Sam Hamilton | Backcountry Ski Guide | E4

Trail Whisperer’s next door neighbor in Verdi, Sam Hamilton, is a man of many interests from skiing and skateboarding to surfing, whitewater kayaking, rafting and mountain biking. Sam is a full-time ski guide for High Sierra Snowcat and Palisades Tahoe in the winter and is a professional photographer (samhamiltonphoto.com). Sam joins us to talk about ski guiding, being the parent his teenage ski racing daughter, skate parks in southern California, the upcoming kayak season, massive avalanches and what minding the track means to him.

Notes:

2:45 - Neighboring Core Lords and building a backyard skateboard half pipe
5:00 - Dodging the Bullet - The big storm misses Tahoe
6:30 - From deep blower pow to cream cheese, fast pow and pinot noir snow
9:00 - A little about Sam Hamilton’s background and New England skiers
13:40 - Ski guiding for High Sierra Snowcat at Virginia Lakes, California
15:00 - Giant avalanches and Highway 395 closed for weeks
25:00 - Ice dams and M1000 explosives PowBot got in trouble for lighting off
26:00 - Being the parent of a passionate teenage ski racing daughter
30:00 - How to afford the expensive sport of ski racing as a parent
39:00 - Skateboard in SoCal and the supportive culture
44:00 - Who does Sam’s daughter look up to? Who are her heroes?
50:30 - The upcoming whitewater kayaking season in the Sierra and Great Basin
59:00 - The struggles and destruction from massive snow load in Tahoe
1:03:45 - Man eating potholes everywhere!
1:05:30 - Approaching the snowiest winter ever recorded in Tahoe
1:06:00 - Sugar Bowl Resort opens Palisades face
1:07:45 - T’s Rotisserie reopens
1:11:00 - PowBot gets ready for his British Columbia hut trip
1:15:00 - What does Mind the Track mean to you?