{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"‘Queen of the Catskills’ Documentary Follows Julie McGuire’s Solo Ski Journey and Path to Healing","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":796,"description":"The Catskill Mountains have long been a proving ground for East Coast skiers. A new documentary, Queen of the Catskills, tells that story through one woman’s deeply personal journey into the backcountry.The film centers on Julie McGuire, a South Bronx high school English teacher who turns to the mountains after a series of traumatic events disrupt her life. What begins as a search for healing becomes a multi-year quest: McGuire aims to become the first woman to backcountry ski all 33 of the Catskills’ highest peaks — entirely alone.The documentary is directed by Jamie Kennard, a backcountry skier who followed McGuire for over three years to capture her journey. Kennard brings the film to the region this month with screenings in Hunter, New York; North Adams, Massachusetts; and Rosendale, New York.From social media to mountains“I am a backcountry skier myself, and I keep a pulse on what’s happening in the region,” Kennard said. “Back in 2022, I noticed through social media that Julie was starting to ski the high peaks. Though I didn’t know her personally, we struck up an online friendship, and I reached out about documenting her journey.”Initially, Kennard was drawn to the physical challenge rather than McGuire’s personal story. “I just wanted to make a film about a woman backcountry skiing in the Catskills,” he said. “I know from my own experience that it’s a very difficult thing.”Trauma, healing, and the mountainsOver time, the deeper motivations behind McGuire’s quest emerged. During early interviews, she chose to share her experiences with domestic abuse and the challenges she faced as a young adult.“At the very end of the interview, I asked if there was anything I hadn’t asked her about,” Kennard said. “She paused and then decided on her own to share some stories. That opened it up to telling a different version of the film.”“She wasn’t as much of a skier growing up,” Kennard said. “Some of the traumatic experiences she went through really pushed her to get...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}