INGRID BACKSTROM was introduced to the sport of skiing at a young age and has never looked back. From weekend trips to local mountains with her parents in Seattle to gracing the world stage as an internationally top-ranked freestyle skier she has gained an immense knowledge and skill in the sport.

Today Ingrid lives 40 minutes from her local mountains and is out enjoying a range of sports on them on a daily basis. From skiing to trail-running, hiking and mountain biking her love of mountain life offers her endless adventures to pursue.

Ingrid blogs at www.ingridbackstrom.com and here you will find her musings on a range of her adventures as well as her general thoughts about life on the mountains. From skiing pregnant to her experiences of Siberia there’s plenty to inspire any adventure enthusiast.

Read on to find out more about this inspirational athlete’s take on life, what inspired her to ski pregnant as well as the lessons the sport continues to teach her on all aspects of life.

Where did you grow up and when was it you realised you had a passion for
the mountains and all they could offer in terms of sport and adventure?

I grew up just outside Seattle, WA, and we went skiing at Crystal Mountain every weekend because my parents were on the volunteer ski patrol. I think it was in college that I truly gained an appreciation for mountains and their possibilities for fun and adventure – I decided that after college I wanted to take a year off to move to Squaw Valley, CA, and work in restaurants so I could ski as much as possible.

Ingrid currently lives in Washington where she can access the mountains from her home in under an hour. 

Where are you currently living and what kind of access do you have to
mountains which can offer you the adventures you love so dearly?

I live in Leavenworth, Washington. The mountains are almost in our backyard; we can leave the house and within a few miles be on mountain trails in several directions. And Stevens Pass is 40 minutes up the road. The access here is incredible.

Ingrid inspired many and gave food for thought when she blogged about her experience of skiing pregnant.

When did you learn to ski and what is it you love about the sport? What was it like skiing pregnant and is it something you’d recommend to other expectant mothers?

I learned to ski when I was four. I love the feeling of freedom that skiing gives me; I can choose to do exactly what I’d like to do. It’s taught me a lot about responsibility and a lot of personal lessons, when to push and when to back off.

As for skiing pregnant, that’s a really hard topic as it’s one of the most personal and individual decisions for an expectant mother. There are a lot of risks involved and I could not recommend or not recommend it to any other mothers; it has to be something that comes from their own self and their own decision. I can only talk about what worked and what hasn’t worked for me.

Since the age of four skiing has aided Ingrid in all kinds of life lessons and she is still learning as she continues to pursue her passion for the sport.

What other sports do you enjoy and specifically those you can take part in on a mountain?

I love trail running, long hikes, and mountain biking. I also like climbing, although that’s something I do much less often.

What have been some of your biggest adventures to date?

Spending two months in the Himalaya in Pakistan, attempting to climb and ski Gasherbrum II was a huge adventure for me; also climbing and skiing Denali. I’ve been fortunate to be able to camp on a glacier in Greenland to hike and ski lines, as well as in Baffin Island. And I got to go to China and make a first descent with three others on 20,000 foot Reddomaine Peak. But I have to say that my biggest adventure so far has been becoming a mom!

Tell us about your blog and what our readers can expect from it?

Haha my blog is often neglected. But I always intend to write more, and I try to just share personal essays about things I’m thinking about, plus some recipes as I love cooking and reading cooking blogs. I’m working on a ski road trip series for the blog (my family and I took a series of ski road trips around the West last season, visiting 23 different ski areas, for the movie Lineage, which you can see for free at Powder.com/Lineage), so hopefully I will be starting to get some of those posts up soon.

What exciting projects and adventures have you got lined up for 2018 and beyond?

We are expecting another baby, so that’s very exciting. I’m helping to produce and direct a ski movie also, with some friends of mine, plus Matchstick Productions.