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Mike Soucy

Mike Soucy is a climbing and ski guide from Boulder, CO, certified through the American Mountain Guides’ Association. He guides in Colorado and Alaska and can be found exploring the Rockies on skis throughout the winter or teaching AIARE avalanche courses for the Colorado Mountain School. Originally from Boston, he developed a strong distaste for frozen granular at an early age and began to seek out real snow in the White Mountain backcountry. For now, his favorite ski areas include any of those where you can park your car and walk to the base of the lift. Email inquiries to msoucy@totalclimbing.com

5 Tips for Great Spring Skiing

March is here, and springtime is right around the corner. With the sun shining and the snow deep, this is my favorite time to be out on the slopes, enjoying a spring storm or carving up corn snow. Here are… Read More →

Making Observations in the Backcountry – Listen to Your Mom

Editor’s Note: Backcountry skiing is extremely dangerous! The advice contained in this article is one expert skier’s opinion, and we don’t recommend going out of bounds until you’ve had the proper training and experience with guides. When we choose to… Read More →

Sidecountry Kit

Sidecountry Skiing Kit

Editor’s Note: Sidecountry skiing can be just as dangerous as backcountry skiing! The advice contained in this article is one expert skier’s opinion, and we don’t recommend going out of bounds until you’ve had the proper training and experience with… Read More →

A Skier’s Guide to Acclimatization: 5 Tips for Optimizing Performance at High Altitude Ski Areas

Fact: The air at 13,000’ (the top of Arapahoe Basin) has the same percentage of oxygen as the air in Manhattan. However, as you go up in elevation, atmospheric pressure decreases, delivering less oxygen per breath to our red blood… Read More →

Dress for Success: 5 Tips for Staying Warm and Dry on the Ski Hill this Season

Nothing makes or breaks your day on the hill as much as regulating your temperature. And no other outdoor activity demands a more versatile clothing system than skiing. Let’s see, first you sit on a frozen chair. Then you speed… Read More →

Hiking the backcountry

How to Prep for the Ultimate Backcountry Ski Trip

It’s that time of winter when you’ve been waiting long enough to see who’s getting the snow. It’s time to plan your trip. Where are you going this season for those memorable turns? If you’re a backcountry skier or rider,… Read More →

Backcountry Skiing

Backcountry Skiing: Choosing the Right Setup

Do you ever get the feeling that you have too much gear? Does it often seem to you that each new adventure sport, guaranteed to enhance the quality of your life, will also lead to financial despair? Backcountry skiing has… Read More →

Backcountry Ski Rescue Essentials

I was glad to see Liftopia’s recent post on the Top 5 Backcountry Spots in the Lower 48.  As a big fan of Liftopia, and an even bigger fan of backcountry ski touring, I see the potential in recognizing ski… Read More →