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Professional ski bum.
Eastern Sierra Nevada
Uphill. Downhill. In the water.

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Last winter reel. Cheers to Spring in the Sierras. by @thatssomikef

Low tide but high spirits. Hope everyone is doing okay out there. Get outside. by @thatssomikef

A stroll in the backyard with Sailor dog and friends. by @thatssomikef

The moment I moved from one of the biggest cities in the world to a remote mountain town, I knew my life had been altered in a pretty major way. And somehow, it had been vastly improved. I became a version of myself I didn’t even know I was looking for.

But like any life, eventually you start noticing a little dead space, no matter how exciting or beautiful it is. Over the last several years, my mind started wandering toward the ocean, tropical islands, foreign countries, and generally anywhere that required a passport.

Living in Cozumel and getting into the dive lifestyle was a major eye-opener for me. I realized I still had a lot of room to grow, not just in the mountains, but in the water too. Apparently, I wasn't done making questionable life decisions in beautiful places.

The truth is, I still think about Mexico and the people I met there every day. As much as I can’t wait to go back, I’m also excited to find the next new place to explore, learn, screw things up a little, and hopefully grow even further.

To everyone who has directly or indirectly been part of that growth: Salud. 🍻 by @thatssomikef

$Yesterday, I descended into The Pit, and it may have been the most incredible dive of my short diving career. At around 11:30 AM, when the sun aligns perfectly above the cenote, we began our descent. As we dropped deeper into the darkness, massive columns of light pierced the water from above, illuminating the cavern like a cathedral. It was surreal, dreamlike, and honestly, a little psychedelic. Trying to comprehend the size and scale of this place is difficult. My friend @christalgraves27 described it perfectly: it felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. And that's not far from the truth. The Pit is one of the deepest cenotes in Quintana Roo, plunging nearly 120 meters (390 feet) into the earth, though recreational divers only explore a fraction of that depth. The small opening at the surface gives way to a gigantic underwater chamber connected to the Sac Actun cave system—the longest flooded cave system on Earth. Visibility often exceeds 100 meters, making the abyss below seem endless. Around 20 meters down, freshwater and saltwater meet in a shimmering halocline that bends light and distorts visibility and reality. Long before scuba divers arrived, the Maya considered cenotes sacred portals to the underworld. Standing in those beams of light, suspended between the jungle above and the darkness below, it's easy to understand why. Some dives are about what you see. This one was about what you feel. 📍 The Pit Cenote, Tulum, Mexico by @thatssomikef$

Diving the cenotes in Mexico is exhilarating, spooky, and surprisingly Zen all at the same time. by @thatssomikef

My time in Alaska was a collection of highs and lows. Fortunately, the highs were extreme, and the lows were mostly boredom. Made a lot of new homies, too many to tag but cheers to you all.

#valdez #ThompsonPass #heliskiing #valdezheliskiguides by @thatssomikef

Heli Skiing in Valdez after a moderate storm. Snow felt good—but that doesn’t mean it was stable.

A few turns in, the slab cracked and started sliding. D2 avalanche—likely not fatal terrain, but enough for a partial burial or to knock you off your feet.

Was able to find my footing and ride out to the right.

Lessons learned:

1- Recent storm slabs can be sensitive to riders, even after multiple tracks laid
2-Even smaller avalanches can take you for a ride

Good reminder how fast things can change.

#valdez #heliboarding #snowboarding #avalancheawareness #avalanche by @thatssomikef

Coming to live and work in Thompson Pass at Valdez Heli Skiing Guides has definitely been a test of patience for me.

After over a month of dealing with wind-jacked, low-tide snow conditions down low while catering to guests who are having the time of their lives on the helicopters and the reach that comes with them, I finally got a taste of what makes this place so special—getting out on the Hoodoo Glacier and experiencing some real Chugach magic.

Some of my main ski touring partners moved on from our job here, and things were starting to feel pretty bleak for a while. Broken gear, battling a nasty bug, and limited access kept me pretty close to the lodge. Eventually, replacement bindings arrived, and a few new faces got me motivated to start getting back up on my gear again.

Things ramped up another notch when we met Nico from Sled Skiing Alaska and found a way to access what we came for.

This wasn’t the gnarliest terrain Thompson Pass has to offer, but the quality of the snow, the endless rolling bowls, and expert guidance through the massive crevasse zones on the Hoodoo made it an unforgettable day.

This game occasionally requires some patience. Sometimes, it pays off, and sometimes you gotta wait until next season.

Fingers crossed for a chance to go up in the sky with the big dogs for my final week here.

#ThompsonPass #Chugach #BackcountrySkiing #AlaskaPowder #HoodooGlacier by @thatssomikef

Alaska already paying off less than 24 hours in. These might be the coolest photographs I've ever taken by @thatssomikef

9 months in flatland society has left me craving my next big adventure. Off to Thompson Pass Alaska in the heart of the Chugach Mountains to work and play for the next several months. Cozumel, Mexico I'll see you in May! by @thatssomikef

For my flatlander friends wondering what the hell I'm talking about when I mention my passion for ski touring or, more specifically, "splitboarding"...

This is it. The board splits into skis so you can attach skins and climb up the mountain, then snaps back together to form a snowboard to ride down.

No lifts, no crowds — just friends, dogs that never get tired, and a lot of uphill cardio in the Eastern Sierras.

It’s more methodical, harder, and way more fun than it looks.

Slog the uphills, earn the turns, pet the dogs, repeat.

Cameos by @lexiegritlefeld @wuerker and Ruby the dog.

#splitboarding #earnyourturns #skitouring #backcountrysnowboarding #easternsierras by @thatssomikef

Mike Freeland

@thatssomikef