I was recently flipping through Powder Magazine's 2013 Photo Annual, and came across a photo of a dog cruising up a boot pack with a Ruffwear Singletrak Pack on. How exciting to have my two worlds collide!
It is no accident that this particular Ruffwear product happened to end up in Powder: the idea was born from backcountry skiing. Our director of product development was a backcountry skier, and wanted to figure out a way to have his dog carry water -- and not much else -- close against his body rather than in a big pack that flapped around while he was chasing his ski buddies down the mountain. We already had a secure, stable platform in the form of our Web Master harness, so we modified the footprint of the harness slightly to accommodate two pockets sized specifically to carry 0.5L Platypus SoftBottles.
Kaya the ski dog had the pleasure of testing a prototype up on Broken Top, one of my favorite mountains. She was happy to do the job!
It was a great excuse to enjoy yet another gorgeous day on Broken Top!
Back to today: here's what the Powder dog had to say about skiing in the backcountry:
"This is what it's all about. Me and the boys. The wild. The monotony. The grind. The weight of the pack and the balls of snow on my paws. I remember my first climbs. Was still a pup. Brazen and all about the down, the next cookie, the next stick, the next thing to pee on. I'm older now. Is that a squirrel? Damn squirrels. At my age, it's more about the up. The slog. Patience and delayed gratification. The trust of fellow men. I smell peanut butter. I love peanut butter. I'll follow these guys anywhere."
Kaya has been following her people around snowy mountains for most of her life as well, and loves every second of it. That Powder dog is invited to come along on a ski adventure in Oregon sometime... she may even have a little peanut butter in her pack to share!
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