Updated July 1, 2025 03:02PM
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This Idaho Forester Relies on His Skis to Work Through the Winter
Chad Ramsay, Idaho local and longtime forester, talks about the art of managing forests in the Panhandle, embracing skis at work, and his must-have gear for a productive winter day
Ramsay at work on his cross-country skis in Idaho (Photo: Ryan Zimmer)
The Idaho Panhandle is tucked away so snugly between Washington, Montana, and British Columbia that people often forget it’s there. The landscape is characterized by dense fir, hemlock, pine, cedar, larch, and spruce forests. Deep greens and wooly, gray skies tightly hug the Purcell Trench, rimmed by the Selkirk Mountains to the Northwest and the Cabinet Mountains to the Northeast. This season, the valley bottom is still soggy with slush and muck—difficult conditions to work in for forester and fourth-generation Idaho local Chad Ramsay. Fortunately, Ramsay discovered the solution to post-holing through thinly covered alder and tumbling down slopes due to a loose snowshoe clip: $89 at Pacforest
High viz and lightweight, Ramsay’s staple outer layer lets the unlikely onlooker (or hunter) know that the wearer is on the job. The fifteen pockets of various sizes provide easy access to a gas station breakfast burrito, TP, and other backcountry essentials below. The vest is durable and features a large pocket that can accommodate a tablet, making it ideal for fieldwork. While it isn’t waterproof, Ramsay notes that layering underneath provides the necessary protection from the elements.
Accessories
In addition to hardgoods, Ramsay relies on several essential smaller tools for a workday in the woods. His Silva Compass ($60) is used for navigation, route mapping, and finding his way back to the rig before dark, which comes quickly in winter this far north. The Suunto Clinometer ($195) helps him measure tree height and slope, which is crucial for terrain and tree growth assessments. For other tasks like calculating timber volume, tree age and health, and measuring tree diameter, Ramsay uses specialized forestry devices like a tree boring tool and loggers tape. His well-worn 16 oz Yeti coffee cup ($25), with a screw-on top, fits neatly in his vest, providing a caffeine boost throughout the day.
And lastly, no day in the field would be complete without layers and his canine consultant, a loyal companion who keeps watch for wildlife.
