SNOW
TL;DR
ALL HAIL THE WHALE.
Crew
MTN MIKE & THE SKI GANG
On tap
TOURING BACKCOUNTRY MEDICINE BIG LINES APRES FOR DAYS
Year
2022 - PRESENT
Heading into the backcountry is serious business - demanding training, planning, and enough gear purchases to wear the stripe off a credit card or two. Add in early mornings (4 AM alarm, anyone?) and often subzero temperatures, and you'd be right to wonder who in their right mind would sign up for this.
Heading into the backcountry is serious business - demanding training, planning, and enough gear purchases to wear the stripe off a credit card or two. Add in early mornings (4 AM alarm, anyone?) and often subzero temperatures, and you'd be right to wonder who in their right mind would sign up for this.
Touring certainly isn't for everyone. It's cold, it's dark, and it's often dangerous.
The resorts beckon, warm chalets and convenient lifts just a few hundred yards from the hellaciously slippery skin-track.
Touring certainly isn't for everyone. It's cold, it's dark, and it's often dangerous.
The resorts beckon, warm chalets and convenient lifts just a few hundred yards from the hellaciously slippery skin-track.
But for those few who wake before dawn to brave the bitter cold and trudge uphill in penumbra, the suffering is worth it. (Editor's note: for some, perhaps it's the whole point). Regardless, many of the mountains' best-kept rewards are paid for in cracked lips, burning lungs, and frozen fingers. From fiery summit sunrises to snorkel-deep powder stashes, to the tourers go the spoils.
But for those few who wake before dawn to brave the bitter cold and trudge uphill in penumbra, the suffering is worth it. (Editor's note: for some, perhaps it's the whole point). Regardless, many of the mountains' best-kept rewards are paid for in cracked lips, burning lungs, and frozen fingers. From fiery summit sunrises to snorkel-deep powder stashes, to the tourers go the spoils.
