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What’s your most vivid memory of a hangover? Were you a turgid sack of disaster all day? Did you even brush your teeth or shower? We’ve all been there. The nausea, the relentless headache, the existential questionings about your life… If there’s one place you would see yourself spending those dreadful hours, where would it be? If you’re like me and presumably most people in this community, skiing powder might be the one thing that will peel you out of bed in the morning.

Let’s take a step back. I was fortunate enough to get invited to the 10 Barrel Beer Lodge in McCall, ID as a media guest. 10 Barrel had rented this huge house just outside of town for some form of a 6-week work-play retreat with their team to reinvigorate their roots as the microbrewery that stands for enjoying beer outdoors in good company. Following their sale from Anheuser-Busch to Tilray in late 2023, they were due for a fresh reset to remind the world, as well as themselves, what they are all about.

Landing in Boise Airport, I joined renowned action sports photographer Chris Wellhausen, formerly photo editor for Transworld Snowboarding and Snowboarder Magazine, as well as reps and editors from publications like The Inertia, Gear Patrol, Sunset Mag and more, to spend time with key players on 10 Barrel’s team and experience their company culture. Those key players ranged from big name ski and snowboard athletes like Lucas Wachs, Caite Zeliff, Eric Jackson and others, to the lead brewmasters and chefs who make 10 Barrel’s beers, cocktails and restaurant experiences what they are.

Our evening arrival at Beer Lodge was an exciting way to kick things off. Snow was falling, friends were drinking, Big Green Egg barbecues were lit, the party was on. And by the unmistakable smell of the Lodge, there had already been several parties here with this crew. Walking into the kitchen, I right away came across Chris Logan and Conor Smith (Level 1) who were in town to shoot some backcountry for Level 1’s upcoming feature film. Lucas Wachs was there too, and unfortunately also nursing some crippling neck pains. Lucas has some awesome stuff in the works though and we will have an interview with him dropping shortly. So we went on to crack some beers and get the tour of the Lodge.

Welcome to the Beer Lodge - Photo by Chris Wellhausen

The house was enormous. It was like touring your wet dream of a party house on steroids in your early 20s. Aside from the seemingly endless network of bedrooms, bunkbeds and pull-out couches, there was a huge garage-bar area that came alive every night. Pool table, drinking game zone, lounge area, fully stocked fridges, and last but not least, a big indoor heated pool. Following a guided beer tasting with some of 10 Barrel’s classic craft IPAs, we were split into groups for ice-breaker drinking games. Important learning: do not challenge Chris Logan to beer pong. He just doesn't miss, like he has the cheat codes to Call of Brew-ty. In short, we had an epic night to inaugurate the Beer Lodge experience.

Ninja-man Eric Jackson contributing to the ruckus in the pool - Photo by Chris Wellhausen

What was even happening here? - Photo by Chris Wellhausen

The next morning, you can imagine the wake-up call at 6:30 for cat skiing was brutal. As I approach my mid-thirties, hangovers just hit differently and they keep getting worse. Our crew was beat before the day had even started, chugging cans of Liquid Death on the way up to Brundage Ski Resort. We were picked up by two cats at the base that drove us up to zones around Brundage about 45 minutes away. If the hangover wasn’t enough for you to break a sweat, try adding motion sickness from the cat ride. We all put our game faces on, but I think the whole crew knew deep down what each of us were going through.

Morning safety meeting (a real one) – photo by Chris Wellhausen

But that all changed once we first stepped off the cat and into skis/boards. Idaho had had a rough start to the season, like most places in North America. But the area had gotten 12” overnight which properly reset the scene for what turned out to be the best day of the season for everybody along for the ride. Our first turns through the untouched terrain pivoted everybody’s energy levels. Nothing else mattered and the stoke was back to being through the roof. We had that terrain all to ourselves and nobody ever had to ski through another’s tracks. Fresh lines fucking everywhere.

Party lap – Photo by Chris Wellhausen

A few laps in, the beer cans started cracking on cat rides “tsskah” and we were fucking back. Whatever we were feeling before could not keep up with the re-hype laps and lager gulps. Joe Carberry, Senior Managing Editor at The Inertia, took a good tumble in pow, shaking up the insides. We later established that to be a “10 Barrel Roll”. Most of us were strangers at the start of this, but there’s nothing like an epic pow day to bond over. Whether you can share this with friends or meet awesome new people, fight the hangover and your laziness, just get out there. It only gets better.

The doctor also prescribed this – Photo by Chris Wellhausen

At the end of the afternoon, we were expected by the folks at Big Green Egg and Snake River Farms for a tailgate in the Brundage parking lot. Most people stick to hot dogs for a tailgate, but forget the status quo with these guys. They had three BBQs lit for cooking some epic Wagyu New York strip steaks steaks: two at low heat, about 200-250° and one at very high heat. The two low heat grills were slowly bringing the steaks up to temperature, while the hot grill seared them to perfection. Pair that with some parking lot Pub Beer cans at sunset; it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Tell me you’re drooling without telling me you’re drooling – Photo by Chris Wellhausen

We spent a couple of days just like that, mixing in some resort skiing at Brundage with the best conditions you could ask for: blue-bird skies and blower pow. The 10 Barrel crew treated us to the real deal. It just doesn’t feel like real life - it is absolutely a vibe. So do yourself a favor and never stop drinking beer outside.