The Snow Troopers are based at Snoqualmie Pass, WA – the home of Alpental, Summit Central,  Summit West and Hyak ski areas. We’re a not for profit group of ski enthusiasts who are all about sharing backcountry and slackcountry experiences. By building this site, we hope to bring together a global community of snow sports enthusiasts who desire to share or seek information about the mountains, alpine touring and freeskiing/riding through rich media. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge and perspectives so this can become a central resource for backcountry and side-country videos, trip reports and gear reviews.   This site is still in its early stages of development so until we have our user submissions running here, please visit The Snow Troopers on Facebook to submit videos and trip reports and by all means, please friend us and spread the word.  Without your support and that of our product sponsors, this site and our trip reports would not be possible.

Our adventures on snow follow the mantra of Live To Ski Another Day – the idea that pushing it is important, but staying safe is just as. So, although we seek backcountry adventures, we’re not adverse to getting our turns in bounds when we’re limited by the conditions.   Some of us Snow Troopers ski for a living, others wish we could, but what brings us all together is the fact that we have and always will: live to ski.

The Snow Troopers are always looking for like-minded skiers and boarders to join in on the fun. So, if you’re headed our way, or need company on the mountain, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thanks for visiting. We hope you enjoy the site.

TNT’s love for the mountains can be traced back to the age of 5 when his father began taking him on hiking and hunting excursions into the mountains of Southern Arizona. By early teens, track and field and dirt bikes became his main sports until he was given the opportunity to spend a winter with his Aunt and Uncle at Northern Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort. There, TNT worked as a liftee and spent his days off shadowing ski school classes.  By the end of winter, TNT had logged over 100 days of skiing — he was hooked. And so, moving back to Tucson and getting only 25 days the next year killed him.  He set out to change that by taking the reins at a door and millwork shop in Salt Lake City.  Fifty days in the following season was more like it. But a better opportunity presented itself and he moved to Seattle to broker lumber and millwork. With the Summit at Snoqualmie just over a half hour from the city, TNT was able to get a daily fix after work at the largest night skiing operation in the US. He was now back to skiing 100 days a year.  TNT eventually moved to Hyak, WA, a ski in-ski out, rando training paradise. In 2002, he got his first randonnee set up and after a million vertical feet and countless days training at Alpental, he was lured into the Cascades backcountry where TNT and his friends began filming and sharing their adventures.  He banged out a ski and snow conditions video every day that season – this was back in 2006, long before resorts began doing so. In addition to The Snow Troopers, TNT is the Snow Reporter and a former Patroller at the Summit at Snoqualmie.

A decade after a disastrous first attempt at skiing on a frozen Vermont slope in -50F wind chill that resulted in a broken back, Sting discovered Mammoth Mountain in July during grad school — on that day, another ski fanatic was born.  Determined to master the sport while balancing full time work and related travel, she was known for lugging gear to faraway places that offered any possibility to ski, however remote – even to Israel where she skied Mt. Hermon on the Lebanon border. Through her service as Co-Chair of the Western Regional Council for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team, Sting has skied with some of the best athletes in the world, some of whom have coached her to her present level of skiing ability.  As a passionate hiker, she has summited over a dozen Pacific NW peaks and began venturing into the backcountry and ski touring year round after meeting TNT in ‘09.  Sting has since skied 6 volcanoes in the Cascades and hopes to ski them all one day.  When not on the slopes, Sting works on technology, entertainment and sports projects ranging from the Shanghai International Film Festival to World Cup Alpine Ski Racing.  As Microsoft’s Director of Worldwide Business & Strategy, she founded the mobile, film, TV, music and other licensing businesses for PC and Xbox games.  In addition to working on Award winning films and the billion dollar Halo and Gears of War video game franchises, her credits include Executive Producer of dozens of mobile games and music soundtracks including Halo 2 with Incubus, Hoobastank, Breaking Benjamin and Nile Rodgers which received the Spike TV Video Game Awards nomination for Best Soundtrack.  Her previous achievements include launching MSN International in six countries and the expansion of ESPN and CBS Sports into the Middle East and N. Africa.  Sting is a member of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and has served as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Interactive Media & New Technologies Division and as an Industry Panelist and Juror for the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

Trooper – aka “digits” because if you reach into The Snow Trooper van with 5, he’ll give you back 2 – grew up touring the Cascades and has been known to guide teams through backcountry terrain safely using his canine sixth sense.  He has made many of his own first descents and is skilled at traversing down steep slopes. His steepest descent was the Zipper Chute, over 50degrees for over 1000ft. If you drop or stash something in the backcountry, Trooper will track and retrieve it for you.  He is currently working on skills to retrieve video cams up-slope after everyone has skied by the cams.

Andy is an 8 time Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team member during which time he has won the National Championship 3 times. He has stood on the podium of countless ski mountaineering races including 4 wins and 8 podium finishes at the Alpental ski mountaineering race. Andy has completed 15 first ski descents and ascended over 1 million vertical feet per year on skis and mountain bike for 3 consecutive years for a total of over 3 million vertical feet. Andy has skied the Spearhead Traverse 21 times including most of its classic steep lines and climbed and skied from the summit of Mt. Baker 19 times (twice down the North Face).

My parents got me into skiing and the mountains at a young age. My training followed a traditional ski racing path that progressed to free riding the front country. It didn’t take long for me to pursue powder stashes and develop a longing to keep going farther and farther to see what steep slopes would be around the next corner.  That, combined with the fact that I like to push myself to the maximum in the mountains and test the limits of my physical abilities, drive me to race.

I have been racing in the Pro/Elite category as both a ski mountaineer and mountain biker for 9 seasons with results that include a 3rd place podium at the Cheakamus Challenge marathon cross country race. Even in non-race mode, every day on the mountain brings out a drive to attain greater distances and speeds in pursuit of steep skiing and speed traverses. In addition to racing and training, I have worked eight years as a ski patroller and enjoy free ride mountain biking, road riding, bouldering, rock climbing, mountaineering, ice hockey, tennis and trail running.  When indoors, I can be found seeing live bands in small venues and following the Vancouver Canucks’ quest for the Stanley Cup.  Favorite bands: Pennywise, Fugazi, Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Pantera, Sick of It All, Slayer, NOFX, Bad Religion, TV on the Radio, Janes Addiction, Faith no More, Caribou, Slightly Stoopid.

FAVORITE PLACES TO SKI: Spearhead Range; Mt. Baker, N Cascades; Mt. Waddington Coast Range; Chamonix, La Grave; Fall, Argentina.  Feeling way out there – Mt. Logan in St. Elias, Yukon, Alaska.

Mike is an 8 time Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team member during which time he has won the National Championship 5 times and stood on the podium 3 times at the Canadian Nationals. He has won numerous ski mountaineering races and skied every volcano from North America to South America in the span of 10yrs including climbing and skiing from the summit of Mt. Baker 17 times and the Spearhead Traverse 16 times. When not competing, Mike works as a Ski Patroller, Ski Guide and CSO Construction Safety Officer.

Having grown up skiing on the North Shore mountains of British Columbia, the seed was planted early when my parents had me on plastic skis by age three. My passion has remained steady ever since. Being Canadian, it was always Ice Hockey and skiing in the winter and by the early ‘80s, it was racing gates and freestyle skiing. Once I discovered powder and backcountry skiing, I was hooked. It’s a sport which combines physical, mental and spiritual benefits with the freedom to explore without boundaries.

Now my ski wanderings have taken me on adventures into the Coast mountains and Interior of British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Yukon and the St Elias range, onwards to wide open spaces in South America, the steeps of Europe (La Grave, Chamonix, Swiss and more), the Tetons of Wyoming and the Sierras of California and many states and provinces in between. With dreams and cravings for more in the future.  When not skiing or mountain/road biking, I enjoy skateboarding, ice hockey, rock climbing, watching Hockey Night in Canada and World Cup Skiing.  Favorite band: Pennywise.

FAVORITE PLACES TO SKI My backyard or wherever there is powder. Mt Baker.

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