I usually take the last three weeks of the year off to chase snow and reset my mind. This year, Kyler was 4 and Riley was 2 — small kids, but I decided to go for it. Bit the bullet and installed an Espar Diesel Van heater in the 170 4x4 Sprinter and added a Disco Bed kids bunk that fit perfectly under my elevated platform. That's the Disco Bed crew — they're a logistics client at Easy Logistics Management — so I was able to call in a favor on a returned unit.
Mammoth Mountain in a Record December
We skied Day 1 at Mammoth Mountain, and then it snowed so hard the resort basically closed for two days. So we did what any sensible adventure family does: built shady booters and sent ourselves into deep powder. I used Kyler as a human grenade, tossing him into snowbanks so deep only his face and ski beanie showed through the freshies. He loved every second of it.
Bass Lake Christmas with the Family
Once we'd had our fill of almost getting snowed in at Mammoth, we drove the long way down through Tehachapi (when the passes close, it's a 7-hour loop) to my hometown of Bass Lake, CA. White Christmas, more sledding, and fresh powder in the wilderness behind Tenaya Lodge near Fish Camp — our secret stash spot.
These trips — the van build, the family sessions, the Espar install at midnight in the driveway — are directly responsible for our Vanderlust Overland Adventure Van shirt, the Board Meeting shirt (built around running businesses from the van and living life on your own ridiculous terms), and our ski t-shirt and beanie designs. Every design started as a real moment from a real trip.
If you want to see more of these Sprinter van + ski adventures, check out the Ski Resort Road Trip guide — Mammoth, Jackson Hole, and the Canadian Powder Highway all in one run.
We would be honored to print you a few fresh copies. Stay stoked out there.
Jeremy Curran, Stoked Clothing Company
