フェザーフレンズさんのインスタグラム写真 - (フェザーフレンズInstagram)「As a fortunate student of many mentors, it recently occurred to me that you never really realize what world you’re opening when you teach a person a new skill. I’m just returning from a week of training in Wyoming and Idaho: sled hauling, gear testing, and – finally – learning how to kite ski. I started the week as one of 15 stoked kiters traveling to Wyoming’s Big Horns for 4 straight days of kite skiing. We stayed at Wyoming’s High Mountain Lodge, which was a far cry from the sure-to-come sufferfest. But the location afforded me several straight days of kiting. As a mode of travel, kite skiing is brilliant. On my first break through day, I covered 20 miles in about 3 hours of kiting. The next day things really clicked a I traveled 25 miles in less than 2 hours. After a few days in the Big Horns, I drove back to Idaho and spent some time alone in the Sawtooth Wilderness. It was during this time that I was able to do a few “mock expeditions”: rig my kite, haul a loaded sled, pitch the tent in wind while wearing ski boots… At this point I started to reminisce on all the learning that’s had to happen to get to this point. I thought of the first time I strapped on skis, then drove to Alaska and spent my 3rd and 4th days touring the North side of the Brooks range. My friend patiently explained to me that 20 degree slopes are “pretty stable,” while also showing me how to go from ski to walk mode and back again. I thought about the first time I snow camped on the side of Mt. Adams. Another friend patiently showed me how to dig out a vestibule, properly use the mummy feature of a sleeping bag, and melt snow into water. I reminisced on the random ski pole techniques I learned from my avy course instructor. And wilderness independence I learned from my WFR instructor. And layering systems I’ve slowly picked up from peers over the years. We get so much more than just a skill when we learn. Eventually we start to connect the dots. And eventually, those dots can lead us places we never even would have known existed. For us, for now, those dots lead us to Greenland. We start skiing on April 18th. For more updates, follow us: @sisterhoodofadventure.」4月1日 2時24分