Winter Dispatch: 032
The accoutrement edition.
I’m writing this on a sunny, 70 degree December day in Denver. Very grim. For those heading to the slopes this holiday season, I’m sending all the good vibes and every snow dance I’ve got. It may be time to break out the Etsy weather witches.
Over the past few years, OpenSnow has become my most-used winter app. Constantly refreshing it won’t conjure a storm, unfortunately, but it remains the most useful way to make sense of whatever winter is doing. Incredibly helpful for everyone from fair-weather skiers to those deep in the backcountry. If you missed last year’s interview with OpenSnow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz, it’s worth revisiting.
Happy holidays + thank you (as always) for reading!
Chairlift Chatter
A rare housing win in Steamboat! More than 100 locals are moving into a new $93.5M apartment complex after the project was pivoted from luxury rentals to below-market housing for full-time workers. No income caps, just proof you work in the valley. Tysm to Mark Stevens (Steamboat local and venture capitalist) for funding the project.
Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn exemplifying GOAT behavior, as per usual.
Killington’s vibe is facing a makeover: luxury condos, spas, and a glossy base village are coming to compete in the ski industry’s luxury arms race. Locals are (obviously) unamused.
The good old days ($40 Jackson lift tickets). Also loving the web design here.
Big Gigantic is playing a free concert at Winter Park on January 10. If you missed the mountain town music coverage a couple weeks back, you’ll want to check that out.
Columbia and Kith are joining forces. Details haven’t been released yet but the capsule was developed and shot in Niseko, Japan. Interested to see more.
The Accoutrement Edition
Aside from the obvious big things you need to get on the slopes (skis/board, boots, pants/jacket), there’s a quieter category of ski essentials that rarely make the packing list, but somehow always make the day.
These are the small, slightly unnecessary, deeply personal items that live at the edges of skiing. They don’t make you faster. They won’t save you in rough weather conditions. But they do make skiing more fun, more personal, and occasionally more functional.
We’re calling this critical ski accoutrement. This letter catalogs the best of it. And since I decided to skip a gift guide this year, consider this its placeholder.
Ski Sunnies
Spring skiing, bluebird groomers, lift-served laps. This is sunglasses territory. They’re about confidence, nonchalance, and a willingness to trade perfect visibility for pure vibe. The faster looking, the better.
Running or cycling glasses can also work well here – just make sure they’re polarized and wrap around enough to keep the snow glare at bay.
Sunski - Classic glacier sunnies. Perfect for extra sun protection. Has a magnetic removable sun blocking system.
District Vision - A runner sunnie that works just as well. Technical design with adjustable features.
Izipizi - Another glacier look, made for mountaineering but great in-bounds too.
Julbo - Panoramic wide lens view. Flexible nose grip + temples. 100% UVA/B protection.
Vuarnet - Stylish yet ultra functional. Highest absorption of visible light and harmful blue light in this list.
Pit Viper - The OG of ski sunnies. The lens flips up which makes you look and feel extra fast.
Beanies That Live in Pockets
We’re always wearing a helmet, so this is the secondary head warmer. The one that earns its keep off the lift. For lunch. For après. For parking-lot boot changes. For surprise wind. For the drive home when your hair has fully surrendered.
This beanie lives in a jacket pocket, a backpack, or even the cupholder of your car. Thin enough to stash without looking like a Michelin man, pom-free for easy portability (though I do love a good pom), and perfectly capable of hiding any bad hair moments.
Arc’teryx Bird Head Toque - Prepare yourself for a slight tangent here. Like all good things, fashion eventually adopted the functional toque. The Arc’teryx beanie officially crossed over – so much so that it earned its own NYT Style section write-up, courtesy of Timothée Chalamet and the broader gorpcore narrative. Subsequently, it’s sold out everywhere and going for 5x the original price on eBay.
Walk into any coffee shop in Williamsburg between December and March and I guarantee you’ll spot at least three.
The North Face Big Box Beanie - A classic for a reason.
Halfdays Merino Beanie - Love the new ribbed colorways. Cute and functional.
Skida High Pile Fleece Hat - Slightly bulkier but warm and novelty.
Gigi Pip Merino Wool Beanie - Great colors and perfect for this use case.
Coal Uniform Beanie - Another classic. Perfect thickness to stash in a pocket.
Patches (a personal branding moment)
Patches are storytelling devices. A quiet flex. A way to say I’ve been around without saying anything at all. You can procure these at local ski shops (the more obscure, the better), ski swaps, random mountain towns you visited once. NoSo is an incredible brand with fun designs!
Sew them onto: Old jackets with rips, new jackets with no rips but needs ~panache~, duffels/gear bags that have survived multiple airlines.
Ski Pole Flair
Custom Pole Baskets
Custom pole baskets are deeply unnecessary and therefore extremely correct.
There’s an Etsy seller called Fun Baskets doing some of the most innovative work in this category!
Stoke Tracks is a new-to-me company that offers animal track baskets. Incredibly fun! They’re also completely biodegradable.
Powder Bunnies has some fun options to zhuzh up your poles.
Our friends at Yardsale also offer a la carte powder baskets for deep days.
Bedazzled Poles
If you’re a DIY type, Amazon glitter tape does the trick!
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Ski Straps
Clipstic has created the “paperclip of skiing.” It’s a strap that holds your skis and poles together as one unit for seamless transporting. Highly functional.
Boot charms
Mix + match is in. Different colored laces on each shoe? Encouraged. Fabric laces? Absolutely. Charms are having a major moment too. The more customized, the better. If we’re going to spend all day in ski boots, they might as well have some personality. Let’s make our boots more fun. Here’s a tutorial.
These small, slightly unnecessary items are what make a day on the slopes feel like yours. They don’t make you faster or save you in tough conditions, but they make you smile on the lift, at lunch, and in the parking lot. Pack them + personalize them. The accoutrement is where the fun lives!
If you enjoy this letter, please share with friends! Feel free to respond here with ski-related intel, new products you’re loving, or just to say hi. Thanks for reading 💌
OMG boot decor – I love!!