Name: Kalen Thorien
Age: 28
Occupation: Skier and Adventurer
Sponsors: Salomon, Smartwool, Goal Zero, Big Agnes,

Kalen Thorien is from Boise, Idaho, but these days, her perpetual current location is “the road.” She’s made a name for herself in big mountain skiing but her many talents and hobbies, as captured through her website, Instagram and other social media accounts have garnered her attention from the outdoor industry and its audiences alike. She’s an athlete, a musician, a mechanic, a photographer and an all-around A+ adventurer.

Will Rochfort photo

Thorien is currently living in a camper she calls “The Bigfoot” and pulls it behind her 1986 HJ60 Diesel Toyota Land Cruiser named “Francis,” which she picked up in Salt Lake by way of somewhere in Canada. And when she doesn’t feel like bringing the whole house with her, she travels by motorcycle. “It’s a 1993 Harley-Davidson FXR Super Glide. Hands down the best bike that Harley ever built,” says Thorien.

One of the coolest things about Thorien’s love for her badass toys is that she does a good amount of the mechanical work on them herself. “I’m definitely a daddy’s girl,” she explains. “When I turned 16 he bought me my first car which just so happened to be a 1974 Jeep CJ5 that didn’t run. He handed me the keys and said ‘It’s yours, you just have to fix it.’ We spent the summer working on it together and ever since then I’ve been in love with tinkering and figuring out how to fix things. I’m not saying I’m an expert, but I’m always eager to expand my knowledge in mechanics which is why the motorcycle is going to be a great asset for learning.”

Currently, Kalen has several projects and trips brewing. Aside from shooting with Warren Miller Entertainment, she just finished up a short edit with Wandering Fever and Solomon about her solo high traverse of the Sierra Range last summer called “Out In The Sierra”, which received rave reviews. She’s also working on a film project with Iron & Air Magazine involving her motorcycle. “I’ll be riding all the way down to Baja, up the coast of California and then summiting and skiing the major volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. After that, I get to take my parents down to the desert for their first backpacking trip in Southern Utah!” She also mentioned some plans about some international motorcycle trips, as well as summiting Aconcagua in South America and something about solo thru-hiking the Grand Canyon. Yeah, she’s always on the move.

Kalen is big on learning and teaching herself new things. She’s been playing the viola for 20 years and has recently been working on learning the bass. Her advice for anyone learning a new instrument is not the age-old “practice makes perfect”, but more nuanced. “Don’t be scared. Don’t treat it like a math problem, there are no right or wrong answers. Play what you feel internally and what makes you smile. The rest will fall into place. You’ll never learn an instrument if you’re constantly frustrated.”

Her take on life is similar to that of playing an instrument. Thorien is all about just going for it. “Don’t think, just do.Sometimes the greatest moments of your life can start with a simple ‘f--k it’ and walking out the door. You can plan and craft your future all you want, but I will say this, as long as you work hard, be nice, and use your head, life is going to be just fine. No more excuses my friends, you only get one shot at this, so do it right.”

When you’re heading into the backcountry for a day of skiing, what are 5 things that can always be found in your day pack?
Besides the obvious beacon/probe/shovel, a headlamp, Salomon Halo II down jacket(1), lighter, Leatherman, and duct tape.

Weather conditions can often be unpredictable in the mountains. Tell us a little bit about what you do to layer up for long days in the backcountry.
Always merino base layers like Smartwool NTS Mid 250 Top (2). Merino is hands down the best and most dependable material out there. Then I throw on a vest to keep my core toasty but not overheat me when I’m touring. The Smartwool Corbet 120 Vest(3) is lightweight and warm and really makes a difference when the temps drop a bit. If it’s really cold, I’ll ditch the vest and go straight to my Smartwool Double Corbet 120 jacket. It’s a minimalist, sporty version of a puffy jacket that breathes unbelievably well. Always remember - be bold, start cold! Once you start walking, you’ll warm right up, keep your layers dry, and not be holding your team up stopping to undress every 500 feet.   

Do you have any favorites for accessories (hats, gloves, helmet, buff, goggles, etc)?
Go-to hat and buff come from Discrete Clothing. The Doyonator Hat(4) breaks in oh-so nicely and they have a great variety of fun neck tubes, my favorite being the Proxy(5). I love the Salomon helmet and goggle combo. The MTN Charge Helmet(6) is lightweight and converts into a perfect climbing/mountaineering helmet. Combine that with the XMAX goggle, and you have a slick setup—no dorky helmet gap. I rock two gloves—one for touring that’s lightweight and breathable and one for skiing that’s durable and warm. Salomon Race Windstopper Glove (7) for hiking andSalomon GTX Glove for skiing. Now for all these fun accessories and layers, I need my Salomon QST 35 backpack(8) to shove it all into. Front and back access, separate compartment for beacon, probe, and shovel, as well as smaller pockets for goggles/sunscreen/leatherman, and fully compressible. 

What’s currently your go-to ski setup?
Day to day would be my Salomon QST 118 skis(9) with their tech bindings and the Salomon MTN LAB boot.

You’re a skilled photographer, do you think you have a specific style of photography? If so, how would you describe it?
Right now I’m shooting an Olympus E-M5 (10) mirrorless lens camera but saving my pennies to upgrade to the Sony A7R II. I’m still discovering my style but I love capturing the contrast between romance and strength. Hot and cold. Light and dark. Finding what’s beyond the reality and creating deeper emotions than just the obvious.  

Any all-time favorite musical artists?
That’s a loaded question with an expansive answer! It starts with Bach and Chopin, then we hit a bit of a gap and jump to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath. Splash of blues like Stevie Ray Vaughan and BB King, and round it off with Tool and Metallica. If I’m feeling sassy - always need some Blondie.

How do you like to spend your summers and can you think of 3 items you’d hate to do summer without?
Backpacking is a necessity whether it’s the desert of Southern Utah, mountains of Idaho, or beach bumming overseas in some tropical paradise. As long as I’m exploring using my own two feet, my motorcycle, my Land Cruiser, and waking up in a tent as much as possible, it’s a summer well spent. I’d have to say my Big Agnes Flume UL 30 sleeping bag (11), Big Agnes Q-Core SLX sleeping pad (12), and Hyperlite Mountaingear Southwest 55L backpack(13). 

What are 4 things every person trying to survive van/camper life needs?
I like to run off solar as much as possible but I didn’t want to make my trailer any heavier for towing, so I went with the Goal Zero Nomad 100 Solar Panel (14) and plug that into the Yeti 400 battery pack(15). That allows me to charge everything I need while keeping my power use very minimal. If you’re a coffee junky like me, get your hands on an Aeropress (16) for tasty espresso (and really step up your game with an electric milk frother/heater) for lattes. Invest in your bed too! Especially if you’re in your rig all year around, a big down comforter is a game changer. Toss on a memory foam pad and you’re in heaven. Last but not least, down pants and booties. After a long day of skiing, you can’t beat being wrapped in down from head to toe sipping on a whiskey and curling up with a good book (17).

Keep up with Kalen on her website, or on her Facebook and Instagram. 

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