Big adventures to high peaks and far off places that require maximum effort will always top my list as favorite things to do. Microadventures; however, fall at a close second. What are Microadventures you might ask? Well I guess there are different for everyone, but by definition it’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.
To me, an adventure is going out to do something that you are unsure you’ll be able to complete. That’s why a weekly run or ride isn’t really an adventure, it’s just an activity. So where does a microadventure fall exactly? Rather than extravagant trips that require lots of time and effort and planning, microadventures are a complex idea that can be done in an afternoon, that might require logistical planning, but at a minimum it is something new and exciting to you. So last week, to break up the monotony of my regularly scheduled COVID-19 activities, I went for a microadventure.
It’s no secret, I love riding my bike. Any chance I can get to ride my bike, I will. I also love to ski, so combining biking and skiing is like a perfect day! To do so, I needed to get my skis to the local hill which is about 7 miles away from my home. Plan of attack, strap down my skis to my bike, load my ski boots into the panniers, and figure out the rest in a backpack. Well turns out, much easier said than done. All the photos of ski-bike-touring setups seem so simple. Luckily, the boots fit perfectly into the panniers and I was even able to zip them up. Strapping the skis to the top tube proved much more difficult. I didn’t realize that you need to have the skis mostly hanging off the back of the bike so that the tips of the skis don’t interfere with the turning of your front wheel. As for the rest of the ski gear, I put it all in my pack and just hit the road. Thankfully Voile straps exists!
Even though the skis were opening up with rain, instead of the glorious Utah snow, I threw my shell on and headed for the ski hill. I also forgot that I was not in biking shape, so climbing the road up to the base ski area proved to be more difficult than the touring up there. But once I got to the snow-line, it was all worth it.
I transitioned into my ski kit, stretched my skins onto the bases of the skis, clicked into my bindings, and headed uphill. The soft spring corn softly crunched under my skis. I climbed up one of the main runs that I’ve skied in resort for so many turns. As it got steeper, my legs started to get heavier, and heavier. It seemed like the bike had taken more out of me than I thought. Upon reaching the first bench on the hill, I realized this was all I had. I stopped there, and decided to transition.
My turns downhill were amazing, not perfect, but so much fun. It was a blast ripping big, wide turns, then linking them into tight snaps, throwing snow to my left and right. Once I skied out to the apron, I looked back uphill with a huge smile. I had used only human power to get me from my front doorstep to the top of a ski line. Sure, I never left my town, but I wasn’t sure if this would workout. And it did! An adventure it was!
Hi there, my name is Zachary Kenney and I’m an adventure filmmaker & photographer. My passion is to tell stories that will hopefully motivate you to go live a more adventurous life. Whether that is to experience the view from the summit of a mountain, or wandering through a new town on a road trip. Currently based out of Park City, UT.
