When did the bike to ski and board movement begin? Could it have been the moment someone realized the carbon-powered vehicles we use to transport ourselves to the mountains contradict our intentions? In only a few years, it has become a popular trend to choose pedal power over carbon, with skiers and riders on both coasts biking and hiking to access vertical lines.
Nearly every day, the news is populated with stories of climate disasters. From devastating flooding throughout Vermont to wildfire tragedy on Maui, there has been a deluge of unspeakable climate catastrophes this summer, and the science is truly unsettling. The World Meteorological Organization reported 2023 as the hottest summer on record in the Northern Hemisphere.
Burning fossil fuels to power vehicles releases CO2 into the atmosphere. The buildup of carbon dioxide causes the atmosphere to warm at an alarming rate, resulting in extreme changes to climate. Outdoor enthusiasts and athletes especially need to exist in nature and the mountains, but accessing this playground often requires practices that—compounded—compromise the landscapes we seek. Our survival depends on doing a better job of reducing our carbon consumption.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. No phrase in the English language better describes what the human spirit is capable of achieving. It holds true for all athletes who have curbed their fossil fuel consumption when accessing mountains. Snowboard legend Jeremy Jones decided nearly a decade ago to curb carbon by hiking and climbing up mountains to ride down them. Many others are following his lead, and they are committed to traveling by bicycle.
Witnessing the impacts of climate change firsthand can inspire out-of-the-box thinking and innovation towards change. Cody Townsend and Michelle Parker’s film The Mountain Why follows the professional freeskiers on a 35-day, 1,000-mile backpacking journey from the Lake Tahoe region towards Washington State to ski three iconic mountains: the Newton Clark Headwall on Oregon’s 3,429m Mount Hood, and in Washington, the Führer Finger on 4,392m Mount Rainier, and 2,703m Eldorado Peak in the North Cascades. In 2017, the Quebec City-based Trifiro brothers built a bicycle trailer because they wanted to do an eco-friendly snowboard video. They documented their first urban bike and snowboard adventure in The Bicycle Project, and after a successful first venture, released A Bicycle Tempo the following year.
The idea of cycling and hiking to ski and then cycling home seems physically and mentally daunting to the average skier or rider. There is the time it takes, involving not only the travel but also the preparation and planning, along with the safety risks inherent in pedaling alongside trucks and cars and the logistics of balancing or towing gear, clothing, and camping equipment. Speaking with athletes who have embraced this lifestyle, it’s clear the benefits of distance travel on a bicycle outshine its challenges.
Ian Johnson documents his bike to ski adventures on his Strava page. I spoke with Johnson over the phone from his home in Salt Lake on a recent Friday afternoon, days after he and his roommate had returned from a bike adventure of the Great Divide, starting in Banff, Alberta, and ending their tour in New Mexico. I wanted to know when he decided that this was a sustainable approach to the mountains. Cody Hughes, a backcountry guide in the Wasatch Mountains and instructor with the American Avalanche Institute, first gave Johnson the idea that he could do this. In 2019, Cody rode his bike from Salt Lake to Alaska to snowboard Denali, a total of 3,560 miles of biking and 63 miles of hiking. Johnson took an avalanche training course with Hughes while attending the University of Utah, and it left a lasting impression.
Inspiration to do something completely differently is the beginning, but the logistics involved in planning something like this are intense. Johnson shared his bike to ski setup along with the pros, cons, and unknowns he encountered on his journeys.
“I ride a bike with 2.8-inch tires for remote dirt and gravel roads. I have two low-rider racks, a frame bag for clothing, and camping gear. It’s trial and error to determine what works. The Great Divide trip was the longest trip we’ve done and I learned so much. It’s the ultimate adventure, an exhilarating experience, it is freedom defined. Cars are not a huge concern as we’re mainly on dirt and gravel roads that don’t see many. You witness how the land changes on a bicycle, looking up at the lines you’ll ski down. There’s nothing like it. ”
It takes a certain kind of human to open their mind to bike to ski and board. Our current world is one that embraces efficiency and short-term gains—people love their cars. Johnson said that he thinks the potential of bike to ski is a tangible travel alternative, and he shared what inspires him to keep going.
“I think people are looking to alternatives to carbon-fueled travel but you have to be willing to slow down. It takes time. We need better infrastructure for bikes. Salt Lake City is not bike-friendly, but I truly believe if everyone rode a bike the world would be a much different place. With cars, we’re traveling in a metal box, separated from each other, there’s no community. E-bikes are a game changer. The more e-bikes are available, the more people will be open to leaving their cars behind.”
In 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified bicycling as a solution to ensure a sustainable world for everyone, now and in the future. The carbon footprint of cycling one kilometer is usually estimated in the range of 16 to 50 grams CO2eq per km, depending on the individual cyclist. Using a bike instead of a car for short trips alone can reduce travel emissions by around seventy-five percent. Everyone who loves cycling can agree that the landscape looks much different from the seat of a bicycle, and for athletes like Johnson, this alone can be an inspiration to continue the adventure.
“Knowing that there is so much out there to discover keeps me inspired, it is the ultimate adventure,” Johnson said. “Nevada was a game-changer, seeing how much open space there is in the West, knowing there is always something new to see; it could take a lifetime and you still won’t see it all.”
As more people become interested in using bikes to ski and ride lines, the sport is evolving, with athletes pushing for bigger, longer, steeper objectives. Stratton Matteson, a pro snowboarder based in Bend, Oregon, is one of these trailblazers. His bike to board journey began with the decision to commit the 2019-20 season to split-boarding fossil free.
Matteson has been off fossil fuels ever since. He’s documented his bike to board missions in films Shift: A Bike to Board Journey and, more recently, in Mostly Powder, which are exhilarating to watch because they feel immersive. I contacted him on his Instagram page, and we corresponded over email.
“Five years ago I had an awakening that it was time to transition away from fossil fuels,” Matteson said. “I had been conscious of my role and consumption for a while, trying to limit my intake of meat, eat locally and from the garden, plant native plants for work, and make a stance against using snowmobiles to access backcountry terrain. I see snowmobiles and helicopters as the most unnecessary emitters of fossil fuels in the skiing world.”
Matteson explained that he has traveled all around the West to and from the mountains in search of flow and bliss. All the while, the impacts of climate change–lengthening droughts, months of thick, hazardous wildfire smoke, shortening winters, and snowpack—were worsening around him. As he learned more about critical climate tipping points, it became apparent to him that the time to make meaningful change was now.
“I noticed climate action was happening too slowly on the political level,” Matteson said. “I decided to do my part to create change in my own lifestyle. I had the crazy thought I should commit myself to going car-free to splitboard for an entire season. I found not only was it possible but it was also deeply fulfilling. I reduced my fossil fuel consumption by cutting out approx. 10,000 miles I would’ve driven for recreation in a year.”
Matteson continues the journey of biking to board and live the change he wants to see in the world. His first mission was in July 2019 up to the glaciers of the Cascade Volcanoes in his home state of Oregon, where he rode the shrinking rivers of ice. He explained that riding these melting sentinels was an homage to the ‘why’ he was called to reach the mountains by bike.
The message from alpine athletes like Matteson and leading climate scientists is that talk is cheap; now is the time for measured, collective action. But the preparations alone for a bike to ride mission still seem intimidating. I asked Matteson about this, and he went through the list. A multi-day mission–his longest being a total of 2,000 miles from the central Sierra Mountains to Mt. Baker–can take several hours to plan and pack equipment, which means bringing extra layers, avalanche equipment, first aid supplies, food, water, boots, board, poles, skins, glasses, goggles, a bike repair kit, a camera for photos and filming, and camping gear. However, according to Matteson, the pros of pedaling for powder are numerous.
At times, Matteson has to endure harsh travel conditions to reach a destination in time to catch a clear weather window, battling 25 mph headwinds and rain or snow. He says it is all part of the journey and a type 3 fun; challenging in the moment but deeply gratifying when the day is done.
“Biking to board reduces greenhouse gas emissions and emphasizes the potential for human power. The more time spent outside in my breath, the more opportunity to notice the sights and sounds around me like bird calls, the wind through the trees, a deer in the forest, sunrise and sunset. Climbing a mountain from the first sight of its peak is deeply fulfilling; there’s an enhanced sense of respect for the mountains when you give your whole spirit to the journey.”
Matteson has experienced the natural environment in a way most have only dreamed about. What he has lived over countless miles of geography ridden on a bicycle has put him in a unique position to inform others who might consider accessing the mountains in this way while continuing to dream up new bike to board missions for his own carbon-free journey.
“I see more folks being intentional with recreational pursuits and their carbon footprint in mind. My hope is it’s not a flashy trend but a movement away from needless fossil fuel consumption. I understand it can be challenging for people to cut carbon for necessities like working or family commitments. I believe recreation is an easy place to start. Plus, it’s totally enlivening!”
Matteson absolutely believes that people are capable of creating a carbon-conscious future. We’re an adaptive species, inextricably connected to the health of watersheds, soil webs, and ocean currents. The planet supports our ability to live, and with this collective recognition, climate change can be met with responsible and intelligent action in support of all living things.
“Part of my commitment is about making a statement and part of that statement is the enrichment and aliveness that comes from bicycling as it generates sustainability effortlessly,” Matteson said. “I ride my bicycle because it fulfills my soul! The North Cascades and coastal BC are calling my name. This coming spring a big journey is in order. I’m planning on another full season of biking to board starting out the season locally in the Cascade Volcanoes and then embarking on another three month bike to board journey come spring.”
Biking to ski and board can help save the planet. Athletes like Johnson and Matteson have challenged themselves to think outside the metal box and show others through their actions that not only is an alternative to carbon travel possible and a greener future attainable, but the journey can be just as much a life-changing and rewarding experience as the destination.
