New: D System and D Scale for rating backcountry skiing and snowboard descents.

New: Remember to check our Backcountry Skiing News Page!

Skier's Webcams
Mt Sopris, CO
Longs Peak, CO
Pikes Peak, CO
Silverton, CO
Aspen, CO
Indian Pks, CO
Colorado Hwys
Alta, Ut
Yellowstone
Sawtooths, ID
N Cascades, WA
Oregon Cascades
Mt Rainier, WA
Tetons, WY
Teton Pass, WY
Mt Shasta, CA
Mt Washinton, NH
Mt Sanford, AK
Banff
Europe

Please help support our efforts with this website, shop the links below:
Backcountry Store
Altrec
Sierra Trading
Snowshack
Backcountry Outlet
Vintage Ski World

More backcountry skiing shopping links to help us with this blog and website

October 29 - 2005
Tribute to backcountry skier James Gebhart

I opened up my mail today and found a clipping from the Crested Butte newspaper. It's by David Rothman, a backcountry skiing writer who lived in the Butte for quite a while, moved away briefly, and is now back in the old mining town with skis at the ready and pen in hand. David is quite the wordsmith, many times published and always pushing limits in rarified places such as poetry. With David's permission we publish his beautiful tribute:

APRIL 23, 2004 -- In Memoriam, J. G., 1947-2005

Lifts closed, town full of mud, only the diehards left,
A big spring storm blew off leaving a foot of fresh up high.
A bit off the back I followed someone else's skin track,
Hustling to beat the sun. First up Warming House Hill,
Then past the Twister Warming Hut and over onto Lower Park.
And there, above me, three skiers plunging down Jokerville
Whooping and hollering, rooster tails bursting in sunshine!
I had to stop and watch their beautiful early-bird line,
Evanescent sculpture of joy right down to his small white dog
Bounding fall-line in their wake like a playful dolphin.
That's when I knew who it was. They pulled up laughing -
David, Ed, and Jim, their happiness as pure as it gets,
And who wouldn't be after sewing a thousand feet of paradise
Into memory like that with old friends? Brief hillside pow-wow,
Including observations that I was a decade younger
But about an hour later. And then they were gone,
Down into the valley, laughter echoing away,
Everest after them ecstatic, a large dog in a small dog's body.
I turned upward to the sweaty ascent, then my own joy.

Now all of this turned to rivers long ago,
Invisible, untraceable, unknowable except like this
In each of us, who are alone, yet in this way less alone.
And that is how I remember him on this dark afternoon,
Again and again I see it and am thankful -
For what other choice is there?
Again together we breathe that sweet air and what remains:
To have shared such gentle happiness..

October 28 - 2005
Backcountry Skiing Luggage Cart Action

After a long yet exciting evening of Hall of Fame awards and stories , Lou catches a ride to his room on the luggage cart...

Photo by Tapley Dawson, backcountry skiing jacket and gloves by Cloudveil, boots by Scarpa, hat by Chouinard Equipment (remember them?).

October 27 - 2005
Are Backcountry Skiing Bindings Okay to Use as Resort Bindings?

Talk about an eternal question. It's amazing how often folks ask me about the suitability of AT backcountry skiing bindings for use at the ski resort. My thoughts:

I've got lots of experience with this issue. Since the first production Ramer bindings were released in 1974 (and I worked as a ski tech for Company 3, the distributor of the binding, gad, 40 years ago! No wonder they put me in a museum...), I've pressed AT bindings into service as resort downhill skiing bindings, and suffered the consequences. In 1977 I severely spiral fractured my left leg on Ramer bindings -- an injury that nearly ended my career in outdoor education and mountaineering.

At the time, Ramer claimed I'd not maintained the binding correctly. That might have been true to an extent (he said I didn't grease it enough*), but more, what I'd done is use a backcountry skiing binding that was easily inferior in safety release to the alpine bindings of the day (greased or not). In those days I was a skier who took my share of harsh falls because I was still learning how to handle steep terrain and natural snow, so the consequences were somewhat inevitable.

Thus, my points:

• The difference between blowing a knee and simply stretching a few ligaments can come down to mere ounces. The latest alpine bindings, such as the Line Reactor, are making an incredibly high-tech effort to stay under the load limit and protect your legs from injury. No AT backcountry skiing binding matches this level of release technology.
  
• If you fall more than a few times a season, you 're likely to experience the limits of any ski binding's safety release. Thus, if you fall much, I believe it's unwise to use AT backcountry skiing bindings for multiple days of resort skiing -- simply because alpine bindings such as the Line are available.
  
• On the other hand, if you're a good skier who falls infrequently, choosing to compromise safety for the convenience of a "one-rig" AT setup may be acceptable.

Another question I field frequently is that of AT binding durability for use at the ski area. Unless you're skiing more than 30 days a season, and/or tend to break alpine bindings, I don't believe durability is an issue with today's randonnee backcountry skiing bindings. Sure, they can break, but I've seen plenty of broken alpine bindings as well.

That said, if you're skiing quite a few days it's true that randonne bindings may have some wear points. For example, I used a pair of Dynafits for quite a few resort days one season, and noticed the rear boot fitting wore notches into the rear pins that insert into the boots. In the case of plate bindings, I've noticed the vibram sole of AT boots can eventually crack the AFD under the toe on some models, because the lugs of the vibram may impact the plastic in a concentrated way while resort skiing and backcountry skiing. And with all AT bindings, one must realize they're built with minimal weight -- meaning they have minimal bulk to stand up to bashing and banging from ski edges and rocks.

Conclusion: No hard and fast rule, but I'd recommend a full-on alpine rig if you spend more than a few days at the resort, and/or fall frequently. And with all bindings, fine tune your release settings by setting them as low as possible, then gradually increasing settings if you pre-release.

(*Note about Ramer: For the record. In later years, Paul Ramer was fond of claiming I'd somehow modified my Ramer bindings to lock out the release, and thus broken my leg. While this particular pair of Ramer backcountry skiing bindings may have lacked grease, I never modified them in any way that would obviate the release. As for "resort skiing," to be clear I should state I broke my leg in out-of-bounds terrain on Aspen Mountain, lift-served, after a long day of wild skiing on the ski area. It was a good lesson about the relationship between frequency of falling, binding release, personal style and the like.)

October 26 - 2005
Got Schooled by a Telemarker

Boy, that was hard to spit out, but yeah, I learned something this morning from a telewhacker, and we weren't even backcountry skiing -- nor skiing at all. (And it wasn't the first time that's happened, although the last such event involved snow under the feet).

I was having some coffee (decaf, day 42 with no caffeine), waiting for an appointment, and had a nice conversation with old friend and telemark evangelist innovator "Tele Ned" Ryerson (author of PDQ Telemark for Kids). Our talk turned to biomechanics, as Ned is passionate about a movement theory he's been working on that involves how your eyesight and head movement help control the rest of your body. He really got me thinking about trying out some new things while trying to sustain my ski skills for this coming winter of backcountry skiing. Mainly, staying centered on the skis and leading with subtle head movements and eye action.

It's the centered part that's so much more elegant without messing around with the telemark split stride and lead change, especially in the backcountry with a pack and difficult snow. On that Ned and I differ (sorry to state the obvious).

But when has everyone ever agreed about ski technique? Of course, Ned's example of this concept in practice was Bode Miller (at least the eye and head part). Perhaps Bode will soon be telemarking as well? Good stuff -- makes me excited to go ride the lifts and work on technique for backcountry skiing.

$1,000 Backcountry Skier
Thousand dollar Joe is about set. Thanks folks for the comments on how he should spend his last coin. A few samples:

Jeff said he should "put it toward a computer so he can read your blog, Couloir and Ttips."

Andrew noted that "the snowclaw avalanche shovel is $15.00."

Matus wrote "Invest in better boots or digital beacon."

And finally, the winner $1,000 backcountry skiing suggestion came from Ben: "Consider having your budget backcountry skier spend his money on avalanche education. A quality level 1 avy course will run about $200, so you might try to cut a few dollars from the boots or something and get this boy educated on the basics of terrain recognition, decision making, and rescue."

So without delay, here is our final budget for $1,000 Joe. What he did was find a partial scholarship for an avy course, and located an old but sturdy backpack his girlfriend had used for her European vacation so he didn't have to buy the Lowe Alpine Daypack.

Need climbing skins? Sierra Trading Post has a bunch, check these out:

Ascension 85mm Climbing Skins

Ascension 95mm Climbing Skins

Ascension 110mm Climbing Skins

Okay, what else does our $1,000 backcountry skier need? Ah, an avalanche shovel. Here you go, the price is right::

Backcountry Skiing Avalanche Shovel

October 25 - 2005
More on Carl Skoog fatal Backcountry Skiing Accident

I spoke with someone who knows about Cerro Mercedario, the mountain Carl died on. He said the snow tends to become very icy in this region of the Andes. I have no wish to pick apart Carl's accident as I know little about it, but I do have a legitimate interest in these types of falls, as Carl isn't the only person I know who's been a victim of such (and I've come pretty close myself). Considering many backcountry skiing accidents of this type, it appears that skiers end up on icy or super compacted slopes that are more tenuous than they bargained on, and that trying to self-arrest with ice axe or ski pole picks (such as Black Diamond Whippets) on such slopes is difficult, if not impossible. It's amazing how a pair of skis will grip steep ice or hard snow, but the margin of error in such situations is nearly zero. Accidents such as Carl's drive that point home -- we can honor Carl by being that much more careful when we're tackling steep icy slopes. That's my approach, anyhow...

(Note: Some reports are saying that the slope Carl fell on was covered with "soft" snow and 42 degrees steep. If so, there must have been other contributing factors, such as a large awkward backpack or slick clothing -- other things to consider in light of this backcountry skiing tragedy.)

article about Carl Skoog

On a lighter note, anyone have suggestions on how our $1,000 backcountry skier should spend his last $117.90 ? I'd vote for some kind of budget hard shell, but since the guy is already an alpine skier he might already have a decent shell. Perhaps we should increase his beacon budget? Or how about some adjustable ski poles? You decide, and email me (use "contact" option in menu bar to left).

October 24 - 2005
Back on a Backcountry Budget

Well, now that the big spenders are back from our Denver trip (see below), time to tighten the belt again and work with our $1,000.00 backcountry skier. After all, he's still got money to burn! Our backcountry skiing guy has essentials such as skis, bindings, and boots, but he needs a backpack. Trick here is to not be too particular, and get something small, light and less complex that still has side straps for carrying skis. If you learn how to pack light, just about any backpack with ski straps will work for backcountry skiing. The Lowe Alpine Vision would fill the bill, as would many other packs you can find on the web or at gear swaps.

Shop for Lowe Alpine Vision 30 Daypack

How is our guy doing now?

Still money to burn!

October 23 - 2005
Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall Of Fame

Checking out dad's clone. I forgot to give the museum boots from the same pair of Lasers, but the theme of the display is well worn mountaineering gear, so we liked the effect. Yep, those are Whippets, I really wore the hat, the sunglasses are cat eyes (back in style yet?), and that's a Cloudveil soft shell.

I had the honor and privilege last evening of being inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. What an incredibly humbling yet at the same time uplifting experience. The event was held at the Marriott City Center in Denver, Colorado. It was a well organized and beautifully produced "gala," replete with displays about the five 2005 inductees, videos of same, a good dinner, and lots of excellent speeches, stories and laughs.

It was amazing to hear inductee Ed Lucks speak about pioneering adaptive skiing. He had to invent methods for folks such as blind double leg amputees to ski (no joke). This required huge amounts of creativity and inspiration that he beautifully tributes to God. Then there was Dick Eflin, a true go-getter who built the Crested Butte ski area from nothing. Dick's talk about the old days of CB was priceless, especially his story about installing the new gondola, and how it broke the moment it was blessed by a priest brought in special for the occasion.

George Gillett was there last night as well, the guy who bought Vail years ago and molded it into the model of modern resort skiing that's still setting trends. When you listen to a man as successful in business as Gillett, you wonder how much their talk will be about self. It was sweet to note that Gillett was strongly focused on his family and colleagues -- he made it obvious it was a team effort. (And Gillett's search for the perfect apple fritter was a welcome glimpse at the man's humanity). Inductee Dick Hauserman was the nuts-and-bolts behind Vail. He did the early snow surveys, served on the board, and even designed the Vail logo still in use today.

Yep, that's Lou in a suit instead of a fleece. And hanging around his neck is a lifetime full season ski pass for all resorts in Colorado! (Ultimate swag?) An incredibly fun evening!

I was more nervous about giving my speech than I should have been -- it was intense getting all the attention. Sure, I'd done plenty of presentations, but most times I talk about all the individuals in my book, Wild Snow, rather than talking about my own deal. Nonetheless, once I got going it was easy to focus on the greater connections, and thank all the individuals who had supported my ski mountaineering career. More, it was easy to bring the view out to some of what ski mountaineering and backcountry skiing is about, be it 1:00 am starts or sublime summits, which I did by reading some selected journal entries. Here is a 'graf from my talk:

"I want to focus for a moment on something I think is important tonight. That's challenge and inspiration, which in the end lead to hope -- hope in the midst of what is sometimes a tough world. It's inspiring when you look at the Hall's roster and see so many individuals who've borne up to adversity -- be it business, athletics, disabilities -- even combat. All this related to the sport we love so much, skiing. I'm humbled and honored to be associated with these men and women."

Previous backcountry skiing blog weblog (Jim Gebhart, Carl Skoog, budget skiing, story about road gate, more)

Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past 35 years has been alpinism and back country skiing -- and all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and snowboarding, and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the famous Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, as well as tons of Randonnee rando telemark backcountry skiing info.

All material on this website is copyrighted. Permission is required for reproduction, electronic or otherwise. That includes publication and display on other websites by whatever means. For more about this, PLEASE SEE OUR COPYRIGHT INFORMATION. Backcountry skiing is a dangerous sport. You may be killed or severely injured if you choose to do all forms of randonnée and randonnée skiing. The information on this website is intended only as general information for a variety of aspects of backcountry skiing and outdoor recreation. While the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of WildSnow.com of any liability for injuries or losses incured while using such information.

Always go backcountry skiing with a partner, and learn about avalanche safety before you ski outside of ski and snowboard resorts. The best season for this sport is late winter and spring, when the snowpack compacts and avalanche danger is more predictable. The Colorado wilderness backcountry skiing season reaches its prime in May and June. Maritime snow such as that of the Pacific Northwest may be less avalanche prone than continental snow of that such as Colorado and Wyoming. The California Sierra also provides a relatively reliable snowpack for backcountry skiing, snowboarders, snowmobilers, telemarkers and the like. Backcountry skiing is a wonderful sport, but it can transition in moments from wonder to tragedy. You agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instuctions or templatates at your own risk, and waive Wildsnow.com its owners and contributors of any liability for use of said items.

Keywords: Ski Information, Info, Outdoors, Wilderness Skiing, Randonnée and randonnée, Ski Mountaineering, also Ski Alpinismo and Backcountry Skiing.