2026 is the 20th anniversary of The Ski Diva. To celebrate the amazing women who make this community what it is, we’re going to be featuring interviews with Ski Diva members on the blog all season long. Check them all out here.
Emma, who goes by @HuntersEmma57 on the forum, joined in 2024 and has quickly become an active part of the community. With a home base in the northern Wasatch in Utah, Emma and her husband are spending their retirement playing in the mountains year-round.
Tell us just a little bit about yourself outside of skiing and The Ski Diva.
I’ve always been most at home outside whether it was working with livestock or wading in the creek. We left dairy and grain farming when I was 12 and it was the first time in my life I had an opportunity to play, just play, outside year ‘round.
I keep expanding and changing what that means. Parenting overlapped my education and career so playing outside took a diminished role in my life for 20 years.
A remarriage at age 46 blew the doors wide open to explore the world of outdoor adventures. We split out time between Chesapeake Bay and a cabin in the mountains of West Virginia. Hiking, biking and riding centuries on our tandem, paddling, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, picking wild berries and making jam and baking fresh bread while savoring the cold of the mountains and wild flowers.
We moved to Utah 2 years before retiring and now play full-time and meander whenever the urge strikes. We’ve explored every major and several minor mountain ranges in the Intermountain West and scads of paddling destinations in UT, ID, MT, Canada, AZ, NV, OR, CO, WY.
I sense the countdown clock to the years left for big adventures and I live by this motto: Carpe Skiem.
What drew you to skiing, and what’s kept you hooked?
I have always loved the winter wonderland of pure white snow and find I can’t truly thrive without snow. Working on a farm, winter was the slow season, so I associate snow with joyful freedom (and some frostbite).
I honestly wasn’t drawn to skiing because it was absolutely unaffordable for me. I didn’t even bother to imagine it.
My spouse is an expert skier and when we bought our mountain cabin, I was ok with him skiing while I snowshoed and sledded with our youngest and the grandkids that had started arriving. But a season pass at Timberline was too good a bargain to pass up and as our 9 yr. old wanted to learn, I had a ski buddy. I was an awful, fearful, clenched skier but I agreed to give it a year.
So what’s kept me hooked is having regular, affordable access to skiing. And I got better. Then I got good. Then I got confident, adventurous, and it intensified my love of the outdoors.
Skiing became the center of our lives for 6 months out of the year. Backcountry Nordic became my primary passion at White Grass in Canaan Valley WV and the fitness level and the flood of endorphins released within 30-45 minutes of climbing got me addicted.
Utah called to us after just one day at Powder Mountain. Outdoor life here is on the next level. This dairy farm kid became a legit powder skier.
I didn’t have dreams come true because I could never have even dreamed this.
How did you find The Ski Diva? What motivated you to join and stick around?
I stumbled across The Ski Diva while looking for some advice that did not involve any mansplaining or being talked down to. I was in awe of finding so much information specific to women and finding so many women as obsessed with skiing and ski gear as I.
I started commenting on posts and sharing my experiences and found so much support. The quality of advice that is offered here is so easy to receive as I feel no judgment. I feel welcomed.
Is there anyone you’ve met through the forum who’s had a big impact on you?
I noticed quickly that @snoWYmonkey posted to many of the same threads as me and we started a DM exchange that now goes well beyond skiing. I didn’t expect friendships to form because I don’t travel to ski with other Divas. So, BONUS!
Is there a particular skiing-related challenge you’ve had that The Ski Diva has helped you with?
In a general sense, the biggest ski-related challenge for me is a penchant for negative self-talk and doubts. As this penchant is widely shared, it’s helped me to fully comprehend how much of skiing is the head game. Being around positive, affirming people is such a balm. Sharing that process with so many others has made my journey to advanced/expert easier and far more pleasant.
How has The Ski Diva community influenced your life outside of skiing?
Not to over-simplify, but the Diva mindset and connections now span all seasons. I know y’all are out there with good ideas, recommendations, living through all kinds of challenges, inspiring and supporting each other, and you allow me to be a part of something good and positive right alongside you.
What advice would you give to a new skier just starting out – especially women entering the sport?
Be kind and patient with yourself. Skiing is neither easy nor intuitive. Taking lessons as you progress can be a priceless boost.
Good, well-fitting boots are the single most critical equipment to have.
Next, your skis need to be properly cared for – waxed, edges cleaned up.
Lastly, tight clothing and gloves make you much colder by preventing a layer of warm air from collecting.
There’s magic in these hills. Don’t quit before the miracle.
What do you think makes The Ski Diva unique compared to other communities you’re a part of, or compared to other places you hang out online?
It’s mostly the positive vibe and ethos of supporting each other. There’s no one here I ever felt was being mean or critical. I can feel the shared love of skiing in every post and the humor is a special delight. I always feel uplifted here and I learn so much.
What do you hope The Ski Diva looks like 20 years from now?
Much the same, but with more actively posting members. When you share, you can connect in more meaningful ways.
If you had to describe skiing in three words, what would they be?
Magic. Freedom. Challenge.
What song would be on your ultimate ski playlist?
The Sounds of Silence – I’ve never skied, biked, hiked, run, or paddled with earbuds.
