Chicks Who Rip Interview - Jasmin Dobson

I had to catch up with Jasmin after she told me that she never stopped skiing last summer yet she never left North America...

(lead image Mt Rainier. Photo Ben Horowitz)

Hometown? Kitimat, BC

Years skiing? Ten

Shewee or squat? It's been on my to-do list to get a shewee. Squatting sucks!

Fire starter or vaseline and cotton balls? Vaseline and cotton balls are lighter and cheaper.

HW: So Jasmin, where to begin! So I hear you are a guide and teach a lot of courses but I don't know any details. What's the story?

JD: At the moment I am only part-time guiding, mostly working for Canada West Mountain School, but I previously guided for catskiing companies in the BC interior and New Zealand. I have also taught skiing and outdoor education with schools such as NOLS.

I am also an environmental consultant by day!

Mt Shasta. Photo Ben Horowitz

HW: Last season it sounds like you had some epic adventures... Hut trips, volcanoes, skiing in September but you never left North America?

JD: With the abundant snowfall last year in NA it was difficult to put the skis away, especially since much of it didn’t melt during the cool spring and summer. The result was that I was able to, quite easily, ski tour the whole year in North America with 20 ski ascents occurring between May-September.
And surprisingly there were some good turns too, Mount Baker in September was one of the best! The hardest part was probably finding other people keen to ski in the summer, lucky that I have friends like you, Holly!

HW: Thanks! And of the Cascade volcano’s which was your favourite volcano last season and why?

JD: Mount Shasta (14,162 ft) was probably my favourite because I didn’t think I was going to summit. I had a fairly tight timeframe to climb the mountain and drive home and it had been snowing hard, dumping close to 50 cms. A short weather window opened up and my partners and I were able to go for the summit. We were the only ones on the summit that day and were rewarded by a 7,000 ft powder filled ski descent!

North Joffre Horseshoe. Photo L. Bowes-Lyon.

HW: Oh, and didn't you go touring down in the eastern Sierras last spring as well?

JD: Yes, ski touring in the eastern Sierra has been a trip on my “to-do” list for some time, and it finally happened! There’s an incredible array of steep couloir skiing within a day’s walk of some of the high passes. The couloirs, coupled with a variety of hippie hotsprings to choose from, made for an excellent trip. My favourite ski ascent/descent of that trip was Bloody Mountain (12,522 ft).

HW: Bloody hell, sounds like you have become quite the seasoned ski mountaineer! Where have you ski toured and can you describe a ski mountaineering trip that was really memorable?

JD: Thanks! Some of the places I have visited ski touring include all the major ranges in western Canada, Yukon Territory, Alaska, continental USA, Chile, Argentina, Japan and New Zealand.

A memorable trip was one of the first ski tours: the Garibaldi Neve traverse with an ascent of Mount Garibaldi on the way. Somewhere up on Mount Garibaldi I took my skis off because the terrain was too steep for me to make turns on my telemark gear (I probably couldn’t have made tele turns even if it was a low angle slope, truthfully). I was unroped and fell into a crevasse, but had no idea that I was in a crevasse. I think I called to my partner telling him I fell in a “hole” and then he came and pulled me out by hand! Good thing I have learned a few things about ski mountaineering since then!

Japan. Photo Steve Ogle.

HW: And what is your next big goals and ski mountaineer plans?

JD: For the rest of the winter my focus will be on new ski ascents (for me) because I really enjoy the challenge of being in new terrain. Other plans include knocking off a few classic multi-day ski traverses in a day (Garibaldi Neve, Wapta Traverse, etc) and skiing more of the Cascade volcano’s. I usually do a spring ski mountaineering trip and I am thinking about visiting Norway’s Arctic this year, near Tromso.
Longer term goals include ski descents of peaks over 20,000 feet.

HW: What do you have in your backpack for these big missions and what is your ski setup? And what would you say your most essential piece of equipment is?
Besides gear, how do you chose your ski touring partners?

JD: In addition to the required avalanche, personal, and ski related gear I will usually carry (or share with friends) a first aid kit, repair kit, rescue sled/tarp, navigation equipment, and communication device.

For me, my favourite piece of equipment is probably my altimeter watch – I use it a lot for navigation (especially in whiteout conditions).

In choosing a partner to ski with, I think the biggest thing I look for is the ability to communicate with ease. There is so much decision making in ski touring and I find my ski days are a lot more enjoyable with people who I communicate well with.

Valhallas. Photo Steve Ogle.

HW: I heard a rumour that you have quite a few photos published and also won a bunch of gear last season?

JD: I just saw a current article from a ski traverse I did a few years ago in BC Magazine; other photos have appeared in Colouir, Off-piste and marketing material for Patagonia, Cross Sportswear, G3, Black Diamond, and Mountain Equipment Coop. Last year I was fortunate to win the Winterstoke contest on Doglotion and received a bunch of awesome gear from Mountain Hardwear.

HW: Big thanks and shout outs?

JD: Mountain Hardwear, Doglotion, and to all my ski touring friends: thanks for the fun and trail breaking along the way!

---
This interview is by Holly Walker. Skier and writer Holly Walker lives in Whistler when she is not traveling in search of perfect pow. She is sponsored by K2 Skis/Poles, Dalbello, Marker,  Smith and Pow Gloves.