The Way Back is a film honoring western heritage, connection to the land, the healing power of nature, and follows the adventure of three women horse packing into the Wyoming Range to ski three alpine peaks. The Way Back title nods to the generations back in cowboy mountain heritage, the way back to a slowness and simplicity, the way back to self, the way back to connection with nature, the way back to community.

This trip combined the two activities I find the most joy in - riding horses and backcountry skiing. We packed our gear and skis on horses riding into the mountains for a week long adventure seeking ski lines in the alpine. The trip takes place in late spring which visually shows the transition of new life, wildflowers, and contrast between bright green valleys with stark white peaks.

We waited for enough snow to be melted at lower elevations to allow easy travel for the horses and enough snow remained at upper elevation to provide quality corn skiing. Each day combines sunrise ski objectives  hunting down fun corn skiing, and riding horses from camp to camp. The ski ski objective we rode horses about half way up the mountain where the snow line started. Tatum, Emilé and I boot packed the rest of the way to the top then skied down narrow strips of snow. Tre and Franco, the two cowboys who joined us, rode the horses back down the mountain to meet us at the bottom.

The next ski objective involved a more complex approach, so we left the horses in camp. We crawled out the tents at 3am and reach the summit as the sun rose over the horizon. This zone was a north facing alpine cirque lined with couloirs. Each of us skied three lines before heading back to camp.

At our final camp, we noticed a big wall of mountains holding the most snow of all the objectives.

The next morning we rode horses up the south face which was almost fully dry ground. It was the most epic horse ride I’ve ever done! Tre and Franco managed the horses while the three girls hiked the rest of the way to the summit.

Our final ski down was about 1000 vertical feet with huge rock walls outlining each couloir.

The film strikes a balance between retracing old trails and stories with a wild adventure. Our route followed the history of my family who homesteaded in the foothills of the Wyoming Range outside of Pinedale, Wyoming in the early 1900’s. Multiple generations of my family built their own skis and rode horses as a utilitarian means of work and winter survival. Their homestead cabin was about an hour drive out of town which meant being self-reliant especially in the cold winter months. On my dad’s side of the family, my grandparents guided horse pack trips in the mountains. On my mom’s side of the family, my grandpa was the first doctor in Pinedale for over 50 years taking care of the community. This background raised me to have grit and the value of good neighbors!

While retracing the history of my family roots and connection to the land, Tatum Monod, Emilé Zanobia, and I formed a friendship through our shared passion for horses, skiing, and a raw sense of adventure. As the journey unfolded, connections formed through fireside conversation and figuring out the logistics of a complex adventure. 

Throughout the film deeper stories emerge around injury, grief, grit, perseverance, identity, and community. One thing we all have in common regardless of our personal backgrounds is the internal human experience of chasing dreams, loss, love, and overcoming challenges. I hope this film shines a light on some personal experiences that have fostered deep growth in my own life and I hope inspires others to embrace the ups and downs in the adventure of life!