Equal Before a Wave

“We’re all equal before a wave. There’s no discrimation. The ocean doesn’t differentiate between the big, the small, the black, the white. It just treats you as the visitor you are no matter who you are. The ocean has been one of the greatest teachers in my life and the things I’ve learned—whether it’s to relax in the chaos or the humility you gain from surviving a close drowning or the joy and confidence you get from a great ride on a wave—they are all constant reminders of how little we are in this world.”

— Laird Hamilton

I had the chance to interview big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton recently—for an upcoming story for Live Happy magazine on the therapeutic nature of surfing—and he said this to me. It stood out as a great motto to live by. Whether it's the ocean, the city, the mountains, or somewhere in between, it seems that this same thinking could be true in other habitats as well. 

Copy That

Confession: Although I love writing narrative stories and reporting on subjects for magazines, I also do a fair bit of work in the commercial realm, copy editing and copywriting, mainly for brands within the outdoor industry. From blogging to product descriptions to athlete bios, I've worked with brands like Flylow, evo, Red Bull, Ortovox, Farm to Feet, and more. I put together some examples of my work in the commercial world, which you can now find here. For some of my latest work—and for a sneak peek at what's coming out next winter—check out the 2014-15 catalog from Flylow, linked above. 

An Apple A Day

You know the old saying about how 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' Well I'd argue that's especially the case if that apple is consumed on a mountain peak and surrounded by friends, preferably funny ones. Here's a shot I took this spring near Carson Pass in the Sierra of my friends at the top of a backcountry tour.

At The Altar

Photo by Sasha Coben

I've never been asked to write an editor's letter for a magazine before, so I was particularly nervous and honored when Backcountry Magazine's editor asked if I'd pen the opening essay for a recent issue dedicated to women in backcountry skiing. I choose to write about something extremely personal, which is always risky and scary. You can read my essay here, which is timely consider it's been exactly two years since Dan and I stood at the altar and said "I Do." 

Japow!

I've just returned from a weeklong trip to Japan; it's been a life-list goal of mine to ski there for years and I was thrilled to finally make that a reality. You'll be able to see video footage from our trip in the next film from Powderwhore Productions, due out next fall. So stay tuned for that! In the meantime, though, here are some photos I shot along the way.

Capturing A Moment

Not sure why I love this photo so much, but it just speaks to a lot about what I love about skiing and its culture. Here we are in a snowcat on Colorado's Jones Pass last week. That's Mountain Magazine editor Marc Peruzzi on the left, skier/badass Eben Mond in the middle, and Skiing magazine editor Kevin Luby on the right. Eben is handing out deer sausage from meat from one of his many hunts in Iowa last summer. There's powder and wind and a brewing storm outside and inside, it's just a bunch of dudes eating meat and laughing while they head up for another lap.

Sochi, Here We Come

Well, not literally. I'll be watching the Sochi Olympics on TV, just like you. Even though I've been covering freeskiing's inclusion in the Olympic for ESPN.com since well before the announcement was made in 2011, I won't actually be going to Sochi. But that's OK. I'll still be eagerly tuning in to see what happens. 

I don't get to cover ski racing or mogul skiing all that much in my job, but I love all aspects of skiing and the athletes who compete on the elite level in any of skiing's (many and diverse) disciplines. Which is why I was delighted to write a few stories on ski racing and freestyle skiing for Powder Magazine's Olympic preview coverage. 

Check out this story on the women's U.S. Ski Team (even without Lindsey Vonn, our team is stacked) and this interview with 18-year-old ski racing phenom Mikaela Shiffrin. Stay tuned for more stories from Powder's Olympic coverage. 

Yurting In Montana

If only I could live in a yurt full time. Spending my days climbing up mountains for the luxury of skiing down them, spending my evenings sipping whiskey with friends around a wood-burning stove. Ah, the simplicity of life in a circular dome in a remote, mountainous locale. Alas, I can't live in a mountain-top yurt full time, but I can visit them. I recently spent a few days in the Bell Lake Yurt in Montana's Tobacco Root Mountains -- for a relatively painless approach, the place has incredible access to great ski terrain (and we were lucky with cold, deep snow). Here are some pictures of the trip, and be sure to check out the Bell Lake Yurt, which is now owned and operated by my friend and Backcountry magazine editor Drew Pogge.

Safe As

I recently returned from a weeklong road trip to the Northwest with the ladies of the Safe As clinics -- pro skiers Ingrid Backstrom, Elyse Saugstad, Michelle Parker and Jackie Paaso and guide/patroller Lel Tone, who took their women's avalanche safety clinics on the road this year.

It was my first time back to Stevens Pass, Washington, since the avalanche in February 2012 and I couldn't have imagined a better reason for returning. 

I shot some photos of the journey (which was done in a massive Red Bull truck equipped with our own driver) for ESPN.com. Check out the shots here!

Patrick Orton

 "I now cannot help but see the beauty of the world in details, composition and light," wrote photographer Patrick Orton, whose images I've borrowed here. I never had a chance to meet Patrick, who died this summer at the age of 24. He was a young guy, just getting his start in adventure and ski photography, but he was already getting noticed—with his images gracing the pages of Powder, Outside, and more. I featured a gallery of his on ESPN.com, too, and had a few brief exchanges with him for that. He seemed, as Lynsey Dyer called him, "wildly ambitious." In that contagious way that makes you want to go out and live life a little more boldly. I recently wrote a story for Sandpoint Magazine, in Patrick's hometown, about this young man's life and how he spent all the time he was given chasing the light. 

Photo by Patrick Orton.

Photo by Patrick Orton.

A Photo Project

In the recent adventure photography workshop I took, surf photographer Chris Burkard encouraged us all to take on a personal photography project, basically a hobby portfolio. 

On the drive home from Jackson, I started thinking about what I wanted to shoot, just for fun. I've always been slightly obsessed with vintage camper vans, trailers and Airstreams—and the adventures that go along with them. And on the open roads of Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada, I kept driving by homes with old trailers parked out front. 

Why not capture Americans and their camper vans as my photo project? So I pulled off on the side of the road in Twin Falls, Idaho, and snapped this photo of an old deserted camper. 

I also stopped and met this guy—Jarad Muntz, a custom welder in Twin Falls, who I photographed in front of his 1981 S&S slide-in camper. He thought I was strange for wanting to photograph him and his old vehicle, but it's all in the name of art, right? 

New Website!

If you're here, you've clearly already found it. But welcome to my shiny new website. Here, you'll find links to my most recent published writing, the latest news from me, and a gallery of my photography work. Thanks for checking out the site! (Mom, if you're the only one reading this, hello. See you at Thanksgiving.)

Money Does Grown on Trees

Photo by Erin Thiem/Outside Inn

It’s that time of year, when fall colors are vibrant and pine cones drop from the trees. In Tahoe, the pine cones are beautiful and abundant. So it’s no surprise that someone around here figured out how to make a business out of selling the discarded pine cones that cover the ground this time of year. Meet Yan Campbell, who started the websites, pinecone.us, and makes $20,000 in gross sales each year selling Tahoe’s pine cones all over the world. I recently interviewed him for a short Q&A for Mountain Gazette. 

Worth Reading This Week

A friend of mine is now a contributing editor at a new-ish online publishing company called Matter, which covers in-depth stories on science and technology. It’s one of a growing number of journalism sites that seeks to publish long-form, narrative pieces about subjects affecting our lives and our world today (see also: LongReads.org and Byliner.com).

At Matter, which was funded initially by a crowd-sourcing campaign on Kickstarter, a subscription costs 99 cents a month, which is paltry in comparison to what it costs to produce this type of quality reporting. They’ve got one free article — a teaser for what you can get if you fork over a buck a month — on the subject of voluntary amputations and people who suffer from a disorder that makes them want to literally cut off their own limbs. It’s a disturbing and eye-opening piece of journalism by a writer named Anil Ananthaswamy. Check it out here. 

Adventure Photography Workshop

From Adventure Photography Workshop

I just finished a weeklong Adventure Photography Workshop in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was an incredible learning experience for me — full of humbling moments and revelations behind the camera. My goal is not necessarily to become a professional photographer, but to be a writer who’s trusted to take a few decent, publish-able shots while out on assignment. I think with some hard work and a lot of practice, some day I can get there. Here are images from the week, including a few portraits of me taken by my fellow photography students.