Mariah Ostheller
Mariah Ostheller
Age: 18
Currently: Senior, St. George’s School; volleyball MVP, softball all-leaguer
Trip: Teton Valley backcountry skiing
Duration: 14 days
Cost: $1,620
A two-week trip focused on a particular group of skills, this course appealed to 11 students ranging in age from 18 to 60. They began with two days of ski instruction at Grand Targhee Ski Area before heading into the Wyoming backcountry, wearing packs and pulling sleds. They learned to forecast avalanche danger, build snow shelters, endure winter extremes — while carving their signatures in untracked powder.
Forethought? “I made a list of goals—to learn basic avalanche techniques and how to winter camp safely without a lot of provisions. And, of course, I love to telemark.”
Preparation? “Last winter I went through a weird phase—I slept with my bedroom window open all winter. It was interesting how quickly I got used to it.”
Group dynamics: “We were about as diverse as you can be. One woman had just graduated from Harvard. One guy was in his 60s. He’s from Florida and he’d never skied before. It’s something he wanted to learn. We split into groups at Targhee. He was pretty much a group by himself at first. He had to learn how to snowplow.
“I was really impressed he was out trying it, but I thought he was insane.”
Babe in the woods: “I was the youngest, but I was probably the most competent skier. Everything equals out. I was not the most in-shape. One of the girls competes in Iron Man triathlons. She was a machine.”
The challenge? “It was different for everybody. One guy in his 40s had a tough time with the physical and mental commitment. He was convincing himself he wanted to be there.
“I wanted to be there, but I didn’t know it was going to be quite so hard. I knew we’d be going up to live in snow shelters; I didn’t realize we’d make five different camps in nine nights.”
Major challenge? “Working myself to my limits traveling the second day and then having to dig a big 4-foot trench for our group kitchen.
Accomplishments? “I totally admire the guy from Florida. He wanted to be out of his element. With skins on his skis going uphill, he was fine. Going downhill the last few days, he needed help, with others holding his sled and steering him down. That’s the NOLS way. The group waits for everybody.”
Chilling details: “One of the shelters we learned to build was a “quigloo” (a quick igloo that works well when snow conditions are not conducive to cutting blocks). We used shovels to pile a big mound of snow. Somebody digs down through a little hole in the top while, another guy — the mole — digs into the bottom and up.
“By the time they’ve scooped out the shelter, the mole is soaked, and it’s getting cold. We learned to dry out by putting warmer layers of clothes over the wet clothes and letting your body heat do the work.”
Night life? “It gets dark and cold early. Everyone was pretty much in their sleeping bags at 7:30 and up the next morning around 6:30.”
Heavenly meals: “We ate two pounds of food per person per day, which is plenty, except you have to pack it all up into the mountains. We ate a lot of noodles and cheese, bagels, even Tater Tots for breakfast. The best part was all the chocolate. I think I ate a pound a day. I was in heaven.”
Mind over matter: “We headed out for nine winter nights with no re-supply. In the beginning, each person was carrying a pack and pulling a sled that totaled about 100 pounds. As soon as the route started going up, the differences in strength became obvious. The sled was so heavy. Every step up pulled at my leg muscles.
“At one point I can remember swearing that this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Some people came back to help me with my sled. Without the weight, I felt like I was floating. I felt a little bad, but on the other hand it felt good knowing that I was with people who cared.
“After that, I got stronger exponentially each day. It wasn’t until we came out at the end of the trip that I realized the place I was having so much trouble pulling the sled on the second day was actually a stretch that was slightly downhill.
“I learned that my problems that day were mostly mental.”
Pains and gains: “Climbing Smoky Hollow Peak (9,500 feet) and skiing a beautiful powder run down. … Catching up from missing a week and a half of school, but I’m getting college credit.”