With a week to go until Christmas and a few unused vacation days left, Petter and I decided to spend a couple of days in Åre. In the days leading up to the trip, the area had received a solid dump of snow, and we were eager for some quality skiing.

The Easter sun is blazing in Åre, and the snow is melting fast. During our days here, the difference in snow coverage from earlier in the week is striking—it's disappearing quickly. This year has been unusually mild, and the snow is already scarce in many places. But up in Ullådalen, there’s still a good amount left. After spending the morning carving down the slopes in Duved, I felt it was finally time to dust off my backcountry skis.