What's the job we know you for?

I'm the snow reporter for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. I compile all the raw data from the snow plots up on the mountain, and translate it into something that'll get people fired up to come out and spend the day ripping up the slopes.

Anyone can go online and read the weather. How do you get them stoked? Do you enjoy it?

I love doing it. It's a creative spark first thing in the morning. On day one ten years ago, I went in to writing it with high energy like Robin Williams—“good morning, Jackson!” And immediately people were like, dude, that was great. And I was like, oh shit, now I've got to match that daily. Years later, I'm still thinking I should have come in a little less hot. But now it’s added to the identity of Jackson Hole.

Weather notwithstanding, every single day out there is special. Maybe the snow is amazing, and your experiences are huge. Maybe, you're focusing on the tiniest aspect of your skiing instead. There's always incredible sensations to squeeze out of the day.

How long have you been skiing in Jackson Hole?

About 35 years. As soon as I finished high school, I headed to Jackson. Something about the contrasts of Jackson Hole really grabbed me—the empty open spaces combined with the gnarly nooks and crannies of the mountains, and the way the Tetons could fill needs that I had, whether I needed solitude and peace, or excitement and anxiety. 

You've built a life around time in the mountains—why and how did you do that?

I showed up in Wyoming with the enthusiasm of youth for adventure, and I don't know that I contemplated it much beyond that. But in chasing those adventures, it became ingrained in me that these moments we can have out in the mountains—either with our friends, the camaraderie of the moment, or by ourselves—were more valuable than anything American culture was trying to sell me.

 Did you have to make sacrifices to keep that dream alive?

It doesn't feel like a sacrifice when it's exactly what you want. Nobody can have everything, and we all make choices about what we want to have. I’m filling my memory banks with priceless moments.

 You don't ski like you're 51. Is skiing sort of like the fountain of youth?

I think it's a double-edged sword. Obviously skiing is tough on your body, but at the same time, it's an incredible boost to our mental well-being. It keeps your brain fresh, which ultimately leads to a healthier physical being. I don't think I'm that unusual for people here, and people in ski towns in general. The experiences and positivity of the mountains creates a youthful energy that infiltrates the entire place. 

Tell us about the community in Jackson Hole and what role it plays for you.

During the summertime we all kind of go our own ways, but in the winter we jump on that tram and it's like no time has passed. It's all about everybody stoking each other out, and finding that moment of bliss for themselves and sharing it with others, so they can push themselves to their own greater moments of bliss.

One of the first people I met here was Dave the Wave, a founding member of the Jackson Hole Air Force. I was this green-banana kid out of Massachusetts who didn’t have any business hanging with these big dogs, and he was quick to take me under his wing. Skiing behind him, I thought, he's dancing down the mountain. He showed me you could break out of a cookie-cutter style and make it a dance down the hill. 

It can't be a pow day every day, so what’s it like waiting for the weather cycle?

People talk about the waiting game between storms, but there's a whole community of people in Jackson who don't do any of that waiting. They're going to be on that tram every day, because it doesn't matter if the snow's a centimeter deep or 200 centimeters deep, that's what they're all about. 

Is jumping off stuff fun?

It’s the greatest feeling. There's something liberating, and at the same time outrageous. It feels like an extension of the same natural, playful mode we see in nature. You can shut down maybe irrational thoughts, or maybe they're even rational thoughts, and get through a situation. That translates to more than just skiing—it helps you in everyday life, to realize you have that power. 

Talk to us about the weather you encounter in the Tetons.

I've seen steaming cups of coffee freeze when they're thrown in the air, and I've seen rainstorms in January. It's often one of the coldest spots in the Lower 48, and it gets covered in almost 500 inches of snow every year—so it's a perfect place if you're trying to be a powder prospector.

Everybody loves a bluebird pow day, but some of the best days I've ever had have been in the gnarliest, shittiest weather. When the wind's raging, and the snow's blowing in your face, and it's cold. It just makes you feel alive. It sounds like a cliché, but clichés are that way because they're true.

How important is it to have the right gear in such extreme weather?

You've got to have quality gear if you're going to go walking around in the mountains in the wintertime, or any time really. Being prepared for anything the mountains can throw at you is just smart, having all the safety gear, as well as plenty of the right layers.

Do you consider yourself fortunate to live the lifestyle you do?

I absolutely consider myself incredibly fortunate to live the life that I live. It's pretty clear that of all the possible things I could be doing, a lot would be not nearly as enjoyable as this.