Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Stone. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Luke grew up in New England skiing at Cannon Mountain. His dad was an early powder chaser, regularly taking Luke out of school for last-minute chases to Cannon. Even then, his dad would make him hike the adjacent, and at the time closed, Mittersill for fresh tracks. He was obsessed with the weather too, and both of these passions were passed on to Luke. Starting in college, Luke started chasing on his own throughout the Northeast. His love for weather and snow took him on chases to New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and Quebec. He taught himself everything he could about the weather to make these chases pay off.
Soon it was time to leave the Northeast for a place with better snow and bigger mountains. After moving to Salt Lake City, he has continued to gain as much weather knowledge as possible, and continued to expand his powder hunting territory. Deep 18”+ overnight days have been found in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, British Columbia, Alberta, and Austria. He continued his pursuit of weather knowledge and recently graduated with a Master’s in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Utah, with a focus on seasonal forecasting. You will always find his dog Noodle with him on every chase, and the only person that might love snow more than Luke is Noodle.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road is not smooth now, nor has it been. Pursuing the dream of chasing powder, first while working a full time job, was very challenging, for financial and scheduling reasons. Similarly, the same pursuit while completing a Master’s in Atmospheric Sciences was even more difficult in many ways, with even less free time. Ultimately, trying to turn this passion into a career is an ongoing process that has many bumps in the road, with uncertain financial outcomes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Currently, I work as a forecaster, content creator, and a jack of all trades for Powderchasers. I forecast for three entities, OpenSnow, Weathernet, and Powderchasers. In addition to forecasting at Powderchasers, I help run the social media accounts, create and produce original photo and video content, and help with marketing and advertisement. I specialize in winter weather forecasting, specifically in snowfall prediction so myself and others can experience the deepest days in the mountains. I have developed a unique ability to accurately forecast snowfall for an incredibly large area, as well as a skill to ensure I’m more often than not the first one down the best run on the mountain capturing the experience to share with others.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories involves the infamous perfect storm that the book and movie were named after. This storm impacted my town with intense winds, heavy rains, huge waves and storm surges. My dad took me down to the beach, at least as close as we could get during the storm. I saw 20-30 foot waves crashing over the small island adjacent to the beach.
Pricing:
- Base Level Concierge – $160
- Mid Level Concierge – $275
- Summit Level Concierge – $399
- Everest Level Concierge – $599
- Pinnacle Level Concierge – $785
Contact Info:
- Website: www.powderchasers.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lstone84/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powderchasers/
Image Credits
Joshua Esquivel
