Alta Backcountry

Skiing

  • 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

  • Greenland Ski Traverse Gear List

    Here’s a quick and dirty gear list of what all we’re taking to Greenland. This isn’t a nice write up like the one I did for the Continental Divide Trail, but it gets the point across. The format is also… Continue reading

  • The Big Question

    More than any other adventure that Dan and I have embarked on, we’ve received that big question: Why? So far, most of what we’ve done kind of makes sense to most people – even those who are not inclined towards… Continue reading

  • Turning Around the Winter of Discontent

    It’s been a strange winter in Eldora, Colorado. It’s probably the closest I’ve ever felt to the “winter of discontent.” That’s certainly being a little bit dramatic, but there has been a lack of flow that has been disconcerting. As… Continue reading

  • Cold Front and Fresh Snow

    We finally got our Greenland application out just the other day. That’s been a major weight, so it’s nice to have it signed, sealed and delivered. We’ll see what happens. I do worry we don’t have enough requisite polar experience… Continue reading

  • How to Ski 100 Days this Winter (and Work Full-time)

    Elaine and I have spent a lot of time in the past seven years since our wedding day sliding around snow on skis. It’s our passion, and has led us to mountains and northern locales around the world. We’ve had… 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

  • Out of the Winds

    Sometimes, even after a full zero, it’s still tough. The infected blister I got in the Red Desert didn’t heal (shockingly) in one day. But options are low, and mostly the option is forward, northward, ever onwards. So despite green… Continue reading