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Backcountry Skiing Book List

This backcountry skiing, snowboard, telemark booklist is taken from the bibliography compiled by Louis Dawson for his Wild Snow history project. This is the most complete backcountry skiing booklist available on the web. Updated frequently, with an effort to keep it focused. If you’re gift shopping for a backcountry skier, telemarker, or backcountry snowboarder, stop here first! Click the linked titles for an Amazon shopping option.

Baldwin, John. Exploring the Coast Mountains on Skis, Third Edition: A Guidebook to Mountain Ski Touring in Southwestern British Columbia.
Author published, 2009.
(Here be adventure. Backcountry skiing at its best!)
[Read review]

Beck, David. Ski Touring In California.
Pika Press, 1980.
(Another classic that belongs in every backcountry skier’s collection.)

Beckey, Fred. Cascade Alpine Guide. Volumes 1 and 2.
Mountaineers Books, 1987.

Beckey, Fred. Challenge of the North Cascades.
Mountaineers Books, 1969.

Beidleman, Neal. Aspen Ski and Snowboard Guide.
Wolverine, 2006.
(Inbounds guidebook for all of Aspen, Colorado’s ski areas. These resorts include a huge amount of natural snow terrain, hence inclusion of this book here.)

Bradley, Tyson. Backcountry Skiing Utah.
Falcon, 2002.
(Truly an excellent book if you want to get the most out of Utah, or just dream about the powder capitol of the world. Nice gift for any skier with an adventurous heart.)

Bergdorfer, Rainer. 100 Classic Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes in Washington.
Mountaineers Books; 2nd edition, 1999.
(Rainer worked hard on this book for years, and it shows in this quality offering. Collectors, note that Reiner’s first book is the out-of-print “Backcountry Sking in Washington’s Cascades.”)

Bernbaum, Edwin. Sacred Mountains of the World. Sierra
Club Books, 1990.
(Interesting take for mountain lovers of all stripes. Large format book with beautiful photographs.)

Bronski, Peter. Powder Ghost Towns. Wilderness Press, 2008.
(Guidebook for Colorado’s former and now closed ski resorts, includes excellent historical information.)

Brower, David. Manual of Ski Mountaineering.
Sierra Club Books, 1962.
(The famed conservationist came from backcountry skiing roots, and wrote the first North American version of a backcountry skiing how-to. Terrific gift.)

Bowers, Vivien. In the Path of an Avalanche. Greystone Books, 2003.

Bueler, William. Roof of the Rockies. Pruett Publishing, 1974.
(Classic overview of early Colorado alpine climbing.)

Burhenne, H.J. Sierra Spring Ski Touring.
Mountain Press, 1971.
(The original guidebook for mountain backcountry skiing descents in the California Sierra, hard to find, collectible.)

Burton, Hal. The Ski Troops. Simon and Shuster, 1971.
(This early book about the 10th Mountain Division is still worthy.)

Campbell, Tavis & Cox, Sam. Stepping Up. . Author published, 2nd edition, 2009.
(Guidebook for The Ridge at Bridger Bowl ski area in Montana.)
[read review]

Clellan & O’Bannon. Allen and Mike’s Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book. Falcon, 1996
(The best bathroom reading ever sold — if you’re near a bathroom. Highly recommended.)

[shop for this book]

Cliff, Peter. Ski Mountaineering. Pacific Search Press, 1987.
(First book to cover the sport in a modern sense — now a classic.)

Corcoran, Thom. Mount St. Helens. KC Publications, 1985.
(This large format staple-bound book has the photos. Includes the shots of the guys on a neighboring peak watching the eruption and falling to the ground in amazement. Classic.)

Cowman, Charles E. Mountain Trailways For Youth, Devotions for Young People.
Zondervan, 1978.
(Christian devotional for young people, with
emphasis on mountains and natural world, nice gift.)

[shop
for this book]

Daugherty, Sean. Selected Alpine Climbs in the Canadian Rockies.
Rocky Mountain Books.
(Includes a number of ski routes, and describes access
to many backcountry ski areas and peaks.)

Dawson, Louis. Colorado 10th Mountain Trails.
WHO Press, 1991.
(Out of print but still available on used market. Somewhat dated but includes alternate routes. Good collector’s item. Lou will sign your book if you mail it to him with SASE. Now on web at hutski.com)

Dawson, Louis. Colorado High Routes.
Mountaineers Books, 1987.
(The first Colorado guidebook to cover ski mountaineering
and the 10th Mountain Huts.)

[shop
for this book]

[information about this book]

Dawson, Louis. Dawson’s Guide to Colorado’s Fourteeners: Volume 1, The Northern
Peaks. Blue Clover Press, 1995.

Dawson, Louis. Dawson’s Guide to Colorado’s Fourteeners: Volume 2, The Southern
Peaks.
Blue Clover Press, 1996.

Dawson, Louis. Dawson’s Guide to Colorado Backcountry Skiing, Roaring Fork Area
Blue Clover Press, 2000.

Dawson, Louis. Wild Snow, 54 Classic Ski and Snowboard Descents of North America.
AAC Press, 1998.

Day, Richard. Mad Dog Mountain. Sutton Publishing
(Amazing work of mountain mystic fiction that yes, includes backcountry skiing that we approve of here at WildSnow.com.)
[Read review]

Dyer, John Lewis. The Snow-Shoe Itinerant. Cranston and Stowe, 1891.
(The original is an out-of-print collector’s book, but the text was re-editioned with photos in a modern book, available via title link above. Terrific way to gain a sense of Colorado’s ski history.)

Farquhar, Francis. History of the Sierra Nevada. University
of California Press, 1966.

[shop
for this book]

Fay, Abbott. Ski Tracks in the Rockies. Cordillera Press,
1984.

(Brief yet excellent overview of Colorado ski history.)

[shop
for this book]

Fredston, Jill. Snowstruck: In the Grip
of Avlanches. Harcourt,
2005.

(Gripping account of avalanche accidents and her life as an avalanche
expert.)

[shop for this book]

Geiger, John. The Third Man Factor.
Weinstein, 2009.
[Read Review]

Goodman, David.Classic
Backcountry Skiing Adventures

(Still the source for classic
adventure skiing in the Northeastern United States.)

[shop for this book]

Goodwin, Tony. Classic Adirondack Ski Tours. Adirondack
Mountain Club, 1994.

(Early effort at detailing this incredible area, must-have for
any collection.)

[shop
for this book]
Grauer, Jack. Mount Hood a Complete History. Author published,
1975.

(Interesting history with plentiful illustrations, tons of ski
info.)

[shop
for this book]
Greenberg, Nate & Mingori, Dan. Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra. Woverine Publishing, 2008.

(Solid details for many routes, no cultural or historical info.)

[shop for this book]
Haddad, Ron & Faughey, Eileen. Front Range Descents. Sigma,
2003.

(A truly excellent Colorado backcountry
skiing guidebook. Will grow your skier’s life-list by a quantum
leap. Haddad formerly published
Indian Peaks Descents. This new book
includes all information in the former guidebook.)

[shop
for this book]
Hart, John L. Jerome. Fourteen Thousand Feet. Colorado
Mountain Club, 1971.

(The original guide to Colorado’s Fourteeners, hard to find staple
bound collector’s book.)

Jay, John. Ski Down the Years. Award House, 1966.

(Incredible classic, out of print
but available on used market. A must-have for any skier who enjoys
the roots of the sport.)

[shop
for this book]

Jenkins, McKay. The White Death. Random House, 2000.

(Covers the tragic and well known death of three young men in
a 1969 avalanche in Glacier National Park. Mixes vivid description
of the tragedy with a primer on snow and avalanches, opinion about
risk, and philosophical musings about mountain recreation. A worthwhile
read.)

[shop
for this book]

Johannsen, Alice E. The Legendary Jackrabbit Johannsen.
McGill-Queens University Press, 1993.

[shop
for this book]
Kelner, Alexis. Skiing in Utah: A History. Author published,
1980.

(Excellent history with a backcountry slant.)

[shop
for this book]
Kelner, Alexis. Wasatch Tours. Wasatch
Books, 1976, Early edition..

(The first guidebook in the United States to
cover steeper modern backcountry skiing, this edition is out
of print and available as a collector’s book, new edition is
sold in two volumes, see below.)

[shop
for this book]
Kelner, Alexis. Wasatch Tours, Volume 1. Wasatch
Tours, 1995..

(New edition of original classic, hard to find
for some reason.)


[shop for this book]

Kelner, Alexis. Wasatch Tours, Volume 2 – Northern
Wasatch. Wasatch Tours, 1995.

(New edition of original classic, hard to find
for some reason.)


[shop for this book]

Kelsey, Michael. Climbing and Exploring Utah’s Mount
Timpanogos. Kelsey
Publishing, 1989.

[shop
for this book]
Kerig, Bill. The Edge of Never . 1st edition, Stone Creek Publishing, 2008.

(Story of Trevor Peterson, movie “Steep,” Trevor’s son Kye..)

[read review of this book]

[shop for this book]

Kinney, Matt. Alaska Backcountry Skiing – Valdez & Thompson Pass . 1st edition, Prince William Sound Books, 2008.

(Where the goods are good and the odds can be good too! Highly recommended.)

[read review of this book]

[shop for this book]
LaChapelle, Dolores. Deep Powder Snow. Kivaki Press, 1993.

[shop for this book]

[read review of this book]
LaChapelle, Edward R. The ABC’s of Avalanche
Safety. Second Edition. Mountaineers Books,
1985.

(This second edition provides current basics in avoiding snow avalanche danger.
Highly recommended.)

[shop
for this book]
LaChapelle, Edward R. The
ABC’s of Avalanche
Safety. Mountaineer’s
Books “First Edition.” Mountaineers
Books, 1978.

(The early editions of this small concise
book were a seminal publication in avalanche safety. Most
of the info
in the
early editions is still accurate, but they’re more
of a collector book than anything else. Note that
the true first edition of this book was published in Colorado
before 1970, and was not published by Mountaineer’s books.
The true first edition is tough to find.)

[shop
for 1978 edition of this book]

Lavender, David Sievert. One
Man’s West. Doubleday,
1956.

(Incredible memoir of life in the early west
during the “quiet years.” Available in several editions.)

[shop
for this book]

Leigh N. Ortenburger and Reynold G. Jackson. A Climber’s
Guide To The Teton Range. Third Edition. Mountaineers Books,
1996.

[shop
for this book]

Lev, Peter (with Ed LaChapelle and Liam Fitzgerald). Snow
Avalanche Atlas, Little Cottonwood Canyon U-210. Utah Department
of Transportation, 1987.

(This little publication changed everything when extreme skier
Andrew McLean got his hands on it, hard to find.)

Litz, Brian and Kurt Lankford. Skiing Colorado’s
Backcountry.
Fulcrum Press, 1989.

(Brian’s first book and still a classic. Lankford died of a heart
attack some years ago, and book went out of print, but it’s still
available on used market. Brian went on to write Colorado Hut
to Hut, and has now started his own publishing company.)

[shop
for this book]

Litz, Brian. Colorado Hut
to Hut – Vol 1. Westcliffe
Publishers, 2000.

(Brian attemps to cover all of
Colorado’s huts in this series, and pretty much pulls it off.
Volume 1 covers the northern huts, including 10th Mountain
and Braun, while Volume 2 covers southern Colorado. For focused
details about specific hut systems, you’ll also want books
such as Dawson’s Guide to Colorado Backcountry
Skiing.)

[shop
for this book]

Logan, Nick & Atkins, Dale. The Snowy Torrents,
Avalanche Accidents in U.S., 1980-86. Colorado
Geological Survey, 1996.

(A repeat of the original classic, see bottom of this list.)

[shop
for this book]
Lund, Morten, ed. The Ski Book. Arbor House, 1982.

(This is an excellent book, written by super historian Lund,
has tons of accurate history and interesting stories.)

[shop
for this book]

Lund, Morten and Bob Laurie. Skier’s Paradise. G.P.
Putnam’s, 1967.

(This hard to find collector’s book is worthy.)

Lund, Morten. The Skier’s
World. Random House, 1973.

(Large format collector’s book gives an interesting view of worldwide
skiing in, numerous excellent photos, lots of history — excellent
gift for lovers of skiing! Prices are low, buy “collectible”
rated books for new quality.)

[shop
for this book]

Lunn, Arnold. The Mountains of Youth. Eyre
and Spottiswoode, 1925.

(This collector’s book is a must-read for anyone who’s life is
that of the alpinist.)

McLean, Andrew. The
Chuting Gallery. Paw
Prince Press, 1998.

Miura, Yuichiro and Perlman, Eric. The Man Who Skied
Down Everest. Harper and
Row, 1978.

(This adventure classic is sometimes a bit
exaggerated, but an essential part of extreme skiing history.
Fun gift.)

[shop
for this book]

Molenaar, Dee. The Challenge of Rainier. Mountaineers
Books, 1979.

[shop
for this book]

Morris, Halsted. Backcountry
Skier’s Field Book. Hacksaw Publishing, 1997.

(While mostly
a journal for snow observations, includes rescue flow chart, slope
angle meter, and other useful content.)

Moynier, John. Backcountry Skiing in the High Sierra. Chockstone
Press, 1992.

[shop
for this book]

Moynier, John, Avalanche Aware. Falcon Press, 1998.
read review

Munday, Don. The Unknown Mountain. Coyote Books, 1993.
(This classic describes the adventures of THE pioneers of Canadian ski alpinism — a husband-wife team. Excellent.)

Nansen, Fridtjof. Farthest North. Volumes 1 & 2.
Harper, 1897.
(Out of print, this edition is recommended for research as it has much more text than abridged edition noted below, and includes all images. Available from used book sellers.)

Nansen, Fridtjof. Farthest North
Abridged, Modern Library, 2000.
(Though abridged, still highly recommended. Terrific gift.)

Nelson and Potterfield. Selected Climbs in the Cascades.
Mountaineers Books, 2003.
(Excellent overview that’s useful for ski mountaineering.)

Ohlrich, Warren. The 10th Mountain Hut Book .
WHO Press, 2006.
(Amazingly detailed guide for the famous huts of Colorado. Highly recommended. Good gift for a dreamer, and good tool for the skier who’s already planning a trip.)

Pennington, Janice. Husband, Lover, Spy.
St. Martin’s Press, 1994.
(Incredible story, if a bit far fetched, about extreme skier Fritz Stammberger — unique gift.)

Parker, Paul. Free Heel Skiing
The Mountaineers, 1998. (second edition)
read review

Perla, Ronald and M. Martinelli. Avalanche Handbook. U.S.
Department of Agriculture #489, 1976.

(Another early book that started the revolution in avalanche
safety technique and equipment. Older versions are good collector’s
items, were used as textbook for the early avalanche safety courses.)

[shop
for this book]

Peters, Ed, ed. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills.
Mountaineers Books, 1991

[shop
for this book]

Pote, Winston. Mount Washington in Winter. Down
East Books, 1985.

(If you love Mount Washington backcountry skiing,
you must have this classic book. Tons of skiing.)

[shop
for this book]

Putnam, William Lowell. Joe Dodge. Phoenix Publishing,
1986.

[shop
for this book]

[read review of this book]

Richards, Rick. Ski Pioneers: The Making of Taos Ski Valley. Dry Gulch Publishing, 1992.

[shop
for this book]

Richins, Paul Jr. 50
Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits in California. Mountaineers Books, 1999.

Rebuffat, Gaston. Starlight
and Storm. Modern Library Exploration Series, 1999.

(Reprint of a mountaineering classic. First published
in 1954, this sublime book changed mountain writing from a me
versus them
genre to one of communion and spirituality. Sometimes a bit over
the top, but the alternative is worse. Makes a great gift, should
be in every alpinist’s collection.)

[shop
for this book]

Rebuffat, Gaston. Between Heaven and Earth. Kaye & Ward,
1969.

(Simply a beautiful, inspiring book
about mountaineering in the Alps. Hard to find collector’s
book,
following link may not work for direct buy. ISBN 0718205138.)

[shop
for this book]

Ringholz, Raye C. On Belay, the Life and Times of Legendary
Mountaineer Paul Petzoldt. Mountaineers, 2000.

[shop
for this book]

Roper, Steve & Steck, Allen. Fifty Classic Climbs. Sierra
Club Books, 1996.

(This concept of book served as the model for many published
after. Some of the climbs are mountaineering and can be ski
alpinism related.)

[shop
for this book]

Rose, Gene. Magic
Yosemite Winters: A Century of Winter Sports. Coldstream Press,
1998.

(Good information about how skiers in the Yosemite made backcountry
ski history.)

Schniebs, Otto Eugen. American Skiing. E.
P. Dutton, 1939.

(Hard to find collector’s book, includes an incredible
chapter about backcountry ski mountaineering in Colorado in the
1930s.)

Scofield, Bruce. High Peaks of the Northeast. New England
Cartographics, 1993.

(Useful overview of the Northeast alpine, round
out your library.)

[shop
for this book]

Secor, R.J.. The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes and Trails. Mountaineers Books, 1992.

[shop
for this book]

Secor, R.J.. Mexico’s Volcanos:
A Climbing Guide. Mountaineers
Books, 2001.

(Use this book for skiing adventures down south.)

[shop
for this book]

Scott, Chic. Summits & Icefields. 1st
edition, Rocky Mountain Books, 1996

(First edition is now a collector book, see below for new edition
that’s been split into two volumes.)

[read review of
this book]

[shop
for this book]

Scott, Chic. Summits & Icefields: Columbia
Mountains. Rocky Mountain
Books, 2003.

(Companion volume to Summits
and Icefields: Canadian Rockies,
this guide to alpine ski touring in the Columbia Mountains
of Western Canada, the Purcells and Selkirks ranges.)

[shop
for this book]

Scott, Chic. Summits & Icefields:
Canadian Rockies. Rocky Mountain Books, 2003.

(Companion volume to Summits
and Icefields: Columbia Mountains. A must-have for any
library of wild snow backcountry skiing.)

[shop
for this book]
Selters, Andy and Michael Zanger. The Mount Shasta Book. Wilderness Press, 1995.

[shop
for this book]
Sheldrake, Wayne. Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum . Ghostroad Press, 2007.

[shop for this book]
Shelton, Peter. Climb to Conquer : 10th Mountain
Division Ski Troops. Scribner, 2003.

[shop
for this book]
Sinclair, Pete. We Aspired: The Last Innocent Americans. Utah
State University Press, 1993.

(Valuable account of Wyoming Teton
climbing culture in the 1960s.)

[shop
for this book]
Smith, Carolyn, ed. Alaska Almanac. Alaska
Northwest Books, 1994.

Tejada-Flores, Lito. Backcountry Skiing. Sierra Club Books,
1981.

(The first North American modern how-to book for backcountry
skiing and ski mountaineering. A terrific collector’s item, still
contains lots of useful information.)

[shop
for this book]
Tilburg,Christopher Van. Backcountry
Ski! Oregon: Classic Descents for
Skiers & Snowboarders.
Sasquatch Books, 2001.

[shop
for this book]
Tilton, Buck. Wilderness First Responder. Falcon Books, 2004.

[shop for this book]

Tremper, Bruce. Staying Alive
in Avalanche Terrain. Mountaineer’s Books,
2001.

(This avalanche safety how-to is perhaps the best available for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. It looks at the issue from a practical view, assuming you WILL go out in avalanche terrain and ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, etc.)

[shop
for this book]

Turiano, Thomas. Teton
Skiing: A History and Guide. Homestead Publishing,
1995.

[read review
of this book]

Tweed, William. Shorty Lovelace, Kings Canyon Fur
Trapper. Sequoia
Natural History Association, 1980.

(Interesting info about one of the first
Sierra skiers. Out of print, hard to find.)
Vielbig, Klindt. Cross-Country Ski Routes of Oregon’s
Cascades. Mountaineers Books, 1985.

[shop
for this book]

Vives, Jean. Backcountry
Skier.

(A useful compendium of mountain sense
for backcountry winter folk — especially those just starting
their careers as backcountry skiers.)
Vives, Jean. Ski
Randonnee .

(A bit more advanced than Vives’ other book listed
above, with equipment chapter focused on randonnee AT gear not
telemark.)

[read review of this book]

[shop for this book]

Volken, Martin. Backcountry Skiing. Mountaineers Books 2007.
(The how-to book of the millennium — highly recommended.)

[read review of this book]

[shop for this book]

Volken, Martin. Backcountry
Skiing Snowqualmie Pass. Falcon, 2001.

(The key to incredible backcountry skiing just an hour east of Seattle, Washington. Volken is incredibly experienced.)

[shop
for this book]
Waag, David L. Oregon
Descents: Backcountry Skiing Southern Cascades., author published.

Waterman, Guy and Laura. Forest and Crag. Appalachian
Mountain Club, 1989.
(Aside from the disturbing fact that co-author Guy Waterman committed suicide by wandering out on a mountainside and freezing
himself to death, this book is an incredible compendium of Northeastern backcountry history, with tons of ski info. A must-have.)

[Shop
for this book]

Waterman, Jonathan. High Alaska: A Historical Guide
to Denali, Foraker and Hunter. American Alpine
Club Press, 1996.

(Excellent.)

[Shop
for this book]

Waterman, Jonathan. In the Shadow of Denali.. Doubleday, 1993.
[Read a review of this book]

Waterman, Jonathan. Surviving Denali: A Study of Accidents on Mount McKinley 1903-1990.
American Alpine Club Press, 1996.

Watters, Ron. Ski Camping.
Solstice Press/Chronicle Books, 1979.

Watters, Ron. Winter Tales and Trails..
Great Rift Press, 1998.

Weamer, Howard. The Perfect Art: The Ostrander Hut & Ski Touring in Yosemite.
Author published, 1995.
(A classic of backcountry spirit.)

Witherell, Warren; Evrard, David. The Athletic Skier.
Johnson Books; 1993.
(A bit dated, but tons of useful information about boot fitting and alignment, etc.)

Williams, Knox and Betsy Armstrong. The Avalanche Book.
Fulcrum Press, 1986.
(Excellent overview, should be in every backcountry skier’s collection.)

Williams, Knox and Armstrong, Betsy. The Snowy Torrents: Avalanche Accidents , United States, 1972-1979.
Teton Bookshop Publishing, 1984.
(This classic of accident reporting changed the way we look at avalanches, includes many of the famous early accidents that changed the way we look at avalanche danger..)

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

All material on this website is copyrighted. Permission required for reproduction, electronic or otherwise. That includes publication and display on other websites by whatever means. PLEASE SEE OUR COPYRIGHT INFORMATION.

Backcountry skiing is a dangerous sport. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of randone, randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information on this website is intended only as general information. While the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of Wild Snow as well as content contributors of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information. Furthermore, you agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instructions or templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow its owners and contributors of any liability for use of said items for backcountry skiing or any other use.