Yep, first time. Here’s what happened. December 23, 2009: Chef who I work for (Bob Allen), gifted me with a set of knives for Christmas. We were seeing how sharp they were and then he said “You should prepay Dr. Ken for some stitches for these! They are sharp!” Me: Hahaha, yeah right. I’ll be careful. December 28, 2009: Laterally slicing potato rosemary bread at my other job (Wasatch Powderbird Guides lunch chef) and I, well, yeah, just look at the picture. Gotta make sure it gets healed up quickly, I don’t want to ski without poles!

SheJumps raised more than $700 for our winter programs. Thanks to everyone who showed up to see the first all-girl ski movie ever made. It was amazing to see how the community motivates for a good cause! SheJumps to do more….

Whew, sometimes I bite off more than I can chew, but this time I am super pumped for the challenge. I have been honing my chef skills in Little Cottonwood Canyon for the past 3 years with local chef (renowned as “Best in the Canyon” by many), Bob Allen. When Bob asked me if I would be interested in cooking lunch for Wasatch Powderbird Guides, the first thought on my mind was, of course, HELI SKIING!!!! The second thought on mind was, “Do I even believe in heli-skiing in the Wasatch?” And last but not least, the third thought on my mind was “What an amazing opportunity!”

I am really excited to be able to expand my chef experience to provide for this local company. I just generally stoked to have been recommended so highly for this highly sought-after position in the canyon. I know it will end up sacrificing some ski time, but I think it will keep me motivated to be super organized and dialed for menus, timing, and being able to get a quick ski tour in before work…All part of the training!

Thanks Bob for the recommendation! I’ll let you guys know how it works out…

…I went a women’s beacon clinic at Alta today. It was super rad! I mean, who doesn’t need to practice with their beacon?! For anyone on this site–which is read by _______ (insert name below in a comment, otherwise I think it might be just me)–who doesn’t know what a beacon is…it is a piece of safety equipment that sends out a signal if you are buried in an avalanche and can be used to find the signal of a partner who is buried in an avalanche. My friend Chantel was one of the instructors, along with Evelyn Lees who will be speaking at a SheJumps event on Jan. 21st. More on that later. It’s late…I’m tired after doing beacon practice in 4 degree weather this morning and then skiing tram laps at the bird. I know, poor me. I laid in a lump for a while letting my feet regained feeling….about 6 of my friends got frostbite (not frostnip) today. It was COLD!!! I was thinking “Yep, low density snow over high density sharks (rocks).” Anyways, I look forward to being able to hold SheJumps sponsored beacon clinics/practices to get more women safely into the backcountry for a life-long pursuit of something that is nothing short of RAD!! (uhh, skiing without fear of dying by way of out-of-control-skier a.k.a. skiing in-bounds at a ski resort…and knowing how to use a beacon!!) good night internet! Más nieve este fin de semana….

Peter LaFarge, my grandmother Povy’s younger brother, is an enigmatic figure in the history of American music to say the least. He knew the friendship and respect of legends Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, and inspired both figures to pursue more radical approaches to the folk protest song revolution that reverberates today. There is so much I could say about Uncle Pete. I never got to meet him, but his music is the fabric that I see my life is woven from today. Here I am an aspiring professional freeskier, somewhere in the greater Salt Lake area of the Wasatch mountains and yet, when I stand on top of a line or am hiking up to some epic powder stash, I can hear his poetry and his music pulsing in my ears; I hear the cattle call and the songs of taming the wild from the horses.

I feel very lucky to be able to have roots with a person as iconic as Peter. His song, “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” is known by millions to be by Johnny Cash, and yet I know the truth is that it came from my uncle. Ownership in the right of this song is not what’s important, but it is important that he was the author to lyrics that would come to define a generation “Not the whiskey drinkin’ Indian nor the marine that went to war.” His music is a little difficult to find, but once you do, you’ll never let it go. I guarantee it.

The Crimson Parson, in protest of the Sand Creek Massacre

Johnny Cash with his wife June Carter Cash and Pete Seeger playing a tribute to Peter LaFarge.

Just a quick TR from a little hike I took at Alta preseason with my good friends Tamara and Regina. Just felt great to get out there and be breathing! I’m pretty bad at remembering to take pictures, I hope I get better at it this winter.

Baldy Looking Glorious (and a bit tracked out, just reminds you that there are a ton of people who get after it in Utah!)

Tamara Lookin’ muy buena:

 

Regina is a HAPPY CAMPER!!!

I’m not a great ski photographer, but you can tell we’re having fun and the snow is good!! Regina ripping it in the Westward Ho

Me: Loving my new Doyonator beanie from Discrete…been pretty cold here despite the high pressure!

 

All done and ready to go hit the tub, great day ladies!

I love you ski boots. Thanks for so many days of shredding! (these shells have seen upwards of 300 days, liners have seen about 200…I just got new boots but am afraid of giving up the tried and true Lange Comp 120’s!….so they deserve their own picture:

Enjoying the rising moon from the hot tub on top floor of the Cliff Lodge

 

BRING IT ON ULLR!!

 

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love (I have yet to read it) talks about how to deal with the fear of losing the limelight or the joy of being successful; that if you give up, you are not doing your job. I really liked this! Thanks, Burks for passing this onto me!

Because it’s the best hat EVER. And my personal favorite. It’s like a hug–on your head. Quite nice, give it a try! Thank you Discrete for supporting me!

 

The most important person for me to nominate as a She Jumper—to the fullest extent—is my mother. I think I can honestly say (and Lynsey and Vanessa can back me up on this one), that without her, you would not be at this website right now. She has been the backbone of this organization, supporting us through her random donations of boxes, office supplies, a P.0. Box address at her UPS store, business cards, business advice, support, and love. She has believed in SheJumps since the very beginning. Thank you mom for your support! (uhh, technical difficulties, picture coming soon!)

Amy Bigbee, born in 1957 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the woman who has worn all hats throughout her life. Growing up on livestock ranches (one in Encino, NM and another in Cromo, CO) she spent almost every single day until she was 18 on a horse. She was a real bona-fide cowgirl. Along with her twin sister, Diane, they made all their own clothes, cultivated and preserved all the food for the ranch (and ranch hands) and were both 4-H leaders (not to mention 4-H, Cotton Festival, and State Fair Queens—taking turns since they look identical). From the moment they were old enough, they learned life to be a give and take, living with the land and learning lessons from the passing of seasons through the high desert of New Mexico and Colorado. I guess keeping all this in mind is what makes me have such respect and honor for where my mom is today. In the span of time that followed college, she took so many jumps it’s hard to keep track. I think for most of us, the idea of riding a horse every single day (not for pleasure, but for work) and helping to keep a 100,000 acre ranch operating smoothly would seem like enough of a jump, but the other side of that coin would be to leave the ranch and to pursue so many things that never seemed possible to a girl from a background like hers.

When she graduated college with a degree in marketing, started to learn about nutrition (not related but sometimes the stones on our paths never are). She became entirely macrobiotic—my brother nor I even ate white sugar until we were in kindergarten. She became passionately involved with maintaining the beauty of Santa Fe, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The program was aptly named “Keep Santa Fe Beautiful.” I remember waking up early on Saturday mornings to pick up trash on the side of highways. Grumbling about it doesn’t begin to explain my adverse reaction to such activities; but hindsight is always 20/20, and now I am so grateful to see how picking up one piece of trash can make such a difference.

She started her own Jazzercise center in Santa Fe as well. She did almost all the re-modeling and construction to the center herself and never lost sight of her vision for a place of health and sanctuary for so many women to express themselves through dance and exercise. As a young girl of only 6 or 7, I watched on in awe of my mom teaching class after class all day long, only to sit down to her bookkeeping and run the entire center all night long. I saw women—young and old—become transformed throughout their time there, physically and emotionally. I also saw how that repaid my mom: gifts of praise, random accoutrements for the center and our house, and volunteers trying to help her keep the center open poured in from all angles. This was my first experience of understanding the law of the universe: give and ye shall receive.

Throughout all the tough times—divorce with my father, paying a mortgage on a house as a single mom, never letting my brother or I know how little money we had (but making it seem like we had plenty), staying enthusiastic while teaching 5 Jazzercise classes a day, and still finding time to volunteer with litter collection (of all things, right?!)—mom never lost her glow or enthusiasm for life. I learned from her that energy abound comes from within, and if there is a will there is a way.

Today I talk to mom and I can’t begin to explain how much she has influenced my life.  We still have our roots on farms, and she is still a cowgirl at heart (pot of beans on the stove, spurs on the wall, and pecans in the freezer).  She has always encouraged my passions—skiing, and SheJumps—and she still bends over backwards to do what she can to help.  What prompted me to write this is a voicemail message I got from her yesterday. Crying, through tears I can hear her, “Claire, I just got the copy of the Ski Journal. When I opened up the page you were on, I just started crying because I’m so proud of you for not giving up. You’ve had this dream for so long, and there you are!” Well mom, the feeling is mutual. Thank you for teaching me how to jump.

This photo was just published in the newest issue of The Ski Journal, vol 3.3 in the “Tips Up” section. The caption in the article reads: “Cold snow and blue skis routinely make for crystalline face shots in Little Cottonwood Canyon–even while packing away climbing skins.”

The photo was taken on one of those days Re (Wikstrom) and I went out on a tour thinking, “Well, let’s see what we can get.” We were getting some interesting turns up on the ridgeline (behind Alta off Supreme lift) and although the snow was pretty sun-baked and wind-chapped, the caption is right, flurries always end up in your face in LCC. Not a bad way to be! Thanks Ski Journal for choosing my mug!