Environmental Advocacy for Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders With Winter Wildland Alliance: Stories From the Skintrack Bonus Episode

How can backcountry skiers, snowboarders and human-powered snowsports enthusiasts use their knowledge and experience to protect the places they love to play? Today's guests are Hilary Eisen and David Page from non-profit organization Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA).  Hilary Eisen is the Policy Director, holds degrees in wildlife biology and conservation and works on National Forest winter travel management and other policy issues that affect backcountry skiers. She's based in Bozeman, MT. David Page is the Advocacy Director at WWA. He's an award-winning journalist, avid backcountry skiers and is based in Mammoth, California. In this episode, we talk about their love of human-powered snowsports, what WWA does, what the biggest threats are to the human-powered snowsports experience, and they share their best tips for folks taking up backcountry skiing or snowboarding for the first time. They also share how backcountry enthusiasts can show up and speak up to protect the places we love to play.  This episode is part of "Stories from the Skintrack", a special series on the show to help you learn about avalanche and mountain safety through the personal experiences of special guests. We will be talking about close calls and fatalities, tips and tricks on getting into backcountry skiing and splitboarding, climate change, inclusion, mentorship and much more. Stories from the Skintrack is brought to you in partnership/collaboration with Backcountry.com. The first item ever sold on Backcountry.com was an avalanche beacon out of a garage in Park City, UT way back in 1996. For over 20 years, Backcountry has been dedicated to gearing up folks for safe & unforgettable experiences on the skintrack.  Whether you are thinking about getting into backcountry skiing this year, or just need to make sure you are adequately prepared with the right gear, the Backcountry Gearheads are amazing resources that can help you find exactly what you need. And be sure to also check out your local avalanche forecast center for additional education & information….  gear + knowledge = safety and fun for all! Check out the backcountry.com gear guide: https://www.backcountry.com/sc/winter-gear-guide Protect NEPA and get involved with Winter Wildlands Alliance: https://winterwildlands.org/