Alta Backcountry

Continental Divide Trail

  • First Day of the 2018-19 Ski Season

    Opening day. There are few things quite as magical as the first ski day of the season. The initial click of the boots and bindings, the first turn and glide, cold air blasting into the face and lungs. It’s a… Continue reading

  • Kuksa Carving Class at the Northhouse Folk School

    This September, Elaine and I took a unique-for-us trip to the northern part of Minnesota. The plan for the trip was two-fold. First, we wanted to learn how to carve Kuksa cups at the Northhouse Folk School in Grand Marais,… Continue reading

  • CDT Thru-Ski: Skiing the San Juan Mountains on a hike from Mexico to Canada

    This post is for hikers and prospective skiers who might be interested in tackling the San Juans or other portions of the Continental Divide Trail on skis. In my opinion, it’s a fantastic way to go. In Europe there are… Continue reading

  • Staying Sane in a Worrisome World

    I’m not a cocky person. Usually, I have a myriad of little things running through my head, putting me in my place, so to speak. When I do have confidence, it’s usually for a good reason. When Dan and I… Continue reading

  • Off the Greyhound, Onto the CDT

    Our Chevy Suburban creeks, groans and moans as her tires bounce and crawl over the red-rocked arroyo gully, deep in the New Mexico bootleg. A long, dusty cloud of red wisps off in the distance behind us. We’re on the… Continue reading

  • Continental Divide Trail Gear List

    by Elaine Vardamis When preparing for such a long trip, a lot of thought goes into what you are willing to carry on your back. Gear choices are going to be a little different for everybody. That being said, here… Continue reading

  • October Skiing on a Dying Glacier

    Since returning from the trail I’ve felt an increased desire to learn about mountain ecology. More specifically, I’m fascinated by that dying thing known as the mountain glacier. In Glacier National Park where we finished our hike, the forecast is… Continue reading

  • Snow’s (Elaine) CDT Wrap & Impressions

    The final wrap up for Team ThunderSnow! The Continental Divide Trail. I grew up in the shadow of the Continental Divide; as a kid, it blew my mind. I was micro-focused. I was captivated by the little things, fascinated by… Continue reading

  • Thunder’s (Dan) CDT Wrap and Impressions

    Team Thundersnow was a cohesive unit on the trail and in life, but of course we are two individuals! As such, we decided to decided to each write our own “Impressions and Wrap-Up” post. Here is Dan’s…Elaine’s will be posted… Continue reading