The week of Mardi Gras has long been a popular time for ski vacations for Louisianans, as area students enjoy a winter vacation not shared by the rest of the country. It is this Southern love of the slopes that inspired then-LSU student Dale Matthews to launch a brick-and-mortar outfitting company in 1974. Based in Baton Rouge, The Backpacker provided gear and guides for locals looking to escape the chaos of Carnival.
“As the business grew over the decades, Mardi Gras ski travel became increasingly popular with families,” explained Michael Matthews, who purchased The Backpacker and Backpacker Tours from his father in 2006. “Our ski travelers travel all winter long, but our famous ‘Backpacker Ski Trips’ during Mardi Gras are by far our most popular.”
Not long after taking over the company, Michael Matthews and his wife, Margo, opened a second location of The Backpacker in Lafayette’s River Ranch development in 2007.
As demand continued to grow for packaged travel, especially for winter getaways, from the family’s other company, Backpacker Tours, Matthews decided that having two companies with such similar names wasn’t ideal. In 2025, he rebranded Backpacker Tours to Alpinr Mountain Travel.
“In short, we absolutely love taking our customers on amazing mountain adventures and we wanted our name to reflect that,” said Mathews. “But there is also more to it. Our travel agency has always been known as Backpacker Tours, but we have only ever specialized in winter ski travel. Most customers weren’t even aware that they were separate companies. The name Backpacker Tours was not a representation of what we do. At trade shows people assumed we were hiking tour guides, which is far from what we do.”
Mathews said the guided tour company’s rebrand has also made it easier to find new clients and to connect with new travelers searching online.
“Today’s market demands of social-media marketing, categorization, search engine optimization and branding are very important for capturing the attention of the consumer,” he said. “And you cannot confuse the digital space by trying to be a retail store and a travel agency with the same name, at the same address. It’s too confusing for both consumers and search engines. Alpinr Mountain Travel represents a bold, modern brand that focuses on exactly what is in the name, with over 50 years of experience to back it up. Now we can give the digital space the focus it needs without sending a confusing message.”
While Alpinr Mountain Travel provides winter getaways for an expanding digital market of travelers, The Backpacker’s retail mission remains the same for its locations, which now include a store in Mandeville and a website.
“When it comes to gear, you will find everything you need for hiking, camping, paddling and all the accessories and fun items that go along with that,” he said. “We also have a huge footwear department including running shoes, hiking shoes, water shoes, casual sandals and boots.”
Meanwhile, Alpinr Mountain Travel continues the relationships formed by Backpacker Tours.
“We have served tens of thousands of skiers from South Louisiana over the years, and we even have the great-grandchildren of some of our original clients coming along,” said Matthews. “We have customers from areas including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and more who have been with us for years.”
Starting off 2026 with a bang, Matthews himself embarked on an around-the-world trip to some of the world’s most remote locations. His trip launched on Jan. 1 at Mt. Yotei Volcano in Japan.
“In addition to our regularly scheduled trips, we are really excited about our 2026 World Tour,” he said. “I will be creating a docuseries about skiing all seven continents in under 10 months. The world has so much to offer in the outdoors, and this world tour will embrace the culture, food, skiing and outdoors you can experience on every continent.
The eight-episode docuseries will debut this spring on the company’s YouTube channel, @backpackeroutdoors.
“Not only will we be taking our viewers to some of the most amazing ski resorts around the world in Japan and Austria, but we will also be going to those hard-to-reach places – climbing the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco and skiing with penguins of Antarctica,” said Matthews. “I cannot wait to share even more of the world with our clients.”
The Backpacker
225-925-2667 // backpackeroutdoors.com // @backpackeroutdoors
Alpinr Mountain Travel
225-924-4754 // alpinrmountaintravel.com // @alpinrmtntravel
Travel Expert Michael Matthews Shares His Favorite Destinations
Overall Best Ski Resort in North America: “For accessibility, great snow, skiing, families and experience, it is hands down Snowmass, Colorado.”
Most Majestic Destination: “Zermatt, Switzerland, is absolutely mind-blowing and fun. I will never turn down a chance to go there.”
Best Place to Challenge Your Ski Skills: “When it comes to big mountain terrain and a super-fun, rugged ski town, Revelstoke, British Columbia, is hard to beat.”
