Introduction
This book follows the opensource software philosophy, relying on the backcountry community for the bulk of the information and routes included in this book. I encourage you to contribute your backcountry knowledge and routes to this guidebook. See Authors, for details.
The content of the guidebook is very similar to the printed guidebooks you use today, with trip descriptions, driving and skiing directions, pictures, and trail maps. But I think it fills a definite gap in backcountry skiing guidebooks: backcountry downhill. The purpose of this book is to show you great places to go downhill in the backcountry. And one more thing: IT'S FREE!
While I make every effort to provide accurate route information, it is not my intention to explain every nuance and detail about these downhill routes. I will provide the basic information, like how to get there, difficulty, quality, and so on, but, because downhill routes are not always distinct, and often have dozens of different aspects, I encourage you to explore these slopes yourself. The approach and uptracks marked on the map are generally very accurate; in many instances they were recorded with a GPS. The descent routes, however, often show the general line down a bowl, but in reality, you might find a much better line and much better snow to the right or the left of the line on the map. Again, the purpose is to show you WHERE the routes are. Once you are there, you must poke around to find the best aspects and lines. After doing this for a while, you will develop a nose for a good line. This guidebook will lead you to locations where that can happen.
If you want to get serious about finding good lines and then being able to find them again, I suggest you get a GPS and buy the National Geographic Topo! software for your state. The map software and GPS combined seemed to be designed with the skier in mind. They make it easy to locate and record a route. Plus, having every topo for your state is a luxury; so many times I have guessed where in the hell I was, too lazy to buy the correct topos before going to a new area. Or, if I did manage to get to a shop, they were usually out of one key map. Plus, it's common for the center of your ski area to fall on the corners of 4 different maps, making it almost impossible to navigate with these maps in the field, especially on a windy day. Using the Topo! software, you can draw a rectangle over the area you want to print and get exactly the map you need, even if it spans 4 different maps.
Currently, this book mainly covers Colorado and Wyoming, specifically, the Teton area, but given the flexibility of online publishing, I want to include other ski areas such a Idaho, California, or Oregon, to name a few. But because I haven't yet skied in these areas, I need someone from those areas to contribute routes.
A Call for Contributions
This book is comprised of routes and articles contributed, at this point by me. I don't get paid to do this, although I might make a little money from ads, hopefully enough to pay for the hosting of this web site. I welcome contributions from other skiers. Because I'm not making any money on this project, I can't pay you any money. If you have a downhill backcountry area you'd like to share, send an E-Mail to determine if we already have that route: amin@foam-core-skier.com. See Authors for details.
Etiquette of backcountry skiing
In the old days, long before I started backcountry skiing, there very little need for eitquette because there were so few people skiing. Skiers were glad to see other skiers.
When I started cross-country skiing in 1973, most of my fellow skiers were back-to-nature, granola-eating, hippie types. Part of the joy of skiing came from being in the quiet forest. And we all hated snowmobiles. We went cross-country skiing to get away from civilization and its machines and the noise they made.
Things have changed. The backcountry still has a contingent of back-to-nature, granola-eating hippie types. But more and more, people are leaving the resorts in droves looking for fresh, untracked powder. They have seen the videos of skiers and boarders carving beautiful arcs down big, trackless slopes and they want a piece of that action. And with the advent of light AT gear and split snowboards, skiers and boarders can easily make the transition from resort to backcountry skiing.
Now that the backcountry is getting crowded, we all need to be more aware and more tolerant. And we need to follow some simple rules of etiquette.
Share the Backcountry
I have to admit that my dander gets up when I go to my secret powder stash and see another party already there and carving it up. "What the hell are they doing in my secret stash?" My secret area? This is National Forest right?
That's right. Unless you are skiing on private property, then you are probably skiing in a National Forest, a National Park, or some type of public property, and those "other" skiers in your secret stash have just as much right to be there as you do. You can throw your arms up and scream and yell (I have seen it happen), but complaining about too many people in the backcountry is like complaining about the weather. It won't change anything, but it will create a lot of negative energy and probably ruin your day.
Consider the positive side. More skiers and boarders in the backcountry means that the snowpack is generally safer because more people are compacting the snow and helping it to settle and bond. And more people are reporting the conditions they find to avalanche information centers.
Furthermore, the more non-motorized backcountry users there are, the more people we have to stand up and yell when the machines start invading our quiet, backcountry powder stashes. If you have only a handful of people who use the backcountry for non-motorized powder skiing and boarding, then guess what? When the U S Forest Service makes a decision about whether or not to allow a ski resort to expand its terrain or to allow snowmobiles to access your terrain, who do you think they're going to listen to? A small, poor, unorganized group of skiers and boarders, or a large, organized, nationalized, affluent group of snowmobilers and ski resorts?
We need to find some solidarity and fight for a common goal: to find good powder in quiet, non-motorized areas. Let's not worry about whether the people we share this valuable resource with are on a snowboard, tele gear, AT gear, showshoes, or tennis shoes.
Don't Walk in a Ski Trail
If you access the backcountry on snowshoes or in boots, then I say "Welcome, come on in, but PLEASE do not walk in an uptrack or ski track made by skiers." It takes a LOT of work to make a good uptrack and snowshoes and boots ruin the track. Sorry, you'll have to put your own track in. Or better yet, get some backcountry skis or a split snowboard and some climbing skins. That way, you can use the nice ski track too.
Farm the Slope
Because so many people are using the backcountry, the fresh powder that we're all looking for gets tracked up very fast. One way to help conserve the powder is to "farm" the slope. Farming the slope means keeping your tracks close together, like furrows in a plowed field. For example, say you and your group are ready to ski down a big, untracked powder bowl. If each person in your group picks their own line down the slope, you can track up the slope with one run. On the other hand, if you keep your tracks close together, then the slope will have more untracked lines for your group and for other groups.
In the figure below, the slope is "farmed." A group of 15 skiers came down this slope and kept their tracks close together, leaving the rest of the slope untracked.
Should I Bring My Dog?
I don't want to start a major war with dog owners, but as any dog owner in any town already knows: not everyone is in love with your dog. The same in true in the backcountry. If you take your dog, consider the following:
- Your Dog is in Danger: If you are skiing or boarding in avalanche terrain, you should leave your dog at home. Two of my friend's dogs have been killed in avalanches. Unfortunately, these dogs could not make a decision about whether or not it was safe to go down a slope; they relied on their owners for their safety and wellbeing. And because dogs don't (and shouldn't) wear avalanche beacons, it will be almost impossible to find them alive if they are buried.
- Your Dog is working a LOT harder than your are: It is VERY difficult for your dog to wallow through deep powder. "But they love it!" you say. Sure they do. But your dog would love it just as much if you took it for a long walk or run. And remember that your dog will probably follow you until it's heart bursts.
- Please throw your dog's poop off the trail: The only thing worse than getting dog shit on your shoe is getting dog shit on your climbing skins.
- Keep YOUR dog under YOUR control: You love your dog and maybe everyone in your group loves your dog, but other groups might not appreciate it when your dog walks on the backs of their skis, continually runs back and forth between your group and the other group, or when your dog barks incessantly.
- Downhill skiers on a trail have the right of way: While skiing up a narrow trail, keep your dog on a leash so you can pull it out of the way if a skier comes flying down the trail. Remember, dogs like to chase things that move.
- Bring food and water for your dog: Your dog is working a LOT harder than you are; if you're hungry, your dog probably is too.