How to Live Well on the Road, According to Pro Skier Kalen Thorien

“I’ve had [Francis the Land Cruiser] long before the trailer. She’s an old ’86 diesel with about 250,000 miles. She’s been the best purchase of my life.”

“Francis is a rust bucket, but she goes.”

Thorien’s trailer has an attached awning that pulls out to create a patio hangout space.

“The nice thing about this trailer is that I’m definitely not roughing it. I love the fact that the outdoors are right at my front door. It’s pretty rare to get that unless you have a million dollars—or a camper.”

The Bigfoot trailer kitchen has a sink, gas stove, fridge, and even an oven. “I splurged on nonbreakable cookware so you can, like, whack people with a plate and it won’t shatter.”

“I didn’t want to deal with a septic system, so I changed my ‘wet bath’ to a ‘wet-gear room.’ It holds all my climbing gear, mountaineering gear, canyoneering gear, outerwear, tents, backpacks, ice axes, yoga mats, and laundry.”

“My favorite part about sleeping in here is knowing that where I’m waking up is just the best place I could possibly be. It’s somewhere I actually want to be, and it usually means there’s an adventure ahead and something to do.”

“I’ve been putting photos and everything from my travels up here—places that make me happy.”

“I’ve got my library of sophistication, so it looks like I study things!”

Thorien picked up a Gretsch hollow-body bass guitar last summer. “I’ve been playing her as much as possible. It’s been a nice way to pass the time,” she says

“I usually cook with red wine. Not in the food. I like to drink it while I cook.”

“I do tons of salads and cold foods when I’m down in the desert or when it’s summertime. In the winter, I’m a big ramen person. Honestly, I eat a lot healthier because I have to eat simply.”

“The nomadic lifestyle has given me a confidence. It forces you to really rely on yourself and to keep a calm head. It’s taught me the importance of the friendships you make and the people you meet along the way and not to just shake someone off. Lastly, it’s given me a real appreciation for the here and now. You can’t predict tomorrow. Just step out your front door and look around and just take in your surroundings, because it’s really about this moment, who you are, and loving that and being okay with that, and just really being grateful.”

“If I had to describe the setup—Francis the Land Cruiser and Bigfoot the trailer—they would definitely be the ‘Dreammaker,’ because they’ve totally made dreams come true, as cheesy as that sounds.” Thorien plans to thru-hike Glacier National Park and the Wind River Range this year. But when the snow starts falling, it’s back to chasing powder in Francis and Bigfoot.