This profile was originally featured in our Spring 2024 Trail Break issue.

Ella and Liam Weber, siblings with a shared love for backcountry skiing and a fierce dedication to winter recreation and climate activism, are making waves in their communities. While spending school breaks in the Sawtooths and exploring their backyard playground on Boise National Forest, they share a passion for preserving the natural world. For them, backcountry skiing isn’t just a sport; it’s a gateway to the stunning landscapes, peaceful settings, and winter excitement that inspires their friendships, family, and career choices.

Guided by a mom who encouraged volunteer participation from a young age, Ella and Liam became involved with WWA before they could spell “backcountry.” With a deep-seated commitment to the environment, the Weber siblings learned that activism accompanies them wherever they go, requiring an energized, intergenerational team. From selling raffle tickets at the Backcountry Film Festival to talking with friends in the skin track: they have grown to be confident in raising awareness about the impact of climate change and the importance of conservation.

Currently, Liam is braving the Pacific Northwest’s wet snow conditions, working in a rental shop and exploring the sidecountry at Crystal Mountain near Seattle, WA. And Ella is interning in Washington, DC to further her work in climate advocacy.

Neither sibling is content with being a mere observer. Liam and Ella actively engage in advocacy work because they know that saving the places they love requires showing up, setting the skin track, and leaving a Gen Z approach to activism.