LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 29 All three of these women live and work in the Ad- irondacks and met each other through the small world connections that remote mountain communities like theirs tend to foster. These women are deeply committed to the Adiron- dacks. "There are places in this world that make your heart flutter and your stomach feel like it's full of but- terflies," Caitlin says, "you just know that it's home. When I'm hiking or skiing in the wilderness here, I just feel like there's nowhere else in the world that makes me feel this way." Kyra qualifies, but echoes, "Living here is challenging in some ways. Some years we have a frost every month of the year and it's not easy to grow vegetables, but people do it anyways. We don't have that many powder days, but we make the most of them and they are so special when they happen. And I wouldn't want to experience those challenges any- where else." At the trailhead, three cars pull up and three doors open in an flurry of color and movement: bright ski jackets, thermoses of tea, Kyra's red hair tucked under a bright orange hat. I hadn't yet met these women and I was, admittedly, a little nervous. In true millennial fashion, we got connected over Instagram. But as we all click into our skis and start our way up the skin track, we fall into an easy rhythm. I'm sur- prised by how quickly it feels like I've known them all for much longer than 20 minutes, and I am grateful. Ski touring can feel vulnerable: displays of fitness and "keeping up," boasting of knowledge about gear and routes and skills. I have found that I am often nervous ski touring with new people, second guessing my abilities and overthinking how I measure up. But skiing with this group of women, I feel much less fear of judgment. It allows me to settle into the physical movement of skiing and the natural world around me much more quickly. It turns out this was a shared sentiment among all of us. "I've found that skiing with women is a very sup- portive place to be. I never feel like I'm a burden," says Caitlin. Maddie adds "There's just endless amounts of support and encouragement and empowerment skiing with other women. It has made my confidence a lot bigger, especially on skis, but also just in life." The Cast Caitlin Kelly is a self-described Adirondack Wood- swoman, a ski patroller, and a search and a rescue professional. She's a creative, warm and deeply driven person Kyra White is a trail builder and a baker. She's quiet and funny and she speaks with careful and wise words. Maddie Phaneuf is a retired Olympic Biath- lete-turned coach and an Adirondack native. She's confident in the backcountry and you can tell by watching her that she's an athlete.

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