Interview

Favorite music to ride to: The Black Keys, Bob Marley, Jerry Garcia

Describe yourself in 5 words: Motivated, humble, energized, engaged, happy

What is your favorite Peak? Pyramid Peak near Aspen, Mt Rainier, and the Grand Teton

What is the one thing you look forward to most after a long day on the Mountain? The next long day on the mountain

What was the highlight of your trip in Telluride while filming for Flow State?   One day in the late afternoon the heli went for fuel with the film crew and Jess McMillan and I just sat on the snow up in this high valley for 45 minutes, totally relaxed and absorbing the deep silence of the alpine.  It was a really amazing place to sit and wait.

How did your transition from being an Alpine racer into the ski mountaineering world change your approach to the Mountains?  Well that transition took a decade or more and instead of simply having the tools to go fast in a racecourse on hard snow, I now have many more skills that I can apply t the ever changing and dynamic world of big mountain skiing.  As a racer I had a bachelor's degree, now I have a PhD and every day out in the mountains is another classroom session

You skied all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000- foot peaks within one year in 2006, and lived to write a book about it.  What was the most rewarding challenge that you overcame during this excursion?  There were several times when I wanted to quit the project, to just give up, as it was really difficult.  But now that I look back on it with many years of perspective I think that it wasn't really that bad and I may try something similar soon.  So the challenge of keeping you head in the game is a tough one, but a fun one as well.  That, and trying to keep your feet from rotting off from so many hours walking, climbing, and skiing in ski boots.