Story by Jenn Sheridan & Photography by Mael Passanesi ·
It’s not every day that a dream opportunity pops up. So when Robin McElroy saw a posting for the “ultimate ski bum job” she recruited fellow ski bum Sarah Scott and jumped on it. Backpacker and Skiing magazines were seeking ambassadors for their Get Out More Winter Tour. The job involves spending the winter traveling the country to inspire others to get out and enjoy the outdoors in all season.
“Obviously, what a great opportunity to travel the country, but what really hit home for both of us was that it’s a way to get people stoked on what drives us in life,” said Scott.
McElroy’s experience as a ski patroller and professional guide along with a background in competitive skiing combined with Scott’s position as a Big Mountain Coach on the Squaw Valley Ski Team and combined knowledge of technical back-country skills caught the eye of the crews at Skiing and Backpacker. Soon, the duo were planning their dream winter trip. In mid-October, the two hit the road to bring their adventures to people across the country. They will be making presentations during special events at retail stores while exploring as many adventures as they can find along the way.
Coming to Tahoe
A native of Anchorage, Alaska, McElroy has always called the mountains home.
“I moved to Tahoe after college. I had come here on a couple ski trips and really loved skiing Squaw. Skiing is my main motivation in life,” she said.
McElroy grew up ski racing before competing internationally as a big mountain freeskier. In addition to patrolling at Squaw Valley, McElroy has guided trips with Pacific Crest Snowcats and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. She has skied back-country descents all over the world including Tierra del Fuego, the Chilean Andes and the Italian Alps, as well as skiing plenty of terrain in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Eastern Sierra. In the summer, McElroy guides trips with Tahoe Adventure Company. You may recognize her as your server at Jake’s on the Lake.
Scott hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. “My brother talked me into moving here,” she said.
At the time she was living in Alta, Utah, and coaching at Keely’s Ski Camp for Girls. Scott grew up in Utah and, like McElroy, skiing was a big part of her life. She was a member of the Snowbird Ski Team before getting certified as a USSA level 200 ski coach and sharing her passion with younger skiers.
“I love it here, I’m glad he pushed me to move,” she said.
Naturally, the duo met each other skiing during Scott’s first winter in Tahoe.
“We’ve been on some fun adventures skiing, backpacking. Robin’s queen of peer pressure when it comes to fun things,” said Scott.
“I’m a fun enabler,” said McElroy.
The Trip
McElroy and Scott will be spending 5 months on the road and they plan to take advantage of it as much as possible. Originally, they planned on hitting all 50 states, but after sitting down to make a plan they settled for hitting 46 of the lower 48 states.
“We don’t want to be sitting in the car the whole time, so we make it a goal to do one fun outdoor activity in each state,” said McElroy.
Whether it’s a short hike or bike ride or skiing a new peak, the duo plans on backing up their talk with adventure.
“I also want to try to take a portrait of someone we meet in every state,” said Scott.
In between personal adventures, Scott and McElroy will host presentations covering winter activities from introductory snowshoeing and ice skating to skiing and ice climbing.
“Then we’re going to take them on a world wide tour through some of the adventures we’ve done,” said Scott. “It’s kind of a cool way to keep people engaged.”
Through anecdotes, Scott and McElroy will discuss what it took for each of them to pursue winter adventure. The presentation has to be tailored for different audiences from the mountain locals of Jackson Hole to the city slicker of New York City. The tour ends back home during the Alpenglow Mountain Festival in Tahoe City.
Follow McElroy and Scott as they explore the country by checking their blog at gomwinter.tumblr.com or following their social media channels at facebook.com/getoutmoretour or @getoutmoretour on Twitter and Instagram.
Local Tour Schedule
Feb. 23 | 6 p.m.
REI | Reno, Nev.
Feb. 24 | 6 p.m.
REI | Berekley
Feb. 26 | 7 p.m.
Tahoe Sports Hub | Truckee
Feb. 27-28
Alpenglow Mountain Festival | Tahoe City
Follow the Tour
gomwinter.tumblr.com
facebook.com/getoutmoretour
@getoutmoretour on Twitter & Instagram
