Meet John Smidlein – Our New Policy Intern
Join us in welcoming our newest team member!
Meet John, WWA’s newest intern!
John’s connection to winter started on the modest hills of Brandywine in Ohio, where lake-effect snow and middle school snowboarding sessions planted the seeds for what would become a defining passion. Growing up exploring Michigan’s woods, he didn’t yet know that what felt like play would eventually shape his career path. Family trips to Peak’n Peak in New York and visits to cousins in Colorado’s Summit County hinted at something bigger, but it wasn’t until he moved to Colorado for college that everything clicked.
“I realized my love for the outdoors could be more than just a hobby,” John explains. “As I learned about the magic of our open spaces, I was also acutely aware of their impermanence. Coming to the outdoors more seriously as an adult gave me a unique perspective and inspired me to study environmental politics so I could help protect these places.”
He found out about the Winter Wildlands Alliance during a drive home from A-Basin. John was listening to the Snowbrains podcast when former WWA team member Hilary Eisen discussed the organization’s mission and daily policy work as a guest on the show. As a senior studying Environmental Politics and Policy at Colorado State University, he was intrigued.
Throughout his time in college, snowboarding in the Rockies and Wasatch Range turned his love of winter up to an eleven and solidified his commitment to protecting these places. After graduating from CSU in May, John knew he wanted to get involved and gain hands-on experience this winter. He’s spent the last two seasons as a raft guide on the Poudre River in Northern Colorado and currently works as a bootfitter and ski instructor in Truckee, where he’s enjoying some mega Sierra storms.
“It’s easy to get pessimistic when our natural spaces feel under attack. I try to focus on the actionable positives. There are so many people passionate about winter recreation, and these spaces mean so much to those who visit them. That spirit is what I hold on to. If we channel that passion into strategic efforts to protect what matters most, we can make real change.”
John brings diverse outdoor industry experience to WWA, including multiple years as a retail specialist, volunteer SAR member, and raft guide. His technical expertise in retail and instruction, combined with his academic background in environmental policy, gives him a grounded understanding of the communities who rely on these spaces for recreation and connection.
“WWA’s combination of grassroots community work and strategic policy advocacy is what creates lasting change,” John says. “I’m excited to start a career protecting public lands and to learn from the great professionals doing this work. These spaces can change your life if you let them, and everyone deserves a space for that to happen.”
“It’s easy to get pessimistic when our natural spaces feel under attack. I try to focus on the actionable positives. There are so many people passionate about winter recreation, and these spaces mean so much to those who visit them. That spirit is what I hold on to. If we channel that passion into strategic efforts to protect what matters most, we can make real change.”
Outside of his policy work, you’ll find John snowboarding, backcountry skiing, climbing, trail running, or on the river. He’s getting into kayaking, mountain biking, canyoneering, and telemark skiing, and when he’s not outside, he might be painting watercolors, learning the harmonica, drinking coffee, listening to bluegrass, or watching Ken Burns documentaries by a big fire. His goal this season? Getting a hut trip in. The perfect way to combine a love of snow, the backcountry, and the community that makes it all possible.
