Comments on: What Fuels the North American Sidecountry Skiing Explosion? http://www.wildsnow.com/2166/sidecountry-skiing-influences/ Backcountry Skiing Weblog Blog, FAQs, more, links and info about randonnee, telemark and backcountry ski mountaineering. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:58:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Hunter http://www.wildsnow.com/2166/sidecountry-skiing-influences/#comment-48579 Hunter Tue, 27 Nov 2012 23:40:32 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2166#comment-48579 I think a lot of it has come down to how resourceful you are to ski fresh pow. Sometimes you can get more down in, and if you are already a pass holder then its nice to change it up a bit when conditions permit. In Little Cottonwood from Snowbird, for example you can take a two chairs up and out, traverse for maybe 15 minutes and there is plenty of terrain with 1,000'+ vert shots through glades, meadows, and rock outcroppings. You finish your run at the road and can thumb a ride back to the resort and do it again. It takes about an hour to go full circle Or you can tote your skins with your avy gear and take a chair to access south facing terrain just outside of Mineral Basin to an area rarely gotten by touring parties, helicopter skiers, or even snowmachine crowds. I think a lot of it has come down to how resourceful you are to ski fresh pow. Sometimes you can get more down in, and if you are already a pass holder then its nice to change it up a bit when conditions permit.

In Little Cottonwood from Snowbird, for example you can take a two chairs up and out, traverse for maybe 15 minutes and there is plenty of terrain with 1,000′+ vert shots through glades, meadows, and rock outcroppings. You finish your run at the road and can thumb a ride back to the resort and do it again. It takes about an hour to go full circle

Or you can tote your skins with your avy gear and take a chair to access south facing terrain just outside of Mineral Basin to an area rarely gotten by touring parties, helicopter skiers, or even snowmachine crowds.

]]> By: Xavier http://www.wildsnow.com/2166/sidecountry-skiing-influences/#comment-48481 Xavier Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:56:26 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2166#comment-48481 Because the chicks swoon at the bar as I saddle up with my beacon on and my protruding avalung after a hard day of slackcountry riding! Because the chicks swoon at the bar as I saddle up with my beacon on and my protruding avalung after a hard day of slackcountry riding!

]]> By: Lou Dawson http://www.wildsnow.com/2166/sidecountry-skiing-influences/#comment-48479 Lou Dawson Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:12:30 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2166#comment-48479 David, last time I looked we were not the only country in the world with a strong element that feels they need to own and control... let's not get too self flagellating here, you're basically talking about the history of conflict over the entire span of mankind's existence. Lou David, last time I looked we were not the only country in the world with a strong element that feels they need to own and control… let’s not get too self flagellating here, you’re basically talking about the history of conflict over the entire span of mankind’s existence. Lou

]]> By: David Dornian http://www.wildsnow.com/2166/sidecountry-skiing-influences/#comment-48477 David Dornian Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:23:35 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2166#comment-48477 I'm with you, but I don't see the skiing masses escaping the tyranny of the wand-waving parking attendants anytime soon. I think it will be a gradual sneaking away at best. Advocating roads, trails, and huts over privately owned ski infrastructure is socialist thinking. In our society, as soon as a thing is identified as attractive or desirable, there's a strong element that feels they need to control, own, and promote access to it for gain. People call this 'development of resources' or 'the right to do business'. It works from the bottom up, too. We skiers ourselves feel we should be able to BUY an experience if we have the money. Side country skiing is kind of a consumer adventure - packaged and identifiable. I’m with you, but I don’t see the skiing masses escaping the tyranny of the wand-waving parking attendants anytime soon. I think it will be a gradual sneaking away at best. Advocating roads, trails, and huts over privately owned ski infrastructure is socialist thinking. In our society, as soon as a thing is identified as attractive or desirable, there’s a strong element that feels they need to control, own, and promote access to it for gain. People call this ‘development of resources’ or ‘the right to do business’. It works from the bottom up, too. We skiers ourselves feel we should be able to BUY an experience if we have the money. Side country skiing is kind of a consumer adventure – packaged and identifiable.

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