2003 - Journey

Journey - 2003

In fifty-four years of capturing the worldwide flavor of alpine skiing and kindred adventure sports, the Warren Miller crew has traveled to every corner of the globe. This season’s journey offers another prismatic view of winter sports, taking the viewer on a voyage inside the soul of skiing. Ports of call include the treeless snowfields of Portillo, Chile; the savage couloirs of Chamonix, France; the sheer descents of the Chugach Range in Alaska; and the powder paradise of Bella Coola, British Columbia. A backwater romp through the wilds of Morocco provides a taste of the exotic, while a visit to a very unfrozen lake in Helena, Montana, is no less strange. As Doug Coombs remarks to his friends in a Chamonix bar after a long day of athletic challenges, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” True, but there’s also a lot to be said for the destinations along the trail of Warren Miller’s Journey. 

Current favorite piece of gear? Why?
This one is really hard for me to answer. All my gear items are equally important, but I will have to say my POC Mitts are the most important. If my hands are cold, at all, then I struggle to enjoy myself skiing. My favorite non-skiing related gear is my new DJ controller to play music.

How do you like spending your down days?
If I have nothing pressing to get done then I like to be with my kids, Aksel and Devin. Playing and hanging out with them is the best, the ultimate being a ski day.

Fondest memory from learning to ski or ride?
Skiing on the Squaw Valley ski team with my two brothers, Mark and Craig. I fell in love with skiing by following them wherever they would go and try doing whatever they would do.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I don't know if I am talented, because I still have a lot to learn, but I like to DJ.

What would your superpower be?
Mental strength, the use of willpower to overcome physical problems.

Spirit animal?
Otter

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
Being an Olympian.

Any pre-riding or skiing rituals or superstitions?
No, I have never let myself get caught up in any of that.

Do you have any pets? What are their names?
One cat and her name is Snowball. Can you guess what color she is?

Can you speak any other languages? What other languages would you like to learn?
I took German, but never really learned it. I would love to learn another language, but first need to get better at my own!

What is your biggest goal/something you hope to achieve in your ski career?
I have never been one to set goals or have aspirations of any kind. My path has always been led by instinct and my heart, followed up by, working my hardest at whatever it is I get involved in.

Current favorite piece of gear? Why?
Marker Duke Bindings. They have opened up the world to me. I can look at things differently now with this AT set up.

How do you like spending your down days?
Movies, writing and working on my Youth Project. I have a foundation for kids.

Fondest memory from learning to ski or ride?
My fondest is my earliest. Riding on my dad's back down a bump run. I was less than a year old and remember everything about one portion of it.

Do you have any hidden talents?
Music... The need to create and inspire music through amazing artists.

What would your superpower be?
Climbing; Spiderman skills

Spirit animal?
Eagle

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
They are all connected. So I'm proud of the battle and I'm still here and still battling.

Do you have any pets? What are their names?
No...used to...I have plants now. The same two plants for 28 years.

Can you speak any other languages? What other languages would you like to learn?
I would love to learn Italian. I go to Italy twice a year

What is your biggest goal/something you hope to achieve in your ski career?
I want to be in influence. That somehow my combination of experiences inspire others to love this sport or the lifestyle involved.


FEATURED ATHLETE: Jessica Quinn

 

What is your biggest fear?

Heights, believe it or not.

What are you rockin’ to on your music player?

This is a tough question I always get asked, as I like so much different music. I am a big playlister! 

How would your friends describe you in one word?  

Vivacious.

What’s your favorite drink? Favorite food?

I used to be obsessed with purple Gatorade but I got a bit upset when my buddy Ingrid pointed out that there is high fructose corn syrup in it so not sure now. Fav food... so many. I love Sushi, Mex, Thai and Italian.

If you weren't a pro skier what would you be doing?

Making lot's of $$$$.

What is your most treasured possession?

My bear I have had since I was born, "bearbe".

Of Warren Miller’s 60 ski films, which one is your favorite?  

I really liked Impact.

Describe a day in the life of a PNH guide.

Day in my life as a PNH guide: Go to bed well after midnight as my husband, partner in crime, Kevin is still looking at weather for the next day. Wake up at 5pm, as once again, weather needs to be looked at. 6:30am guide meeting, 7am: get my group together and go over the day. 7:30: inhale an egg sandwich standing up. 7:30: get ready (the night before I have set everything out, and made sure I am ready for the next fly day!) 8am go to office and organize the radio duties for the day and make sure the PNH staff staying at base are set for the day. 8:30: meet my group, give them their lunch, go over order of loading once more, check their beacons (I have long since made sure their bindings, equipment and backpacks are ready for the day) and get ready for the best day ever. 9ish - 5ish work together with the other guides in the helicopter, access snow and snow-pack, dig snow-pits, test slopes, make sure every member in my group is safe, load and unload the helicopter 24 plus times, talk to the pilots, check in on base, make sure everything is going well, make sure my group is getting the terrain they came after, eat lunch on a peak, fly home to the most amazing sunset over Prince William Sound you will ever see, get out of the heli, high 5 everyone. 8-9ish: have dinner with the most energetic, electric group ever. 9-10ish: make sure the office is packed up for the day. Midnight: pass out with dreams of the Chugach and doing the same thing tomorrow! 

When would be the best time of year to take a PNH heli-skiing trip and why?

Honestly, the Alaska season is so short that there is not a "best week" to come. February / March has shorter daylight hours and colder temps. You are able to ski most aspects and the snow tends to be lighter deep powder. Late March / April has longer daylight hours which optimizes your time in the helicopter. There are days when it clears at 2pm and we are able to launch groups into the field, as the sun does not set until 10pm. The temps are warmer at this time limiting the aspects you can get on. The snow is still amazing (we had a 4ft storm last April 23) and it's classic Chugach! I tell people that if they have never been to Alaska, come late March / April so you can truly experience Alaska and all it has to offer with the long daylight hours! We have a pretty cool feature on our website "zone report". It's a report from our days in the zone and at base camp. It allows guests to see what we are up to, how the weather and conditions are and to go back to the archives and see what weeks had more sunshine, snow, etc. Check it out! http://www.alaskaheliski.com/blog/