Psilocybin Helps My PTSD—But I Won’t Mix Mushrooms With Skiing

Apparently, one of the trickiest parts of negotiating the ski slopes on a large dose of psychedelic mushrooms is “knowing which end of the lift the mountain part is on.”

“I was so confused about when to get off the ‘flying seat’,” explained the snowboarder regaling his buddy about a recent six-gram day.

       Also Read: Jim Harris Was Paralyzed. Then He Ate Magic Mushrooms.

From what I heard of the rest of the story (before the three of us had to get off the “flying seat” ourselves), his trip greatly improved once he felt safe in the trees where he “became the snow” and met a squirrel who bore a striking resemblance to his dead grandpa. ”They had the exact same eyebrows!”

As I watched him strap on his board at the top, I was distracted by the question of whether or not squirrels have eyebrows. But by the time he slid away, the big question hit me: Wait, people are on the slopes while tripping on six grams?

With Colorado voters approving psilocybin (the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms) for personal use in 2022, I should have expected people to try adding a shroom trip to their ski trip. But although psychedelics and skiing have proven to be the two most helpful ways to manage my PTSD, I would never combine the two—and certainly not at a six-gram dosage. By comparison, during a therapeutic trip of that magnitude, I wasn’t able to get even an arm out of my sleeping bag to reach my water bottle for three hours.

Some extoll the joy and beauty of taking a smaller amount of “mushies” (anywhere from .1 to 2 grams) and “microshredding.” While I’m not your mother, I’m about to do a pretty good impression. When it comes to psychedelics on the slopes, make good choices. I would advise against shroomskiing not just because you could get in trouble and it’s not safe (both of which are true), but because there is a pretty good chance it won’t be all that much fun.

Let’s start with the small print. Yes, magic mushrooms are legal in my home state. In fact, growing, possessing, and sharing psilocybin are all allowed if you are 21 or older. However, ski resorts operate on federal land, where shrooms (and weed for that matter) are still illegal.

Operating under a “Healers, Not Dealers” model, Colorado prohibits the selling or buying of mushrooms. So if you don’t have a generous friend growing fungi under a heat-lamp in her closet (and I don’t, so please don’t fill my inbox with requests), then things get more complicated.

That said, there is a provision in the law that allows administration of psilocybin for “harm reduction services.” Entrepreneurs are pushing the boundaries of the new law like skiers scouting the sidecountry for lines on a powder day. At a mushroom “co-op” or “club,” people can pay as little as $30 for a consultation session and leave with four grams of blue-veined psychedelic fungi.

In other words, a motivated individual could likely get their mittens on some shrooms and hit the slopes. But should they?

“You’ll always have some wildly irresponsible people,” said Sean McAllister, a Denver attorney specializing in psychedelic law. “But the majority of people know this [psilocybin] has a serious level of impairment. It’s not like cannabis or alcohol, where with a low dose you can do some activities. You don’t want to be out in the real world walking around, or God forbid skiing.”

Although Colorado resorts aren’t reporting any shroom-related incidents, they are leary of the possibility.

“When you think about it, the possible negative outcomes are endless,” said Sarah Beatty, a spokesperson for Colorado Ski Country USA, the non-profit trade association representing 21 Colorado resorts. “Not only could you hurt yourself, but there are other people out there on the mountain who didn’t agree to be a part of the experience you’re having.”

       Related: I Was Traumatized After an Accident. Then I Tried Ketamine Therapy.

Because of the myriad of variables in the mushrooms + skiing equation, you yourself might not have signed up for the experience you end up having. Unlike beer, with its regulated level of alcohol content, the potency of shrooms varies in different strains and even different batches.

Psilocybin also picks up on your mindset and setting, and amplifies what’s going on in your head, the vibe of the people around you, and your environment.

Think of your favorite run and how dramatically different it is depending on the temperature, time of day, snow conditions, whether the sun’s out, how many people are on it—it can feel like a different run every time.

It’s the same with psilocybin. On a macrodose (vaguely defined as one gram and up), you will likely have several different trips within the same trip. I know I do. My PTSD comes from losing my brother to suicide when he was 15 and I was 12. I take mushrooms in a reverential way with experienced guides to help me deal with what comes up. I’m blindfolded to keep my focus inward and safely tucked in a sleeping bag.

It’s in the liminal space mushrooms create where I find my brother. Psilocybin doesn’t make you see things that aren’t there as much as it lets you feel things that no longer are. One minute, Mark and I are lying on our backs in a sunny meadow of wildflowers while he tells me how proud he is of me, and seconds later, we are back in the hallway outside our bedrooms where he said goodbye to me. I still feel the warmth of his hug and think this time I can stop him. When I realize it’s too late, the grief is so strong I couldn’t stand if I wanted to.

So, no, macrodosing is not something I want to experience on my skis.

As for the difference between a macro and a micro dose, I think it was best summed up by Carter Antebi, a Mammoth skier who gets in about 75 days a season.

“10/10 would do again,” the 22-year-old wrote in a forum addressing the topic on Newschoolers.com. “Definitely a micro tho, I’m not tryna have an ego death or temporary psychosis on the mountain. Gotta save that stuff for home.”

When I reached out to him for this story, Antebi cautioned that anyone considering skiing on shrooms best be an experienced skier and know how they react on mushrooms.

“I make sure that I’m feeling good about myself and that the environment is right,” Antebi said. “It makes the day more fun, more meaningful. I feel a strong connection to the mountain and my skiing.”

After all, microdosing is a steroid for nature appreciation. It can make a single tree, or even a single leaf on that tree, the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. And while losing yourself in nature is a lovely experience, I don’t want to do it while the lifts are running.

The good news is you can tap into the magic of natural medicine without being on anything but snow. Next ski day, go in the trees, sit still and simply receive whatever nature has to offer. And if you happen to notice whether or not squirrels have eyebrows, let us know.