South America 07

Ever since I learned of the possiblity to ski pow in the summer I had wanted to make a trip to South America happen. For years I had wanted to not only ski in another continent, but most of all, ski in the summer! After a year of saving, my dreams came true and I spent 6 weeks in Argentina! The summer of 07, I spent 4 weeks in Bariloche and 2 weeks in Las Lenas. Thanks to some huge storm cycles, my first trip to South America was unforgettable. It was an increadible experience with 360 degrees of breath taking peaks, rad people, epic food, craaaaazy parties, a culture that humbled me, and of course, face shots that froze my tears of joy!

Growing up in the PNW

My name is Vanessa Aadland, I just turned 21 years old and my current home mountain is Alta and Snowbird. I grew up in the Pacific North West where my dad taught me to ski at 3 years old. My family lives for skiing so I got spoiled with “sick days” from school so my mom had someone to car pool to the mountains with. Every year we would go on ski trips to Banff, Kicking Horse, Apex, Whistler, Red Mountain, Big Sky, Baker, Crystal, down to Schweitzer, Hood, Tahoe, and of course Utah! In 4th grade I summited Mt. St. Helens and telemarked down Mt. Shasta. In high school I taught lessons for powder pigs at Snoqualmie pass.
After graduating from High School, I worked nights and skied whenever possible. Alpental, a steep resort with limitless backcountry, redefined skiing for me and exposed me to steep and technical lines. Learning backcountry safety became a big part of my everyday riding. At 17 I was training and practicing beacon drills which reinforced the importance of riding smart , knowing your limits, and being prepared.