The town of Silverton in Colorado is the perfect setting for skijouring…and a ‘Sasquatch’ sighting

The skier knocked their boots together to rid the skis of snow, sliding them back and forth to ensure its wax was working, and anxiously awaited the tug of the rope. The cowboy tightened up on the reins and positioned the horse behind the starting line, awaiting the signal that the course was clear to run. The horse snorted and pranced nervously, awaiting its release of reins to run full steam down the snow-covered street for the 18-second blitz.

With course cleared and ready, a judge blows a horn to signal the start of the team’s race. Like a boat lifting a water skier out of its wake, the cowboy releases the horse to lunge forward, controlling its direction down the center of the street, while the skier is pulled into motion.

The skier’s first two obstacles are pylons to traverse on both sides of the street, as the horse gains speed. Eventually, the most daunting obstacle on the course is a formidable 10-ft high jump with a 20-ft chasm to clear in between. To make it even more challenging, a camper trailer is parked in the chasm, for added spectacle and degree of difficulty. The jump’s banked landing ensures the skier would be propelled back into the street’s center, as opposed to the sidewalk, buildings, and/or a cheering onlooker. Upon landing, the skier immediately balances and orients themself onto the next challenge to the right: A short expanse that has two rings hanging from strings at a height of 5 feet, which the skier has to capture, all the while the cowboy-horse combo power down the street in excess of ~30 mph; now a dead run. Missing a ring costs a 2-second time penalty, added to the team’s race total.

If the team manages to keep its skier vertical through seven pylons, three jumps, and two sets of rings, they should complete the course in 18 seconds. Many-a-rodeo cowboy profess that riding a 1500-lb bull for eight seconds is the most dangerous ride in sports. At twice that length of time, with obstacles galore, some skijoring skiers and cowboys would beg to differ.

So, what the heck do you call this madness?
Part rodeo, part skiing, and 100% adrenaline rush, this activity is known as skijoring. Adopted originally in Scandinavian countries as a means to transporting people and goods over winter wonderlands, the word ‘skijoring’ refers to a person(s) being pulled on skis via an animal, whether reindeer, horse, or dog.

Skijoring was popularized as a sport in the early 1900s in St. Moritz, Switzerland, continuing in mountain towns throughout Europe, Canada, and across the United States to this day. In fact, many post-mining industry, mountainous communities have adopted skijoring as its winter version of July 4^th, to drive tourism. In Colorado alone there is a skijoring tour, from Leadville to Steamboat Springs, an actual governing association, and some serious prize money. It’s a tough living, for sure, but the very essence of an outdoor adventure lifestyle. But then again, ‘living’ doesn’t have to be defined by work, a paycheck, or a corporate career either.

At 9,318 feet above sea level, Silverton is the quintessential skijoring town in southwestern Colorado, with an elevation that produces ~175 inches of snow annually, and a community of rabid outdoor enthusiasts as its life support. Gone are the days of the mid-1800s gold-then-silver mining rush that spawned the town to exist, but still remaining are many of its original buildings. The town of Silverton is designated a National Historic Landmark. With the San Juan Mountain range surrounding Silverton, you cannot find a more picturesque and charming place in which to visit, appreciate nature, or shop for unique antiques.

‘Okay, skijoring… Got it. But what about overlanding in Silverton?’
Not so much in the dead of winter, but enter Kass and Beth Kremer, and their friend / business partner, Daryl Magner. A combination of engineering talents in the energy sector and a passion for adventure, Sasquatch Expedition Campers (abbreviated within as SEC) was born in 2021.

While backpacking in the San Juan range several years prior, the trio conceptualized an overlanding product manufacturing business that would enable others to experience the expansive skies, beauty and wilderness of Silverton via a feature rich, fully-loaded overlanding camp trailer. They chose the area because of its aforementioned alure, to help avert that corporate ball-and-chain trap, and to get off the grid. In doing so, however, they got a mountain sized dose of reality. The main problem encountered was Silverton had no manufacturing facilities and/or supply chain infrastructure to support such an operation. But as entrepreneurs, one must possess a vision beyond what’s visible.

Since the building of a ground-up facility would be cost-prohibitive, the startups gravitated to an abandoned mine on the outskirts of town as its manufacturing facility. The Northstar Mine had seen its last days of operation in the mid-1980s, and the structure had become a shelter for hunters, ne’er-do-wells, and mostly, animals for the next three decades. Once its current owner was tracked down, the two sides entered into a rental agreement. That’s when the fun started. Deployed in hazmat suits, raw determination and a local contractor, the Kremers spent three months removing debris, ripping out dilapidated amenities, plumbing floors for heat and equipment, to bring the building up to code, and to operational needs.

A Sasquatch sighting in Silverton? WT…!
Although most associated with a backcountry citing in the Pacific Northwest, ‘Bigfoot’ has shown up in the Silverton region from time-to-time, with several local shops catering to its folklore and characterization. Yet, the new entity did not adopt the branding of ‘Sasquatch’ to leverage said presence, but more so to depict a camp trailer that was big, burly, and strong.

The Smuggler and Highland 60 offerings from SEC are just that, and need to be, since its suspension must get the trailer from its final manufacturing step to a paved road, via a washed-out dirt road to/from the facility. The frame, body, sidewalls and boxes are made from industrial-strength aluminum, with only its 2-wheel custom, in-house designed suspension system, in steel. The latter is aptly branded as ‘Bigfoot Suspension’. It is light weight, yet durable for many off road driving routes / conditions, and most importantly, rustproof.

Equally important are all components are welded together, not riveted, which helps mitigate moisture from getting into / between sidewalls. SEC uses a revolutionary, environmentally-stable composite called Acre in its living / storage enclosures, not wood products that tend to dry rot, which is the bane of many-a-camper. Finally, the company offers multiple features in which to configure to customer wants, such as solar panels, battery systems, and kitchen set ups. Modular racking on its sides and atop its roof are suitable for addons, such as liquid carriers and rooftop tents.

The First Smuggler Rolls Off the Line in May ’22… Now What?
In addition to adhering to strict quality tolerances, superior craftsmanship, and the design of one of the industry’s most rugged 4×4 camper trailers, there are two additional missions for SEC: To build community and offer the best in the ‘customer journey’. After working with Silverton township officials, and in hiring local workers for the production line, SEC sold its first Smuggler at cost to the Silverton Family Learning Center (SFLC), an organization intent on developing the creative, intellectual, social, and physical well-being of children, and the only child care facility in all of San Juan County. In turn, the SFLC promoted the ‘Smuggler’ trailer for its annual fundraising raffle, grossing $50,000 in profit for the center!

Another way the Kremers support local economic development in Silverton is in its top-tier sponsorship of the skijoring event. It’s why an SEC trailer was positioned under the main jump. If you can clear Sasquatch, you can clear anything, right? Not a bad way to endear yourself to the local yokels too.

Equally impressive is the way SEC promotes the customer buying experience, which is to invite them into the process of a trailer’s two-month build. Case in point, Brian H of Ft. Worth, TX recently purchased the newest model from SEC, the Highland 60. It is designated ‘60’ because it features a 60” wide sleeping area. Brian and wife did their due diligence when seeking out the right camper for their needs, by visiting manufacturer’s facilities, and at many-an-outdoor expo. They were intent on buying another manufacturer’s trailer when they stumbled upon SEC.

Although the trailer’s construction, materials used, and amenities helped make their decision, what sold them was the Kremers. Both Kass and Beth made themselves available for dozens of calls, planning sessions, and even a couple of visits to the Silverton facility to do a progress video walkthrough, to ensure everything was being adhered to as discussed. Brian also shared two other salient features that closed him; ‘I like the sheer amount of storage space that is available, and that it is accessible for smaller persons (his wife)’. The fact that the product is hand-crafted and made here in the USA were also contributors to making the investment.

A second customer, Chris D of Denver, CO claimed, ‘My purchase decision was 50% product / 50% Kass and Beth’. In fact, Chris was so sold on SEC that he now conducts sales for them on a part-time basis. An avid overlander with plenty of rotten product experiences to draw from, Chris liked that the aluminum construction – both panels and frame, weren’t thrown together with wood, rivets, or L-brackets, that would rattle and fall apart on a season of washboard roads. He also liked the practical and simple design, and the robustness of its componentry and switches, all of which can be easily replaced, if needed.

Chasing Success is Fleeting…
The irony of success is that the more you chase it – the further it flees your grasp, whereas focusing on positive thoughts and actions eventually reap positive rewards. The latter is known as the ‘law of attraction’, where a mission, goal or plan is more readily realized through a series of positive affirmations over time. It is the antithesis of winning the lottery.

Such was, is and continues to be the journey for the folks at SEC. The community of Silverton was admittedly, one of the last places to build a manufacturing facility, but today, the best place to have realized its existence, due to the connections they’ve made, and the quality of outdoor adventure life they’ve achieved.

If ever planning a trip to southwestern Colorado, whether to overland, skijor, and/or just to visit the area, be sure to stop by and visit the Kremers at Sasquatch Expedition Campers. They would love to share their version of ‘Sasquatch’ with you.

Author’s note: Special thanks goes out to Karen Sites, president at Silverton Skijoring for providing the factual content in this article, as well as to Wesley Berg Photography for allowing the use of his photos of this year’s skijoring event. If interested, you can also watch the town’s Silverton Skijoring film here, which is an excellent expose on the sport, its charming mountain location, and the passionate outdoors persons that made it a reality.

OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible vehicle-based adventure travel and outdoors adventure