A few weeks ago, we launched our Frame of Mind Series where we highlight local ambassadors of different ski resorts. For our first series of interviews, we are focusing on Solitude Mountain Resort, nestled in awe-inspiring Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Get inspired, learn what makes these local pros tick, and introduce yourself when you see them in the lift line. Know someone that you think should be featured? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

For our second interview of the Frame of Mind Series, we spoke with Solitude Ambassador Heather McPhie. As a former gymnast, Heather brought her aerial skills and athletic determination to the U.S. Ski Team where she crushed Freestyle Moguls. In 2012, McPhie became the first moguls skier ever to pick up a Red Bull sponsorship! Heather leveraged those new wings and proceeded to add four more World Cup podiums on her way to finishing fourth in the moguls standings, then at season’s end, took her very first U.S. National title. Not too shabby!

Spread Stoke: Where is your hometown?

Heather: I grew up in Bozeman, Montana. I moved to Park City in 2004 and have been in the area ever since. My husband and I recently purchased a home in Salt Lake City, UT.

SS: Who can you usually find yourself on a chairlift with?

Heather: Graham Watanabe, Annika and Zac Kay, Emily Cook, Rob Lauer, Tim Akers, and many more!

SS: Conditioning off the mountain is an essential element to performance on the mountain.  Do you have any training techniques (whether physical or mental) you would like to share?

Heather: Off-hill conditioning is extremely important to being able to continue to play in the mountains. When honing in on the most important aspects, I think it largely depends on your body type. I naturally build muscle pretty quickly, and get tight even quicker, so for me I think maintaining my flexibility is one of the most important things. Ideally I go to yoga 1-2 times per week. Also, as a woman, maintaining hamstring strength is really important as well for injury prevention.

SS: What’s been the most challenging aspect of being an athlete?

Heather: When I was competing on the World Cup and Olympic level, I think one of the most challenging things was living out of a suitcase for approx. 6 months/year and skiing rain or shine. I absolutely loved my sport, but when a course was bulletproof, it became a job. Now, if it’s icy, I go home!

SS: Besides shredding the white wintry wave, what else do you enjoy doing?

Heather: I love to PLAY! Some of my favorite things to do besides resort skiing are: rock climbing, mountain & road biking, yoga, skate skiing, backcountry touring, reading books, and anything with friends.

SS: What is your life motto?

Heather: Happiness is a choice. I’ll always take luck, but hard work is more consistent!

SS: What fuel goes into your body before and after a day on the hill?

Heather: Most mornings I eat organic slow-cook oats with a bit of molasses, cinnamon, chia seeds, and peanut butter. I usually put fresh berries and/or pumpkin seeds on top as well. I find that I stay full longer and have plenty of energy for whatever the day brings. I also make overnight oats quite a bit with greek yogurt and coconut milk.

SS: What does skiing do for your soul?

Heather: It might sound cheesy, but being in the mountains is the closest thing I have to a religion. The beauty of the mountains, and the play time is absolutely key to my wellbeing. I love connecting with nature and disconnecting from my phone (it dies in the cold in about 10 minutes, and I love it!). Beyond that, I’m almost always skiing with some of my favorite people.

SS: Solitude, it’s all in the name.  What are some of your favorite attributes of Solitude and how is it unique from other Utah resorts?

Heather: Solitude is unbelievable. It has great terrain for all abilities, and such a mellow vibe. I also love that some of the best terrain is a bit of an effort to get to. A 5-10 minute effort can get you to amazing runs that feel secluded and peaceful.

SS: What goes through your mind before, during and after executing or capturing a technical line or feature?

Heather: My best runs have been when nothing is going through my mind during besides pure joy and focus on exactly what my body is doing in that moment. Before I usually just take a deep breath and remind myself of one or two technical skills that help me ski my best. After, I just enjoy the adrenaline rush!

SS: When you’re not on the the hill, what can we most likely find you doing?

Heather: Working my day job in wealth management, and when I’m not doing that PLAYING outside or in the climbing gym or yoga studio. I’m such a believer in an active lifestyle and I do my best to do something active every day, even if it is just for 20 minutes.

SS: Let’s talk 2017 Goals: What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?

Heather: You can expect me to be up at Solitude any chance I get, sharing my love of the resort with others, and smiling underneath my buff with every turn I make.

SS: As athletes, you serve as role models in the outdoor industry.  Any advice, reflections or ideas on the types of things you would like see the outdoor industry strive for?

Heather: I think it might be worth considering pushing the competitive season back a bit. It seems like at the beginning of the comp and recreational ski season we are always fighting mother nature (blowing snow, doing everything possible to get open), ideally we could start once we get enough snow, and play in the mountains later into the spring when we often have plenty of snow. I realize this might not be economical though, as everyone seems to be chomping at the bit for the snow to fly in the fall, and ready to move on by April. But me…I’m always ready to ski, and if we had snow in July, I’d still be playing in it!

SS: What’s bumpin’ in your earbuds?

Heather: Absolutely nothing. I used to listen to music all the time when I was on the slopes, but I’ve come to love the peacefulness, and the feeling of life slowing down that I get on the mountain when I relax into the silence or the presence of a good friend with no distractions besides powder!

SS: Spread Stoke’s values are: do what you love, leave this world a better place than you found it, and spread stoke to those around you.  How do you demonstrate these values?

Heather: Those are some great values. I do what I love both on and off the slopes. One of my promises to myself when I retired from competitive skiing was that I would take the time to really find my next passion path. I’ve found that in the opportunity to help people with their finances and decreasing their stress around money. By doing something that I love, I’m not living for the weekend, I’m living for every day. I do my best to be a positive in the lives of others, and I spread the stoke through my contagious enthusiasm for life and the activities I choose to participate in.

SS: Do you have any shout-outs to sponsors?

Heather: Although I am no longer a sponsored athlete, I have so many sponsors and friends that helped me throughout my ten years on the U.S. Ski Team and through 2 Olympics. Red Bull: Who took a chance on me and a new sport, and supported me at an unbelievable level with life changing experiences, high performance coaches, and much more. Moment skis: Which I still play on every time I’m on the slopes, and have provided me with countless amazing turns! POC: Over ten years of sponsorship and incredible opportunities. lululemon: For keeping me comfortable, functional, warm, and stylish…still not a day goes but that I’m not wearing lulu and that includes at my job in finance! Solitude: For the opportunity for Graham and I to be ambassadors and spread our love of the mountains and particularly the resort with those around us. Oakley: My longest sponsor, anyone who isn’t seeing through Oakley lenses is at a disadvantage in my opinion. And finally, Full Tilt boots: The most comfortable alpine boot I’ve ever worn.

We hope you enjoyed our Frame of Mind interview with Heather McPhie. Be sure to say “Hey!” to Heather on the hill this season and give her a follow on Instagram @HeatherMcphie!

Stay tuned for our next Frame of Mind interview. If you know someone who should be featured, let us know.

In February of 2014, Sasha Yakovleff decided to mix things up and leave the comforts of his New Hampshire hometown to make a cross-country move for a job opportunity in Salt Lake City, Utah. The decision wasn’t too hard since he knew Utah was a world-class biking destination and the new surroundings would offer plenty of choices to fuel his two-wheel addiction.

“You’re only young once, might as well travel around a bit and explore,” says Sasha. “Utah has opened my eyes and put things into perspective. I miss New Hampshire dearly and I’ll be back home permanently at some point, but until then I’m not sure where life will take me. However, I know I’ll be aboard a bike wherever I go.”

Moving your life can be tough. Making new friends and getting familiar with a new neighborhood can be a daunting experience and humbling to some, but Sasha sought to make it a quick process. His love for bikes and an incredible motivation to challenge himself have helped him settle into his new home and explore the limitless riding options waiting out the backdoor.

“Riding a bike is the ultimate sense of freedom for me. It doesn’t really matter where I am or what mood I’m in, riding always makes me happy and I have to thank my sponsors for helping me with that – Scott Bikes, Deity Components, Kenda Tires, Mavic, G-Form, Bern Unlimited, TRP Brakes, Five Ten, Darn Tough Vermont. My motivation though is pretty simple – keep myself challenged physically and mentally. There is always something new to learn or ride, whether at the dirt jumps or way out in the woods on some remote mountainside.” – Sasha

The constant desire for something new is a driving force behind Sasha’s creativity. He’s a nine-to-fiver who doesn’t understand the term “weekend warrior.” Everyday provides if you’re motivated to take advantage, and the Wasatch is a big backyard with more to offer than most seek to realize. The abundance of pleasures is almost overwhelming, and even after a good soak, you can easily be satisfied with just the tip.

“When I moved to Utah, my first thought was damn this place is dry, I hope we get a ton of rain. New Hampshire has variable weather which you learn to love, but Utah is much more sunny and dry. When it rains here I get really stoked and head to the woods to build. The nice thing about the Wasatch is the variety. You can ride whatever you want. Dirt jumps down low, alpine riding up high, DH or all-mountain trails in between.” – Sasha

Over the past few seasons, I’ve had the opportunity to tag along with Sasha as he familiarized himself with his new backyard. Being on the bike or shoveling dirt seem to be the only two things he thinks about, and soon I started to expect a call or text from him every couple of days to go shoot a new feature he had been secretly building over the weekend or scout something he spotted from the road on his drive to work that looked fun to ride. We got together at the end of this season to recount a few of the fun adventures and build projects we had photographed together.

“This was shot early in the morning in March. I Street is a winter staple in Salt Lake City as it is usually rideable year-round. In fact, the dirt there is much better in the winter when it’s actually wet and malleable. The funny thing about I Street is that things are always changing. Lots of people build there, so the place has tons of personality. I don’t know who built this jump but it’s awesome; you can just pull for days.” – Sasha

There had been a couple wildfires this past summer just outside of Park City. Sasha and I scouted this area after he spotted the burn zone on a cross-country ride and thought the ashy dirt would make for some good turns. Besides being covered in soot when we got back to the car, it was a fun new experience for both of us.

“I had driven by this spot a million times, or taken the bus up past it with my DH bike to go ride other trails. I thought about riding it before but was too lazy and forgetful to check it out until it rained one time this past spring. The dirt was perfect and it was really fun to ride. There are a few sections of different pitches where you can alternate your speed and push out a brown pow turn or two. Plus, first descents are hard to beat.” – Sasha

“Evil Empire is a Park City classic DH freeride trail that never gets old. It starts at Jupiter Peak and descends over 2200’ vertical feet back into Old Town Park City via Daly Canyon. This jump is rad and on one of my favorite sections of the trail near the bottom in the Black Forest of Empire Canyon. The pines thin out a bit as you jump through aspens before dipping back into the darkness.” – Sasha

“Raspberry Lane is one of my favorite pirate trails and sits just above the top of Old Town in Park City. We were actually scouting out another shot on an overcast day and noticed the fall colors in this berm. Funny how things work out when you’re looking for something else – always keep your eyes open I guess.” – Sasha

I think Sasha’s least favorite time of the year is after Daylight Savings when it gets dark super quick in the afternoon. For someone who works all day but lives to shred, it’s frustrating to only have an hour or so to ride after work in the later part of the fall. Luckily the Park City Dirt Jumps are easy to get to and the street lamps at the fire station next door help illuminate the open field of jumps for a few laps before dinner.

The Oakley Skatepark is located right next to one of the biggest rodeo venues in Utah. The town population is about 1,000, but the new $3 million rodeo arena seats 6,000. It can be windy a lot of times, but if you wait it out, the Kamas Valley sunsets are usually incredible.

Eric Porter has one of the sickest backyard setups, stacked with stunt ramps, a pump track and a water slide snake run connected to another pump track in the neighbor’s yard. Fall BBQ sessions at Porter’s are some of the funnest days during late season.

“After moving to Utah, it took me about a year to scout out a few spots I wanted to build and learn my way around the place a bit. I knew I wanted to build a large wallride in the middle of the woods, and what better place to put it than in an Aspen grove? This thing is tucked up on a hillside in Park City. We built it, painted it and sessioned it a few times before the snow started to fall. The aspen leaves died early this year due to a fungus, so hopefully we can catch a golden frame next autumn when the grove goes off.” – Sasha

Adventures in any backyard can be endless if you use your creativity. Even when it seems like there’s nothing new left to discover, building and riding have endless possibilities. When you’re passionate about riding your bike and always looking for something new to shred, you’ll find a way to satisfy your cravings but also stay thirsty for more. He might be settled into his new home now, but Sasha’s quest for new fun outside his doorstep will never stop regardless of how long he stays anywhere.

This is an edit from one of my many rides in 2014 down the Bobsled Trail above Salt Lake City Utah.

Last Friday was the Winter Meltdown at The Depot in Salt Lake City. The night turned out to be a incredible fun dance fest full of great performances by Zion I, Michal Menert, and Cunninlynguists. The show was presented by Live Nite Events and Discrete (our fav headwear company) and the show did not disappoint!

Discrete – you put on one hell of a good party, thanks for the epic evening! Here are some pics from the Winter Meltdown …

LNE photos from the LNE Winter Meltdown Facebook Album. You can check out the rest of the photos here.

Grizzly Gulch photos

Every Season in Utah, I spend some time in SLC’s backyard known as Grizzly Gulch. It’s one of Utah’s easiest accessible back country zones. With famous views of Mt. Superior and spots like Chad’s Gap, it’s a must hit zone for anyone that enjoys the back country.

Grizzly is best with friends!

On our hike up into the gulch we practiced avalanche awareness. Grizzly has about every slope degree and aspect you can think of. It’s perfect to spend a day just studying conditions and brushing up on beacon techniques.

The main gully is a dangerous place all season. Traveling in safe zones on your way up is key. This slide was manageable for experts, but deadly for anyone stuck in the bottom.

It’s a big place! This is the west facing back wall. We planned on riding down the middle and the backside.  Using photos as reference when I get to the top helps. Some of the zone has been shaped by mining in the past, which creates a unique profile for powder-heads that like to catch some air!

The Back side of Grizzly dropping into Solitude.

Dropping into Solitude/Brighton periphery.

Joshua Parker Ending the day with a slash.

Grizzly Gulch is an adventure for all levels of riders. Be careful out there and always stress avalanche awareness. Bring the right equipment and a level head. Always travel in safe zones and be smart about your lines.  Having a good and responsible crew will get you home safe and sound with stories of adventure. Knowledge is power in the back country.