Powder 8 Podcast

Mike’s love for adventure runs deep. His journey west for a college education turned out to also be an education in the mountains where he developed a passion for the outdoors. His post college days took him to Whitefish, Montana where he ski patrolled and began dabbling in trail running, for which he would later become well known. He then transitioned to ski patrolling at the late Moonlight Basin (now Big Sky Resort) where he retired from his ‘James Bond’ ski patrol career to pursue running full time. His focus on running has led to numerous top finishes in iconic ultra running races such as the Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc & the Hard Rock 100, as well as a first place and a course record on the Big Horn 100. In 2015 Mike, along with teammates Mike Wolfe & Steven Gnam, ran 600 miles from Missoula, Montana to Banff, Alberta, Canada across a region known as the Crown of the Continent. In the past few years Mike has re-shifted his running focus to skiing in the winter months, exploring the backcountry and becoming a leader in the new (to the US) sport of ski mountaineering racing. Mike’s accomplishments speak for themselves, but it’s his demeanor and thoughtfulness that really shine in this interview. Enjoy!

It's hard to begin to describe Drew Hardesty. He is one of those people you don't forget after you meet him. His grizzled beard and sun hardened eyes hint to wisdom that can only be attained through a lived life in the mountains— and that's just what Drew set out to do. After graduating from high school in Kentucky, Drew moved west to Boulder, CO for college on an ROTC scholarship. He fulfilled his military duty afterwards with a 3 year stint in the Navy as an intelligence officer. His travels with the Navy took him all over the world, including Japan where he skied deep powder and discovered Basho. 20 some years later Drew spends winters in Salt Lake City working as a forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center and summers as a Jenny Lake Climbing Ranger in Grand Teton National Park. In this episode we chat with Drew about his thoughts on the future of avalanche forecasting, how backcountry ethics impact public safety, and two favorite Haiku's that relate to skiing in the backcountry.

Known for lengthy traverses across North America’s wildest mountain ranges, and along it’s remote waters, Forrest McCarthy loves to venture deep into the wilderness. It’s not uncommon for Forrest to traverse hundreds of miles over the course of days or weeks to see and experience a landscape. Forrest also advocates for and has worked to protect the wild places in which we play through Winter Wildlands Alliance and the American Packraft Association, among others. In this episode we chat with Forrest about the history of backcountry skiing in the Tetons, how finding a good ski partner is like dating, and pressing past the ‘last turn around point’ on 21 day ski traverse.

If you are a backcountry skier Mark Menlove is someone you should know. As the executive director of Winter Wildlands Alliance, Mark works tirelessly to protect the wild winter landscapes on which we love to ski. Additionally he is a seasoned conservationist, backcountry ski guide, and outdoor writer. He has been a leading voice for quiet recreation and is a co-founder of the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of national human-powered recreation organizations. Mark’s passion for skiing runs deep, and we (the backcountry ski community) are lucky to have him as a leading voice, speaking up for backcountry skiing on local & national levels. In this episode we chat with Mark about growing up in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, leaving the corporate world to pursue creative writing, becoming the ‘voice of winter,’ and building a backcountry ski community.

Although he wanted to be known as 'dolphin boy,' Michael Shaffer became fondly called 'bird' after using the word to cover up company logos on his outerwear. After a childhood spent in the natural landscapes of the Methow valley in Washington, Bird went to University and studied Geography & Environmental Studies. While traveling around working for a Hemp clothing company Bird crossed paths with Troy Jungen & Ptor Spricenieks who encouraged him to "just pack your bag and go over to Chamonix for a season. It'll do you good." He has since been visiting Chamonix for full or partial seasons for the last 20 years. Bird worked up to skiing some of the wildest lines in the Chamonix region and interfaced with many of the other legends of the sport. His energy and love for the mountains is contagious. In this interview we talk about history, we talk about tuning in to nature, and we talk about longevity in such a uniquely magical and high consequence sport.

Doug Chabot is known today for his role as the Director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center based in Bozeman, Montana and for his many contributions to the global avalanche community. What most people don't know about Doug though is his love for alpine climbing that led him to the ski and avalanche world. In this episode I chat with Doug about the intersection of alpine climbing and backcountry skiing, as he shares wild stories from some of his expeditions around the world. We wrap up the conversation talking about avalanche forecasting, common mistakes he has seen skiers make in his 17 years working for the GNFAC, and advice for the up-and-comers in the sport.

Noah Howell is a well known professional backcountry skier who has seen and participated in a lot of the evolution of backcountry skiing, from filmmaking to gear design, and has been backcountry skiing for over 15 years. He founded Powder Whore Productions with his brother Jonah and has done expeditions and first descents all over the world.