Backcountry Skiing

If you can ski any black diamond on the slopes you should do just fine backcountry skiing. The first thing to consider is where? If you do some research on your area you might find other backcountry skiers who can take you under their wing. A good place to start is in an area that doesn't have a whole lot of trees. Trees will slow you down and create obstacles you don't want to face yet. You will be focusing on improving your ability to ski and turn in very deep powder without wrecking. When you wreck in the deep stuff you can sink down like a rock and you might find yourself unable to get your skis back on or even move.

The avalanche danger is another factor. If you go with experienced skiers they will make you wear an avalanche beacon just in case. Most groups carry extra with them. They can also instruct you where to ski and not to ski. A matter of just a few feet in choosing your line down the hill can make the difference of being an avalanche victim or not. One time I hiked up to above 12,000 feet with my friend when I was just getting started. He warned me not to ski "over there" which was a couple hundred feet to the west. It looked exactly the same as where I was going to ski down. There was a snowboarder hiking behind us and he passed us and headed for the bad spot. My friend was saying what an idiot this guy was. I as a beginner couldn't tell any difference in terrain. I skied down and carved about 300 perfect powder turns just the most awesome feeling ever. When I was down the steep part I looked back and low and behold there is the snowboarder getting avalanched on. I saw him disappear in a deadly cloud of snow and thought he would be dead for sure. To my surprise and his luck there was a search and rescue seminar going on nearby at the top of the pass and they actually saw it happen. Because they were right there with all their equipment they were able to save the guy. Lesson in point is to listen to the people you are with because they know better than you about where to ski. After some practice you will get a feel where it's safe to descend and where not to. Even the most experienced backcountry skiers get avalanched on so watch out.

Once you find an area where you are comfortable backcountry skiing you can really get into it. An ideal situation is where you can be dropped off at the top and have someone pick you up at the bottom. You can take turns being the driver. This gives you a chance to rest and allows everyone to get in multiple runs. Many high mountain passes have places to ski and pick up so do some research for your area.

A couple other points. You really don't want your skis coming off very easily with backcountry skiing so crank your bindings down a little extra. If you lose a ski you might never see it again. If you wreck bad enough yes you want your skis to come off but not unless it's really bad. Also the pressure from turning in the powder is much higher and if you bindings are not set right you will be flailing all the way down. Next, don't do it alone that is suicide. If something happens nobody will find you and nobody will even know where to look.

In general and statistically speaking there are very few backcountry deaths per year. This is attributed to people following the safety guidelines and just not being idiots. Hero's often die young so don't be a hero. What I mean is don't try to impress your friends because it won't be impressive when they pull your frozen body out of a block of ice. If you play it safe you should be fine.

Ok I'll tell you since you made it this far. I am talking about skiing Loveland Pass above Arapahoe Basin in Colorado. It's the perfect place to learn how to backcountry ski. I even used to go full moon backcountry skiing up there because it's hard to get lost.