Backcountry, beautiful and what some of us consider badass... in a good way. All these could describe the women and the terrain they took on at Diva SnowGear's backcountry clinic in Copper Harbor, Mich.
Most women on this trip were Divas Snow Gear Ambassadors and they were all beautiful ladies inside and out, but the idea of breaking a nail while shredding the POW definitely didn't deter them.
Backcountry guru Stephanie Schwartz flew in from British Columbia to teach these 20 women how to gain confidence and have more fun in the backcountry. The women were from all over North America including Nova Scotia. All had the goal to learn how to be more confident and 'go for it' in the backcountry without having to be coaxed by the men in their lives.
"I started this company to get more women involved in the sport and I had the idea for this clinic starting four years ago," said Wendy Gavinski, owner of Divas SnowGear.
Driving up from Milwaukee, Wis. to the destination I went from brown ground to white mounds of snow. It was like out of a Hallmark commercial up on the north end of the UP! And as I entered the Upper Penisula Tim Allen's "Pure Michigan" ad came on the radio like the snow gods were answering our call. The clinic stayed at the Mariner, a picturesque resort with a true "up-nort" feeling don't ya know.
The gods did laugh at us each morning though with fresh freezing rain hardening the trails to ice skating rinks. Despite the challenging conditions our fearless leaders, Schwartz, Amy Flowers, and Wendy Gavinski gave us pep talks and made the idea of riding in the conditions less scary.
"This is the best group I have had in 15 years. We had alot kind of working against us with different sleds, varying abilities and VERY challenging conditions," Schwartz said. 
With the great guidance of Matt Downey from Keweenaw Snow Expeditions we were guided through jaw dropping scenic trails to open bowls of snow begging for track marks. Schwartz focused on growing the women's confidence at side-hilling reminding them to center their balance and feather the throttle.
A good butt lean with leg lift while pulling the skis the other direction popped the sleds up like a jet ski on water. I was never so happy to hear "you got your butt off the sled woohoo!" By the end of the weekend you could feel confidence in the air and the women proudly proclaiming they could ride in the trees.
"This weekend was rejuvenating. I don't normally do this with all women," Downey said.
For me personally, this weekend was definitely a humbling weekend. I skidded around the parking lot Friday and then had a 'not so fun flip' on Saturday. My sled didn't like the idea of braking on a steep hill and it subsequently tossed me off in protest. Needless to say I learned the importance of having a high quality helmet and Tek Vest. Without both of those I may not be writing in full sentences.
A special thanks to the women who came to my rescue on the hills and helped me throughout the weekend. I will forever be grateful! And another special thanks to the men from Yamaha who were also knights in shining blue armor. 
To say my weekend ended with a "hangover" that's lasting a few days is putting it lightly as my bruises are still reminding me of my get-off, but the friends I made on this weekend, the side-hilling lessons and the beautiful scenery made the bonks all worth it. And I would do it again in a heart beat... hopefully minus the bumps and bruises! 
Big thanks goes out to DSG and staff for organizing this awesome clinic, Stephanie Schwartz for being such a great coach and role model to me and all the ladies, Amy Flowers for making sure I didn't get lost on the trails, Yamaha for sponsoring this event, Matt Downey (Keweenaw Snow Expeditions) for being a fantastic guide and finding us some great play areas, 447 Photography, Poor Boy Woodworks, Houghton Powersports for my snowmobile, everyone who had a part in loaning us sleds, the husbands and families who show such support for these ladies, the Mariner North for putting up with us, Fly Racing, all the men who helped us out during the day (Austin, Aaron, Brian, Greg), Austin from Backcountry Assault and all the ladies who worked so hard these 2 days!
-Christie Green, AmSnow's Assistant Editor