>> I THINK IT ONLY TOOK ONE REALLY GOOD AMAZING DAY IN THE BACK COUNTRY TO SORT OF CLICK FOR ME.

I DIDN'T GROW UP IN NEW ENGLAND, I GREW UP IN THE MID ATLANTIC AND LEARNED TO SKI AS A KID.

SKI ON HILLS.

I MOVED HERE IN MY 30s, AND SORT OF TOOK UP SKIING LIKE LEARNING TO SKI AS AN ADULT.

WAS ON A RESORT, AND IT WAS ONE GOOD DAY.

IT JUST CLICKED.

EVENTUALLY IF YOU SKI ENOUGH, YOU HIT A COUPLE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU GET POWDER, THERE IS NOT A TON OF PEOPLE ON THE HILL, AND YOU REALIZE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.

THERE IS NO PEOPLE.

GOOD SNOW.

AND ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS BACK COUNTRY SKI AFTER THAT.

>> I THINK IT WAS A COUPLE OF FRIENDS I HEARD ABOUT ALL THEIR WILD ADVENTURES INTO THE MOUNTAINS, AND I HAD ALWAYS BEEN A RESORT SKIER.

AND THEY KEPT SAYING IT'S THE WAY TO GO.

IT'S THE WAY TO GO, AND NEVER REALLY BOUGHT INTO IT.

AND THEN I WENT ONE TIME WITH ADAM'S OLD SKIS, AND GOT HOOKED ON IT, AND THAT'S ALL THAT I WANT TO DO NOW.

>> THE BACK COUNTRY SKIING, IT'S UNTOUCHED POSSIBILITIES, YOU KNOW.

DRIVE AROUND THE STATE.

YOU CAN SEE THE LINES >> THERE IS ALWAYS THAT MOMENT, AND I HAD IT THIS MORNING FOR SURE, WHEN THE ALARM GOES OFF AND YOU ARE LIKE, DO I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS?

BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO EASY TO JUST TURN BACK OVER AND GO TO SLEEP.

BUT IT'S ALWAYS WORTH IT, RIGHT?

IT'S ALWAYS WORTH IT AND YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A FRIEND COUNTING ON YOU TO SHOW UP SO THAT'S WHAT >> I DON'T THINK THERE IS THAT MEANTIMES THAT YOU CAN REALLY BE IN THE MOMENT, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THOSE TIMES, WHEN IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE TOTALLY IN A PLACE.

>> IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW PLACES THAT YOU CAN TRULY BE ALONE.

YOU KNOW, ALONE WITH YOURSELF.

YOU ARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS BETTER WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE OUT WHEN.

BUT IT'S JUST YOU, YOU AND YOUR THOUGHTS, YOU INSIDE OF YOUR OWN HEAD.

IT'S A SENSE OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE ANYWHERE ELSE.

>> I THINK IT ADDS A SENSE OF, OF BEING.

FEELING LIKE I AM, I BELONG DOING SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENS SENSE.

SPEND MY DAY UNLIKE SOME OTHER PEOPLE IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER SCREEN, AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT UNPLUG.

IT'S NOTHING BETTER.

>> IT'S ALMOST LIKE A MED TARIFF TYPE OF STATE WHERE YOU ARE LISTENING, YOU ARE BREATHING, YOU KNOW, SLOUGHING UP THE HILL >> I THINK I WAS GREAT WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE TO SHARE IT WITH, YOU HAVE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RUN, AND SOMETIMES THERE'S A DAY THAT YOU WANT A COUPLE HOURS TAT ARE JUST YOURS AND YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ANYBODY ABOUT YOUR RUNS, AND YOU JUST HAVE IT.

>> EVERYTHING TO THE POINT THAT YOU GET TO THE SUMMIT IS THE SAME, WHETHER YOU ARE HIKING OR SKIING, BUT WHEN YOU ARE SKIING, IS A THOUSAND TIMES MORE FUN ON THE WAY DOWN, IT ONLY TAKES ONE TIME OF DOING THAT WHERE IT JUST SORT OF HIT FOR ME, HIT THE INTERNAL TUNING FORK.

THE ONLY THING BETTER THAN STANDING ON TOP OF A BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN IN THE WINTER IS KNOWING THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO RIDE DOWN IT.

IN FEBRUARY, IS SMELLED LIKE FOUR FEET, AND IT WAS >> WHOA!

>> WAS THERE A PARTICULAR RUN YOU LOVE?

>> THE SLIDES.

MOUNT WASHINGTON.

THAT SECOND RUN, WHEN WE WENT BACK UP, THE SUN CAME OUT FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SNOW WENT FROM SORT OF WIND BLOWN, CRUSTY AND GRABY INTO SOMETHING RESEMBLING PRETTY GOOD POWDER FOR APRIL.

JUST WENT WITH IT, AND THAT WAS AWESOME.

THE RUN OF THE AIR.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY FUN ABOUT SKIING, BUT IS YOU ARE ALWAYS GETTING BETTER.

AND THAT CAN TAKE UP A LIFETIME, JUST LEARNING HOW TO GET A BIT BETTER EACH TIME.

SO I THINK THAT YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GET BORED.

AND YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BE COMPLACENT.

AND THAT WILL KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED FOR AS LONG AS MY >> IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE NEXT BEST RUN OF MY LIFE.

I JUST LOVE IT.

IF THERE IS A MOMENT WHEN IT FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING FALLS AWAY A BIT, IT'S WHEN YOU ARE ON THE SKIS.

>> GO OUTSIDE AND ENJOY IT AND TEACH YOUR KIDS TO ENJOY IT AND INSTILL THE VALUES IN THEM SO I HOPE THAT MY KIDS WANT TO BE OUTSIDE IN THE WINTER THE WAY THAT I DO BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY THE BEST THING THAT YOU CAN DO IS TO TAKE YOUR PASSION AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND PASS IT ONTO THEM IN SOME SMALL WAY.

>> I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY GIRLS TO GROW UP AND WANT TO DO THE SAME THING.

RIGHT NOW THEY ARE MORE JUST IN HOT CHOCOLATE.

I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THEY WANT TO COME AND RIDE WITH ME EVERY >> VERMONT PBS, PARTNERING WITH LOCAL FILM-MAKERS TO BRING YOU STORIES MADE HERE.