Ep 006 Drew Hardesty — Journey to the Interior

It's hard to begin to describe Drew Hardesty. He is one of those people you don't forget after you meet him. His grizzled beard and sun hardened eyes hint to wisdom that can only be attained through a lived life in the mountains— and that's just what Drew set out to do. After graduating from high school in Kentucky, Drew moved west to Boulder, CO for college on an ROTC scholarship. He fulfilled his military duty afterwards with a 3 year stint in the Navy as an intelligence officer. His travels with the Navy took him all over the world, including Japan where he skied deep powder and discovered Basho. 20 some years later Drew spends winters in Salt Lake City working as a forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center and summers as a Jenny Lake Climbing Ranger in Grand Teton National Park. In this episode we chat with Drew about his thoughts on the future of avalanche forecasting, how backcountry ethics impact public safety, and two favorite Haiku's that relate to skiing in the backcountry.