Yesterday, the staff at RMI took a little break from the office to get some backcountry turns in with our friends at Cascade Powder Cats. As the company exists to serve those people who venture too faraway places, it is only right that we, as a staff, ensure that we never lose the connection we have with those places or our clients. More truthfully, when one of your clients, owner Ryan Murray, provides the opportunity to go skiing in the backcountry of the Cascades during a workday, you take it.
On Tuesday, ten RMI staff piled into the cat at Steven’s Pass and drove ten miles up to the Powder Cats Yurt which is situated only several minutes from the first run of the day. After a hearty meal, prepared by our Medical Director, Dr. Michael Cull, some cards, box wine and as few medical conversations as possible we went to sleep listening to the sound of snow piling up on the yurt roof.
The next morning, after a good cup of coffee, we met up with our guides Ryan Murray, Jay Bright, with Cat Operator Gabe Winter and headed off to the slopes, a short three minute ride away.
The terrain is amazing, trees, cliffs, bowls, and lower-angle wide-open lines with incredible views. As a former guide, I really appreciate the proficiency, approachability and situational awareness that all three of our guides have obviously mastered. The day continued with sun breaks interrupting dumping snow, in short, a beautiful day in the cascades. While I haven’t gotten out much this year, there is no doubt it was the best day of the season, surrounded by silence and good people. I highly recommend Cascade Powder Cats, especially with a group – I am certain this will be an annual winter trip for the RMI crew.
Looking around at RMI staff dropping cliffs, pushing each other over, or probing for the 160/140mm powder ski, I couldn’t imagine a better place to work or a better crew to work with. Recently in an interview with the Seattle Times, we were discussing the elements that contribute to our success as a company and I am not sure whether it is the fact that we do get out a lot together or the staff chemistry that allows us to. Either way, there is something very important about trips like this that play into our ability to manage international operations and complex projects.
We continue to look for experienced people of similar mentality and work-ethic who both work hard and play hard. While we continue our triple-digit growth, I believe it is imperative to ensure that our bonds stay strong, we work unencumbered as a team, pursue the activities that inspired us into this work in the first place and finally ensure that we support organizations that allow people to experience wilderness, whether for work or play, in the safest way possible. While this is a much less formal blog entry for me, my two points are:
- You should book a trip with Cascade Powder Cats, click here to do that or call 1 (877) SKI-CATS.
- If you are looking for a great place to work, click here to learn more about joining the Remote Medical International team.
