Ski Tips The Ski Life

6 Skier-Approved Ways to Liven Up Your Quarantine

Isolation got you down?

Almost two months into the COVID-19 public health crisis, the long haul is starting to feel more real. If you’re sick of your new normal, unsatisfied by your new routine, or finding it increasingly difficult to be positive, you may benefit from making your quarantine more interesting. We’ve got some ideas for you, from skiers in our community and beyond.

PHOTO: Bianca Germain

Build Something You’ll Use

Hooray, DIY! Hands-on projects have a way of making us feel accomplished, not to mention distracted from the world around us. And it’s not a bad time for escapism. With home improvement stores still open, we’d recommend a supply run—as long as you mask-up and take care of business quickly. First, though, plan what you’re going to build.

Anyone with a passion for outdoor adventure probably needs more gear storage. So take that corner in the garage where miscellaneous items collect dust in a pile, and transform it. You might stack deep drawers, perfect for stowing camping and backpacking items, below hooks for your climbing gear, packs, and various helmets. Install ski hangers and a drying rack. Sort your jumble of gadgets by activity. Building your own gear storage allows you to customize it for your needs, and it doesn’t have to involve many materials or much complexity.

Alternatively, you could think further outside the box. One climber here in Golden built an adjustable crack to hang in the garage. We award extra gnar points for the creativity and voluntary suffering.

Golden-based climber Aaron Friedland turned his garage into a training gym.

App Your Game

You may already use a go-to adventure app, or three. If not, now is a great time to explore the world of GPS and mapping apps. Dialing in your favorite will help you adventure better, from trail running to hunting to backcountry skiing. Love it or hate it, you’ll probably be surprised at your smart phone’s capabilities. For many people, learning to maximize a device that never leaves their pocket or pack trumps spending $500 on a fancy watch.

Start with Gaia. The free version gives you basic GPS and route tracking/analytics capabilities. If you spend much time backcountry skiing or rambling around beyond the reach of cell service or the end of the road, we recommend investing in the premium membership. For a fraction of your Netflix subscription, you get a full catalog of maps, GPX tracks, and a slew of other integrations and features. Our favorite for skiing? You can overlay slope-angle shading onto your planned route to help you navigate around avalanche terrain.

Gaia brings some of our favorite backcountry skiing features into one place, like slope angle shading, GPS tracking, and route planning.

Drink Only Local Beer

We’re living through a once-in-a-generation crisis (hopefully). If there was ever a time to drink good beer, it’s now!

In many craft beer hubs, especially here in the Denver area, local breweries have the program figured out. They sling cans, crowlers, and growlers, doing their best to stay afloat. But succeeding with triage doesn’t mean you’re going to survive the long haul. Those favorite watering holes, where we take our buddies after every ski tour and pow day, need us now more than ever.

Make the rounds. Try every local IPA. Think of higher prices as an investment in your community, the redistribution of money you would have otherwise spent on gas. Taste flights on a Zoom call with your friends.

Need to justify a second growler? You’re supporting local business!

Make Home Videos

Remember when everyone filmed their home lives on camcorders and the funniest debacles were shared on network television? Those days may be gone, but the appeal of such media remains. By documenting your isolation, you will at least provide laughs for your family/roommates. And laughs are indispensable right now. A few years down the line, that absurd tree-climbing video you made with your kid will probably tug on some heart strings.

For simplicity, several mobile apps do a decent job with video editing. Try iMovie.

Oh, and one more thing: Don’t worry about creating the best quarantine video on the internet. That feat has already been achieved by Philipp Klein in this viral home-freeride short:

Learn New Mountain Skills

While there’s no substitute for learning new skills in the field, you can gain access to high-quality online outdoor education. You won’t find better courses in this department than mountaineer Mark Smiley’s Mountain Sense. Smiley, the brother-in-law of Powder7 athlete Owen Leeper, is a professional photographer, filmmaker, speaker, and IFMGA-certified mountain guide. He has taught, guided, and put up first ascents all over the world.

During this public health crisis, he is offering his courses at 40% off. We recommend The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Skiing & Ski Mountaineering along with Modern Smartphone Navigation Like a Pro.

Learning skills is one of the most productive ways to cope with the current public health crisis. | PHOTO: John Paul

Train Your Dog to Adventure

Maybe you took advantage of all this at-home time by adopting a new four-legged buddy. Or maybe you’ve been meaning to get your dog accustomed to mountain biking or trail running or backcountry skiing or crag days. Either way, you can further deepen your relationship with the pooch by committing to a focused training plan. Outside Magazine published some thoughts on where to begin.

There’s no better form of distancing from people than by spending time with your adventure dog. Start by riding or running that mellow singletrack by your house. Build comfort, bring treats, and ramp up the adventures from there.

Social distance with your adventure dog. | PHOTO: Ambassador Brandon Fortin

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