Jenna Dramise | Live like Kyle | E97
Ski Pow. Eat Ramen. Smile More. It was Kyle Smaine’s mantra. Jenna Dramise first met Kyle when she picked him up hitchhiking in New Zealand in 2010. While it wasn’t love at first sight, Jenna was drawn in by Kyle’s irresistibly positive energy and love for life. They started dating in their early twenties while competing together on the professional world circuit, Jenna as a snowboarder and Kyle as a skier. They moved in together, living in South Lake Tahoe with Kyle’s dad and brother. In 2014, Kyle and his dad taught Jenna to mountain bike, and although she struggled at first, she found her new favorite sport thanks to Kyle. Kyle also taught Jenna the ways of backcountry skiing and how to safely navigate terrain. But only two months after Jenna and Kyle were married, while skiing Japan in January 2023, Kyle was killed in an avalanche while transitioning in a seemingly safe place. Kyle’s positive energy and kindness has touched so many lives, and to celebrate his life, Jenna and Kyle’s father started The Smaine Fund, supporting young athletes in their quest to become professionals.
Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra | Nate Greenberg | E36
Boasting some of the biggest vertical relief in North America and some of the best skiing anywhere in the world, California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada hits its zenith in spring with warm weather for camping at the foot of massive snow-covered peaks. For the last 25 years, Nate Greenberg has been documenting all the best lines to ski, and his book, Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra (along with co-author Dan Mingori), is the “bible” of the region. In addition to co-authoring the book, Nate was also a GIS expert in his former life working for Mono for two decades, now the Chief Administrative Officer for Inyo County. He’s also the co-founder of the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center. We chat with Nate about a variety of topics related to the Eastern Sierra and what makes it so special, as well as the controversial launch of the OnX Backcountry app featuring ski lines from the book, which some fear will blow up all the secret spots. Nate also opens up about a harrowing avalanche incident in the Bardini Chutes that nearly took his life. Purchase the book at your local outdoor retailer or online at Wolverinepublishing.com and donate to ESAC at esavalanche.org.