of moshing through moguls, trenching on groomers, and hitting the bottom on too many tracked-out runs, we must pay our dues—which are, in my case, five knee surgeries, heel surgery, a broken thumb, bone bruises, torn muscles, a torn rotator cuff, and bone spurs that come and go depending on the season. After my most recent trifecta— Achilles (pop), ACL (rip), and a total knee (click)—people ask, “You ready to hang it up yet?”

Never. Because whatever skiing has taken from me, it has given me far more.

Ilearned to ski when I was 3 years old. My brother, Andy, and I had no lessons, just encouraging words and the two strong legs of our parents wedged around us. I don’t know exactly why it hooked me so early—I probably wanted to do everything my older brother did—but I threw tantrums every time the lifts stopped spinning.

Then, when I was 6 and Andy was 9, we stopped skiing. Our dad had taken his own life; and our mom spent her waking hours at her rolltop desk, forehead in hand. I don’t remember missing skiing then—all I remember

is wanting to be one of those pretty, happy, side-ponytailed girls with Capri Suns in their neatly packed lunchboxes—but I’m sure I did.

Then, a couple years later, I got a brand-new pair of red Rossis, that has been wrapped in a bow and stashed under my mom’s bed, for Christmas. My mom signed us up for Eskimo Ski Club, and, every Saturday, I chased my brother down nonstop bump runs at Mary Jane and came home so tired I slept through dinner.

Gradually, I got better—good, even. I started to hear pride in my brother’s voice as I scouted his cliffs and tried some of them myself. And when I caught my tips doing a backscratcher or landed in his bomb hole, he would hike back up to collect my gear, scrape off my boot lugs, and blow the snow out of my goggles. I felt a bubble of confidence growing inside me.

During my early teens, when I tried on personalities like outfits, that confidence was like a little fishing bobber—always afloat, no matter how rough the water. In high school, while other girls starved themselves, I accepted my strong thighs because I liked what they did for me on the hill. In college, when I struggled to find my

path and my self-worth, I knew deepdown I was good at something. And that was enough.

Three years ago, I tore my left Achilles. And while not technically a ski injury, it stemmed from one nearly 30 years ago when I tore everything tearable in my right knee while proving myself to a dumb boy at Mary Jane. I chronically favored my right leg and developed Achilles tendonitis in my left. But when that small yet crucial bridge of tissue finally gave out, I wasn’t arcing a turn or launching a cliff—I was walking to yoga.

POWER OF THE SLOPES: THE AUTHOR PURRS THROUGH POWDER AT REVELSTOKE, B.C., DURING A PRESS TRIP WHILE SHE WAS AN EDITOR AT SKI MAGAZINE.

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I WOULDN’T TRADE THIS SPORT FOR ANYTHING, CERTAINLY NOT AN ACHILLES TENDON OR A FEW ACLS."

And that’s not even the most shameful part. I was walking to yoga to stretch it out after tequila-fueled anger-dancing at a family wedding the night before. It was so inflamed, I could hear it squeaking when I moved my foot.

Hear me now and thank me later: Should your family drama lead you to hurl your shoes into a bush and jump up and down on the flagstone patio for hours, and should you wake up the next day to find that your Achilles outranks your headache on the pain scale, please, sit your ass down on the couch. (And buy the book, It Didn’t Start With You, to read while you rest.)

disconcerting. “You tore your ACL and meniscus, which we can fix. But I want to talk about your other knee. That one looks terrible.” Thus I embarked on ACL reconstruction and total knee replacement, six weeks apart.

Skiers are tough, but this tested me. I couldn’t drive, so my 15-year-old daughter and I survived on Chinese food delivery and the kindness of friends. I attached ice crampons to crutches and showered wearing a giant leg condom. In our 850-squarefoot cabin, stuff started to pile up everywhere.

“It’s so messy in here,” my daughter said as she walked in the door from school, tossing her backpack onto the pile of clothes on the couch. “The cleanup fairies are on sabbatical!” I may have yelled. Seeing the tears brimming in my eyes, she looped her arms around me through my crutches and then started bringing dishes to the sink.

Injury sucks, but there is nothing like not being able to carry a glass of water that teaches you to be grateful for the small miracles your body does for you every day—and especially grateful for the large ones it does for you on a powder day. And so I kept my sights on skiing. Skiing got me through.

As I crutched around with a hard cast that pointed my toes in the perfect position to catch on doorjambs, stool legs, and the ground, it was impossible to imagine I would be able to walk again—not to mention ski. But one year later, after getting my race boots punched out around my thickened heel, I clicked in again.

I barely made it through a full season before I tore my left ACL ski-testing for SKI and Outside magazines at Sun Valley. It was a huge 14-inch powder day—rare for Sun Valley—and I thought I could sneak in one more run before heading to the airport for a late afternoon flight.

I ducked into some trees I knew from previous days had scary stumps and rotten spots lurking under all that fresh, but the line was untracked, glittering in the sun, begging for my tracks. It was glorious. Until I came around a full pine to find a downed tree blocking my path at femur-snapping height. Time is a funny thing in these moments. A split second expands to allow thoughts about un-notorized wills and one’s child becoming a ward of the state. While my brain was busy catastrophizing, my body slid under the log in a twisting limbo that no knee could sustain. The tear was so loud, I didn’t even hear branches breaking.

I sideslipped down, made my flight, and went to the doctor the next day. With the X-rays and MRI images on the screen, he said something

It may seem silly—idiotic even— that I have built my life around this dangerous pastime of sliding down snow. Everything—my friends, community, career, confidence, and hometown—has centered around it. In my 20s I moved to Jackson Hole and worked at the newspaper; in my 30s I moved back to the Front Range to be a longtime editor of SKI and Skiing ; and in my 40s, when I lost my brother in the same way I lost my father, I moved to Steamboat Springs. Skiing continues to get me through.

I wouldn’t trade this sport for anything, certainly not an Achilles tendon or a few ACLs. Skiing made me who I am.

This fall, after three years of reliving the sounds of my injuries every time I close my eyes, normal sounds are finally returning—the roar of wind in my bike helmet, the rustling of leaves under my feet, the exhale of my own breath. It’s really good to be back. Just in time too—the snow is about to start flying.

Kimberly Beekman is a freelance writer and former editor-in-chief of the late Skiing magazine (RIP). She writes mostly about outdoor adventures and occasionally about dragging her indoorsy daughter into them.

GROWING UP ROSSI: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) THE AUTHOR AT THE JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT TRAM DOCK; THE AUTHOR LEARNING HOW TO SKI WITH HER MOTHER; THE AUTHOR, IN HER RED ROSSIS, WITH HER OLDER BROTHER.

AS I CRUTCHED AROUND WITH A HARD CAST THAT POINTED MY TOES IN THE PERFECT POSITION TO CATCH ON DOORJAMBS, STOOL LEGS, AND THE GROUND, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE I WOULD BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN— NOT TO MENTION SKI."

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: FRANK SHINIE, COURTESY KIMBERLY BEEKMAN (X2)

WAITING FOR SNOW

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR FIRST SKI DREAMS OF THE SEASON YET?

by PETER KRAY

Ican’t wait for ski season to begin.

Like walking my dogs or enjoying a quiet Sunday with my wife, whenever I go skiing, I wonder why I ever bother to do anything else.

Just last week at around three in the morning, coyotes woke me up yipping and howling on the other side of the wall around our yard, so close the dogs didn’t bark. When I went to bang on the window, I could see Orion in the sky above the mountains to the east.

It’s my favorite constellation, The Hunter, with his mythological belt of the stars Alnilam, Mintaka, and Alnitak, aligned as straight in the heavens as if the angels had hung a traffic light. It’s the earliest sign winter is coming too, before the leaves start to turn and October casts the Northern

Or the friends back east from college who I make plans to see for a long ski weekend in Alta, Snowbird, or Taos. Making turns and tracing back the tracks of our lives. Creating new memories at each snow-fueled reunion that remind us why we became such good buddies in the first place.

Like my old pal Billy, who I moved to Jackson Hole with right after graduation. We taught ski lessons during the day and lived on pasta and ramen at night. Sometimes I think we hardly fed ourselves, but every time we talk, he says, “I’d go back to those days in a minute!”

And each season there is the chance to make new friends and become good ski buddies with people we haven’t even met yet.

A Way of Life

Skiing is our family sport. It’s why my Mom and Dad moved to Colorado and had my brother and me on skis when we were 2 years old. So early that I don’t even remember my first turns other than a vague, thrilling memory of the wind on my face and the world sliding away beneath my feet.

Dad and all his buddies worked as volunteer ski patroller at Vail every weekend, back in the days when every patroller’s family would get a season pass.

He and Mom were beautiful skiers, softly porpoise-ing through the powder in the Back Bowls and on the frontside sticking to the sides of the runs where the snow stays soft. As methodical and rhythmic as pistons arcing through the bumps.

My brother and I still joke that nobody ever asked what we wanted to do on a weekend in December, January, February, or March. It was understood that on Friday right after school, or first thing in the dark of Saturday morning, our butts would be in the back of the Volkswagen hatchback heading west.

For Every Season

Through junior high, high school, and college, our big family vacation always involved skiing. We would head out, checking off all the fantastic areas in Colorado until I was living in Jackson, and the whole crew would come see me up north for a week.

When my brother and his wife moved to Washington and had kids, Mom and Dad followed to enjoy their time as

grandparents while watching the next generation take to the slopes.

It was only when Dad’s Alzheimer’s was diagnosed, and quickly worsened, that I realized his skiing days were probably finished. Mom agreed. But my sister-in-law thought one more day on his skis was what he probably needed the most.

She had been a children’s ski teacher in Vail and used the same kid-friendly tactics she’d honed with those classes to get Dad in his gear, feeling safe in his environment and onto the lift. And after a couple of warmup turns, all the muscle memory of so many seasons on snow came roaring back.

He skidded to a stop at the bottom with happy tears in his eyes. Mom asked him how he was doing. “I’m doing something I love with people who love me,” he replied.

Which is about as good as it can get. Being in love with the people who love you, and with this beautiful sport. I wish all that love to you this season and hope that skiing loves you right back!

—Elevation Outdoors editor-at-large Peter Kray is the author of the God of Skiing. Buy it here: amzn.to/35AfxlL

Hemisphere aglow all gold and bright.

The world starts seeming softer in the coming cold, so that friends in texts and phone calls start to ask, “Did you have your first ski dreams of the season yet?

Community of the Cold

It’s friends that make the winter better. Sharing the season and the powder and jokes on the chairlift. Even the “imaginary friend,” which is how I sometimes refer to the sport of skiing. How even skiing alone, you can often feel like you are enjoying an adventure with something much greater than yourself.

I love how the ski season brings so many people together. How I have friends in town who I hardly ever see in the summer, but in the winter, we carpool to the ski area together; race each other down the mountain; and, at the end of the day, toast beers on the deck.

I LOVE HOW THE SKI SEASON BRINGS SO MANY PEOPLE TOGETHER.

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