Idaho — If you’re a backcountry skier, you know finding and skiing excellent lines isn’t easy. You have to earn your turns, bring the proper gear, assess avalanche risk, and then find the best line with snow. So it’s impressive to see what Dan Noakes does each year in putting together his backcountry compilation. Add in a brutal back injury and a very below-average winter, and it’s an achievement that he was able to put his latest one together.
Last night, Dan Noakes released Volume 7 of his Chillhop Ski Mix series. Released yearly, Noakes shares his backcountry adventures from the prior season set to chillhop music.
Here’s what Dan had to say about this year’s video:
“This is the 7th annual Chillhop Ski Mix. Watch, listen, or have it on in the background. This year’s powder POV ski mix to chill music. Listen to it while you study, work, relax, entertain guests, or just play it in your Airbnb while you wait for the morning’s first light to get ready and go skiing. All footage in this video is from backcountry skiing; I hiked up each run and skied down it myself. No lifts were used to make this video. All the footage is from Idaho.
Unfortunately, this last season in Idaho was really warm and resulted in not much snowfall. On top of a bad year, I had a ski accident in mid-February and broke my back on the L2-4 transverse process. I was out for weeks and after six weeks, I could hike up and ski some local backcountry runs, though I still experienced pain. It was definitely not an ideal season, but I was able to gather enough footage to put together an annual Chillhop edit. Some footage is from inbounds skiing post-season when the lifts were closed but the snow was still falling; however, but the lower elevations had very little snow. I am grateful to be walking, and strong again and I am excited for next year. Getting older is a challenge and I sympathize with all who are dealing with injuries, pain, or other obligations that make it hard for them to get on the mountain and ski. Do your best, heal when you need to, work to ski!I hope you enjoy the edit. Made here in the USA with much love.”
As part of the announcement, Noakes revealed that he plans to create the West Mountain Backcountry Alliance. This aims to continue backcountry skiing access around Tamarack Resort, which is proposing a land swap with the U.S. Forest Service that would allow the resort to expand onto it.
“I’ve spent the last seven years documenting these mountains, and I want to help make sure people can continue to enjoy them,” said Noakes. “As West Mountain’s ownership changes and Tamarack looks toward future expansion, I think it’s important that backcountry and uphill access remains part of the conversation.”
More details to come on that.
Image/Video Credits: Dan Noakes
