Last year I received Warren Miller’s autobiography as a Christmas gift from my parents. Warren’s films played a big role in my childhood and really opened my eyes to what was possible on a pair of skis. As I made my through the book, I realized I may have known a lot about his films but I knew very little about the man.
Warren grew up in California and skiing the Sierras was a formative experience for him. Having lived in California for the last four years, I really enjoyed reading about Warren exploring the same places I was getting to know. One place Warren mentioned that I was unfamiliar with was Ostrander Lake Hut in Yosemite. In 1947, he and Ward Baker spent a few days there and skied the cirque on Horse Ridge. I filed this information away in my brain and continued reading.
Fast forward a few months to November and my friend Trevor reached out to me about a trip to the Ostrander Hut he was planning.
“Do you want to come?”
The image of Warren and Ward standing beneath Horse Ridge filled my mind.
“Yes.”
Considering our trip was during California’s driest February on record, it is no surprise we didn’t get to ski any pow. We did have some good times though. If I have to ski windpack and sun cups, I’d rather to do it under a blue sky with my friends.
Warren (Right) and Ward during their Ostrander trip. Photo: Warren Miller
RichThe 