A misty morning bike ride to camp. The remains of an earlier avalanche to keep you on your toes. The whisper of a rogue bear roaming the Park...
Backcountry snowboarding in Glacier National Park never felt so good.
In 2018, amateur splitboarders Jaimie Vincent and team members Kaitlyn, Bryant, and Amanda were able to tour Glacier National Park (GNP) via bike and splitboard, thanks to the Jones Live Like Liz Award. Their backcountry adventure was purely human-powered, and as Jaimie wrote in anticipation of this adventure, this was entirely intentional.
"I want to be a witness to this gem, and not an intruder that pollutes the air. I feel that National Parks do a beautiful job preserving land, but there is also a lot of transportation and crowds affiliated with the Parks. I want to see Glacier for the first time gently, knowing that the presence of my team and I is not a disturbance. Hopefully we can become one with its grandeur."
Jaime and her team may have traveled gently, attempting to leave as little a mark of humanity and the consequences of our technology in GNP, but the Park was not gentle with them. Bear and wolverine sightings kept them on their toes, and three days of biking, hiking, and skinning ensued before the snow conditions allowed them to soar down the slopes of Many Glacier.
Jaime wrote of the experience: "Nothing boosts my senses like splitboard touring. Working the body, mind, and spirit. Seeing, hearing and smelling the new sights, animals, and friends. Becoming one with Glacier National Park. And then the sweet treat, snowboarding at the end!"
For Jaime and her team, becoming one with the wilderness of GNP meant putting sweat and effort into the ascent, and attuning a careful attention to the wilderness around them. The focus and grit required of touring in this way made the gift of snowboarding down Swiftcurrent and Many Glaciers all the sweeter.
The Live Like Liz Award, sponsored by Jones Snowboards in tandem with the Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant, makes it possible for backcountry splitboarders like Jaime to explore new areas of the North American wilderness. Make your own splitboarding adventure happen by applying to the Jones Backcountry Adventure Grant today, open from October 1, 2021 through January 1, 2022.
