Stan Wagon's essay on an unforgettable skier for a contest by Couloir magazine (www.couloirmag.com)
The essay won second prize: a pair of T2 boots from Black Diamond.



Back in the dark ages, I thought that backcountry skiing was a winter sport. Sure, I had heard about people who preferred to ski in May or June; but it wasn't until I met and skied with Katie Larson that I finally understood.

Katie lives at 11,000 feet in Summit County, Colorado, in a cabin with neither utilities nor running water, and no road access in winter. Heat comes from a wood stove and her cat. Her days start with a snowmobile ride or ski down to one of the jobs that provide her with food, skis, and skins. Her passion for the sport has turned her into one of the most well-rounded free-heel skiers in the area. Difficult trailbreaking, skating on tracks, climbing steep slopes, or, best of all, skiing down steep, narrow couloirs: she loves them all and eagerly shares her enthusiasm.

I love to show her off to visitors, since the sight of Katie jumping down steep terrain in poor conditions is not something one will ever forget. When she pointed out the terrain that she had skied, I could scarcely believe people skied that stuff on "cross-country" skis. My education was just beginning. Slowly, under her tutelage, my skills and appreciation of the possibilities of modern backcountry skiing improved. She was keen on adventure, so we went to Canada for the Wapta traverse and a week at Mistaya Lodge. What awesome terrain! By then Katie admitted that I was ready for one of the runs of my dreams: the couloir on Buffalo Mountain. But one of my bindings exploded in the middle of the route and I had to walk down. What ignominy! For my next birthday Katie gave me some "bomber" bindings.

Back to Canada: Last year we visited Battle Abbey, a remote lodge in British Columbia. I had to make sure that the altimeter stayed with the lead group. Since the watch lived on my wrist, I had to ski every inch Katie and others did. It took some effort, but the watch kept up; when the snow settled, we had notched over 43000 feet of incredible skiing in alpine terrain. The Battle Abbey guides joined the now-lengthy list of guides who have marveled at Katie's telemarking.

Katie's interest in the outdoors extends to a keen sense of wilderness ethics. Indeed, we met on a trail where she was clearing avalanche-downed trees as part of her job as wilderness ranger. That she can enjoy the adventures our sport provides while living on a shoestring and living by her own rules is remarkable. The back of her pickup truck says it all: The "TOYOTA" has devolved into a "YO". Those in the know know that the YO is short for YO-YO, which is her favorite activity on those slopes that cry out for multiple descents. Katie Larson surely epitomizes the complete backcountry skier, one who has developed an intensely personal style that emphasizes fun, safety, and adventure.