Bel Young
The Art of Adventure: Skiing, Backcountry, and Creative Pursuits
Born and raised in Crested Butte, Bel’s life has been intertwined with skiing from her earliest steps. Her father, an avid skier, wasted no time getting her on the slopes, leading her through the extremes of Crested Butte rather than formal ski programs. From those first wobbly turns, she discovered the freedom and exhilaration that would shape a lifetime of exploration. For Bel, the mountains are more than a playground. They are a sanctuary – a place to move and explore, driven by curiosity, joy, and the thrill of discovery.
Skiing has quietly shaped Bel’s life, influencing how she spends her free time, the work she pursues, and even the ways she expresses herself creatively. She has spent five years as a professional ski guide with Irwin Guides, five years as a sponsored skier for Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and three years as a Flylow athlete. Along the way, her skiing has been featured in Powder Magazine, the Crested Butte Visitors Guide, and even on the cover of the CBMR map.
Her love for the sport also inspired a unique artistic venture: Mentality to Reality, a small business creating functional art on ski mittens and gloves. What started as a playful experiment – decorating leather gloves to battle perpetually cold hands – has grown into a full-fledged outlet, merging her passion for the mountains with art and entrepreneurship. Each mitten is adorned with intricate landscape designs, and her commission list keeps expanding.
Bel’s connection to the mountains extends beyond her own adventures. She co-founded the Keeping Women Wild club at Fort Lewis College in Durango, an organization dedicated to empowering women in the outdoors and continues to thrive today. She has led backcountry skiing clinics, avalanche education events, and mountain biking workshops, helping participants build skills, confidence, and community. These programs are especially designed for women eager to explore the backcountry safely and independently.
What makes skiing special for her is the sound, the energy, and the sense of connection. She loves the “hoots and hollers” on a fresh powder day, the spontaneous meetups in the lift line, and the shared excitement that makes small-town skiing feel like home. Her advice to anyone discovering the sport reflects her playful spirit: “Make sure to giggle while you squiggle!” For her, skiing is all about joy, freedom, and embracing every moment on the mountain.
Whether carving powder, guiding others through the backcountry, or transforming leather mittens to miniature landscapes, her life is inseparable from the mountains she loves. To her, skiing is not just a sport — it’s a lifelong rhythm, a community, and a canvas for creativity.
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