Many of us ski tour for the peace and solitude. That may be harder to find as ski touring becomes more popular, but a little attention to etiquette can go a long way. Beehive Basin, Northern Madison Range.
Written by Alan Crawford
The forecast is for overnight “snow showers” which normally means a large dump of cold powder. You contact your ski partners and make plans to ski a location the next morning that, based on the forecast, means breaking trail through 12+ inches of fresh. While your group started early, another group is ahead on the approach. After a couple hours of skinning, your group reaches the top of a perfect run. You note that the other group has focused on one area. However, as your group begins to ski what looked like an undisturbed area, you find that the other group has set a skin track that zig-zags across the middle of the fall line.
Spend enough time skiing in the backcountry and you’ve likely encountered a similar scenario. And as the sport of ski touring and split-boarding grows in popularity, you might encounter it even more.
Since the Coronavirus Pandemic began last March, we saw this growth skyrocket around my local southwest Montana slopes. I witnessed areas that only a few years ago saw limited travel can now almost have moguls from so many skiers. In recent years, there has been a lot of hard work and effort recently placed on avalanche education. Touring gear has become significantly better. What has not kept up with the explosive growth is teaching etiquette for travel in the backcountry.
I am 56 and grew up in one of the meccas of backcountry skiing – Western Kentucky! I saw my first ski hill in my early 20s in upstate New York, but ski touring didn’t take off for me until I moved to southwest Montana 16 years ago. As a latecomer to the fun of skinning uphill and sliding downhill, I will not be the person to give advice on the technique of skiing 45 degree icy couloirs or similar terrain. My ideas of a great day in the backcountry is skiing untracked powder in a meadow or through the trees under sunny skies in 15 degree temps solo or with my regular ski partners. The solitude, beauty of the mountains and lack of people are magical.
Luckily, one of my regular ski partners and friends has been touring for 40+ years. What I didn’t learn about avalanche safety, snowpack, route finding, terrain selection and etiquette during my ski-less Kentucky upbringing, I have gleaned from him. What follows is an incomplete list of considerations for the ski touring community to contemplate. I’m not trying to be the “backcountry etiquette police” but I think we can all agree that as the number of fellow backcountry travelers increases, we all need to pay more attention to how we treat each other and the snowy landscapes we frequent (in addition, of course, to avalanche safety, wilderness first aid and who has the lightest touring setup).
Access and rules
Most backcountry skiing, at least in the West, takes place on public lands. This is good but ‘public’ doesn’t mean everything is fair game all of the time. Keep in mind that winter wildlife closures go into effect in certain areas and some approach trails pass through private land via public easements. These rules need to be followed to the letter OR else we may lose access to a specific area due to the irresponsible actions of a few.
An example in southwest Montana is the access to Beehive Basin. This area offers a wide range of terrain from mellow meadows to narrow couloirs and everything in-between including a summer hiking trail that receives a lot of snow shoe use. The first mile or so passes through private land (multi-million dollar homes abound here due to the proximity to Big Sky). The landowners have granted year-round access via a trail until the Forest boundary is reached.
As you skin up this first mile, the open 25 – 30 degree meadows that are easily visible from the parking area and, also, the vacation homes, sure look tempting both in terms of terrain and ease of access. Unfortunately, it is common to see tracks along with kickers off the trail each season. There are numerous reports of poachers being ticketed by the local sheriff. As tempting as these areas look, stay on the trail and maintain a good relationship with the property owners. I am sure similar examples are found across the West.
And while I’m talking about rules, let’s consider mixed use trails. By mixed use, I am referring to groomed Nordic ski trails. It’s generally a good idea to stay off any groomed Nordic trail (and watch out for Nordic skiers [or snow shoers] who may not hear you coming). In some places, it may be difficult to stay off a groomed Nordic trail. In these areas, keep the side and by all means DO NOT ski over the classic Nordic tracks. If you decide to go snow shoeing, please set your own track instead of messing up the skin track.
Be nice
While it’s great to get away from the crowds of a ski resort and skin up your favorite area, it is inevitable, and more so now, that other people will have the same idea. On any given tour, you could encounter other ski tourers, Nordic skiers, snow shoers or, in the case of a place like Beehive Basin, the resort skier taking a day off and post holing up the skin track to take in the amazing views.
With any of these encounters, smile and say hi! A long discussion is not necessary, nor is revealing your special powder stash, but a friendly smile and hello goes a long way to make the day great.
Don’t litter
This should not need to be mentioned but here it is. This applies to the trailhead parking, skin tracks and transition areas. And yes, orange and banana peels count as litter! Litter also includes the water bottle or ski strap mistakenly left at the transition area – double check before you head down!
Oh, and for all those places where dogs are welcome, please pickup after your dog and please, please, pretty-please don’t leave the filled poop bag for a later “poop fairy” to retrieve. As anyone who has ever unwittingly run over it will tell you, dog poop is terrible skin or ski wax.
A final “don’t litter” comment – please don’t pee on the skin track, just next to the skin track, on the fall-line of a perfect ski run, in the trailhead parking area or in the middle of the uphill or downhill transition area. Be discrete — find a tree or bush. No one likes to navigate around yellow snow.
Mind your dog
Dogs are great! My little dog loves to go on short Nordic tours behind our house – porpoising through the powder is her idea of a fun time. A lot has been written about skiing with your dog – there are strong feelings and opinions on both sides of the coin. All I will say here is that as long as your dog is well behaved and does not come running across my line that I worked so hard on the uphill to ski, then dogs are great. If you can’t control your dog and your dog is interfering with other groups, then YOU need to make some changes. Finally, if you are planning a tour in a National Park (Yellowstone for example), leave your dog at home.
Fill in holes
Snow pits — formal, PhD snow science thesis style pits, forecaster style pits, hand pits, and the list goes on — are great, but please fill them in after you are finished. Please do not leave some gaping hole for a fellow backcountry skier or rider to “find” at the wrong time. The worst are pits that were not filled in and then collect blower powder from the next dump. If you’re going to take the time to dig the pit, take the time to fill it back in. The same goes for holes or snow-fort like structures that some of us like to “construct” at the transition point at the end of the uphill or as we prepare for the next lap. On your last run, please smooth these out.
This one shows an example of good snow farming. Southern Madison Range, southwest Montana.
Practice snow “management”
I am told that in the “good ole days”, you could ski a perfect powder filled meadow and come back to that same meadow a week later and the only tracks were your previous tracks. With some exceptions, these days are gone although with just a little more exploration, finding new “perfect powder filled meadows” is still possible.
A lot has been written about how to set the perfect skin track, i.e. how steep, how to follow the terrain contours and so on. In my opinion, the main thing to consider about a skin track is the safest, best location that stays out of prime skiable terrain! It is very frustrating to skin up the access of your favorite area after a large dump and find that someone has set a skin track right up the middle of the prime skiable terrain instead of skinning up the edge. Or, while a nicely located skin track may be too steep for some, the alternate is a track that zigs and zags all over the skiable terrain otherwise ruining a what would be untracked powder. Proper skin track location also avoids potential conflicts of uphill and downhill parties.
On the downhill part of the tour, it’s a good idea to practice good snow farming or, as one of my partners likes to do, figure-eight your partners tracks. Anything to preserve as much un-skied powder as possible. Remember, we work hard to get uphill and paying attention to overall run snow quality is really important — this isn’t the ski resort where no one seems to pay attention to where they ski (or traverse across the fall-line!).
Final thoughts
A final comment to consider is over-use of a specific popular area. As backcountry skiing and riding become more popular, the easy access areas are seeing a significant amount of traffic now versus even a few years ago. Nice runs are getting as tracked up as Bridger Bowl on a powder day. Consider the amount of traffic a specific area receives before planning your tour. I think it’s better to do some exploration instead of skiing a run that is already “skied out”.
Ski touring season will be here sooner than we think. Expect to see a lot of new faces in the popular places. Don’t be afraid to nicely call out when someone is bending the rules. Smile and remember we were all a “new face” at one time.
Alan Crawford was born in Kentucky but has lived in northern areas (upstate New York and southwest Montana) for half of his 56 years. He works as a consulting chemical engineer in the global silicone and high-pure silicon (solar and semiconductor) industries.
36 comments
” the resort skier taking a day off and post holing up the skin track to take in the amazing views. ”
Well, that drives me crazy ! I can’t ignore that, and end up nicely explaining what a ski track is, and why booting up the skintrack is bad etiquette.
Finally, not mentioned, is be aware that some skiers, like the resort skier above, maybe over her/his head, and unable to navigate back to the trailhead. Rather than leave them to get lost (and end up having to search for them later) , help them get back on track. You may miss some skiing, but the Karma will help you later.
All good points. On the litter thing, pick up after others. I figure that I sometimes accidently leave something behind or a wrapper falls out of a pocket. So always pick up whatever I see, no matter who dropped it. Easy enough.
And yes, smile and wave!
Something of an “etiquette tip” that I’ve started doing this season, that I’ve never seen written about, is to take care of the skin track. While skinning along we all find spots on the track that aggravate and slow us down; a weak spot in the snow has collapsed under the track, terrain under thin snow creates a natural hole, the downhill side of a traverse has been blown out, someone has skied over the track, etc.
I like to use these spots to take my breathers, and spend a little time patching things up. Just a few extra seconds to fill in a hole using your ski tips, or reshape the track with your edges, etc. If you use the track multiple times, you’ll see for yourself that all these little repairs add up. If it’s a shared skin track in a popular area, you’re helping everyone’s day go a little easier without anyone ever realizing it. Good karma!
excellent shot of snow agronomy. Really helpful if you plan to make numerous laps on a particular slope. Granted, some skiers don’t have the skills to farm the slope,,, and some (perhaps) don’t like guidelines for their conduct.
Wow our first big weekend in SE AK and nice conditions. What does the Etiquette master recommend for contact with other groups beyond ‘Hiya’ and picking up the errant wrapper? My worries are; Other groups releasing slopes above me, and avalanche involvement with high risk tolerant groups. Both worries came true Sunday, but How much discussion of safety is recommended? Do you have beacons, probes and shovels?. Are y’all using radios?, Where are you planning to descend? Have you looked at the avalanche forecast, dug a pit today? Do you want to hear my thoughts on the line you just skied? I was overwhelmed 3 large groups hit our ‘low angle tree glade’ on their way to nearby higher consequence terrain. (New dump with ECT0/0 on deep week ice layer.) How do you keep track of all 3 groups?
Sedge, we have been dealing with what you describe in the Wasatch for a long time. At times it requires getting more creative with your uptrack to ensure that you aren’t in the line of fire. Other times it means moving to plan b, or c, or d, or e. It also requires that you start treating everything as though it has an overhead hazard (I like to pretend that other groups of skiers are cornices hanging over me) and thinking more about runout if anything above moves. You may not always see the group and they may not always see you before people start descending.
Etiquette tips (based on what I’ve seen). If you ski the Wasatch or the Tetons and you get to a popular zone first, set your skintrack with a sustainable pitch The steep, icy tracks that characterize both locales are a middle finger from dawn patrollers to every other user.
Canadian skiers-take 3 steps off your skintrack when you take a leak. Yellow snow at every kickturn is just gross!!!
whoa, whoa, whoa there Macie J, slow that chauvinist roll…
it isn’t Canadian skiers urinating (can I say pissing, cause that’s what this is) at kick turns, it isn’t a nationality issue… it’s gender (surprise!!). I spend most of my winter touring with Americans (and a few Euros and Cancucks) in a professional capacity. Never met a lady or woman or girl urinating at a turn or on a ski track.
Philip G below has the methodology dialled, poke a hole in a discreet place, urinate in the whole, cover it up… easy peasy!
Travel Safe!
… urinate in the hole… oops, bad editing, accidents happen!
In regard to the pissers who want everyone to see what they have done, it is not enough to just step off the track and take a leak, try this, step off the track and use your pole to create a small hole in the snow then piss in it and cover it up with snow. It is brilliant I know, that is probably why so many urine afficionados haven’t figured it out.
The first thing on the list should be “don’t drop in on top of someone else in avy terrain.”
I agree that it is courteous and beneficial to all to set skin tracks away from slopes that are likely to be descended. But I disagree that anyone should feel it’s their responsibility to carefully nest their turns in next to the tracks made by the previous skier. Make the number and shape of turns you want to make.
And post holing the skin track IS bad etiquette, unless its on a multi-use trail that inevitable gets all stomped out anyway. I would never yell at a snow shoer or hiker doing this, but I will point out that skiers reuse skin tracks for efficiency, and when some one stomps all over them they are ruined.
Thanks to Allen for putting together a good catalyst for conversation. I think we can all agree on how important it is to establish some baselines in the shared backcountry. As for dropping in on top of others in avy terrain, that could be an article all itself.
@sedgesprite: that sounds like a rough day. If you’re feeling so much at risk from other parties, maybe it’s time to explore other zones? (stated while knowing well enough that’s not the ideal solution…)
Go small or don’t go. What’s with the new norm of mega-parties? When a group of 10 invades a small, unknown area (not in any guide book or map), they quite literally track-out a bowl in one run that may take a small group all day to track out. Yes, I’m a grumpy, old man, but I’m puzzled why the new generation loves the mass-groups? Seems like they are there to socialize and the tour is just an afterthought. If nothing else, a large group creates a hazard that is easily managed with a small group. In large groups all skiers rarely have the same fitness level or ski ability so the group gets fractured and separated, and that is a problem when “one at a time” should rule.
Sadly the influx of large groups aka crowds is due to the safety in numbers mentality that is the offspring of the commercialization of backcountry skiing.
While I agree we should respect private property and easements, and pick up litter, I can’t get behind “Gatekeeping” other’s skiers and how they track out an area. Don’t like the skin track in the middle of the run? Grow up, get over it, we do it all the time in the steeps without issue. If coming across a skin track in the middle of a bowl is a “problem” go back to the resort. It seems like the old fart ski tourers all feel they own the place, and it’s their stash and everyone else is intruding on it. If you don’t want to ski tracked up pow, get up earlier, go deeper; that is the spirit of BC Skiing! This is a rather pretentious article in my opinion and stinks of BC Skier Elitism. But then again, I have only been doing this for 10 years, maybe after 20 i’ll feel differently.
I’m feeling similarly with a similar amount of experience. Also I don’t mind breaking trail, so if I don’t like a skintrack someone else set I just set another at a better angle, location, etc.
Andy — Saying the article is pretentious and stinks of elitism is a bit harsh. The author himself points out how he was a beginner once and he’s not trying to be the etiquette police.
Dead on correct, Andy. Nice to see a little common sense.
The article hit a raw nerve, didn’t it Andy? I agree w Manesseh. The article came from a very humble place, as opposed to “Grow up, get over it.” Sure, get up earlier and go further, when you can. But that’s not always possible, and that’s not the only “spirit of BC skiing.” That’s one way, and it’s your way, apparently, but really, isn’t prescribing one way to everyone exactly what you claim the “gatekeepers” and “old farts” are doing?
Lighten up, Francis.
Any of you guys remember this one? https://www.wildsnow.com/2012/backcountry-skier-code-ethics/
And, Andy, some of us do own the place, or at least a few acres of it (smile), though in our case we choose to keep our mouths shut and most of our land un-posted to the extent that skiers don’t even know it’s private. Lou
I once encountered pee in the middle of a fresh skin track. As in, in between the two individual ski tracks. WTF??
That was me…I have good aim (and you’re welcome)
This issue relates to individual freedom, personal choices, community norms (and the collision of different communities), and, in some cases, state and federal laws. Lets say I want to hike or snow shoe up a ski track, because it’s easier to walk in the track compared to the powder, set up a boom box and folding chairs in the middle of a powder slope, and have a dance party with all my friends, or a religious sing-a-long, or a comic ray measuring party, or whatever. As long as I don’t break any laws–even if I endanger myself or others–I’m free to do so. Now, others are also free to tell me how to behave, but, depending on some kind of slippery balance of exactly what I am or am not doing compared to current accepted standards of behavior, the interference with my personal choices, the unasked for “education” and “advice,” may represent a greater problem or violation of social norms, than me just doing whatever I want to do. Debatable of course. Stepping way back, as I said above, unless laws are being broken, people are free to do as they please. Of course, it’s nice to be aware, educated, courteous, respectful, prepared, safe and so on…but that’s now how humans always are, is it? For the record, I have no problems with the original post, and appreciate the subject, tone, information, and suggestions. But I also understand the difficulty of allowing myself to believe that public spaces should only be used one way, as well as the treacherous moral terrain of interfering with other people’s day.
all great other than the farming. I AT ski and split board, and when split boarding i just make different turns nothing like would-be ski figure eights. Sorry, but that’s why i snow surf., and there’s still plenty of pow around the turns to get uninterrupted pow bliss.
Great article. I agre with the “smile and be polite” comment when encountering others….it is sometimes impossible for snowshoers to set a different track than skis ( we see this at Elfin Lakes in BC all the time…it’s has tight and limited space in some areas. Also, the number of new-to-the-backcountry are simply too many. Take it or leave it.
I will add to a couple of points:
1- pissers….don’t urinate on the summit. It’s a great place to sit and admire the views. Your pee stains are unwelcome and lazy.
2- dog poops….it is most likely that your pooch is off leash…keep him/her in front of you or within eyesight. I’ve seen more than a few pooches pinching a loaf and the owner is totally unaware. The worst land mines are the ones that get buried under the snow, only to re-emerge in the spring….it ain’t fun skinning through a brownie.
Ah yes the brown klister…It has put a damper on on many a tour. Also if you take the time to bag it don’t just leave it there for the next person to pick up…That’s just crappy
I’m all for “freedom of the hills” but maybe with the influx of new backcountry skiers and boarders we should put a little more effort into learning how to give and receive constructive criticism. Backcountry skiing draws a lot of parallels to the “practice” of medicine. It’s both an art and science and a practitioner is constantly evolving and seeking to improve. Failure to continue to learn how to do things better and safer leads to bad outcomes. We need feedback to do this. If someone thinks I am laying an inefficient or unsafe skin track or just generally screwing things up, I would want them to tell me. Similarly, if I ask a stranger in the backcountry why they did something that seemed “odd,” I shouldn’t have to worry about them being offended. Maybe even a little blurb on “The importance of giving and taking constructive criticism for future growth” would be helpful in avalanche education to try and counteract the huge volume of ego-driven ski media.
Good point, JCoates. Over the years I’ve learned to be more diplomatic in relations with snow travelers I don’t know. With skiers I know, I’m as candid as ever, and they with me.
On the litter thing….I’ve seen many many plastic doggy poops sitting trail side this summer as well as COVID masks used and dropped . Please please if you are going out in the woods pick up and pack out your trash….it’s your responsibility to take care of the woods whether you are a newbie or seasoned vet..
I enjoyed the article and the discussion. Definitely made me take a moment to think about an important subject. I think Bruno nails a key tension. Personal freedom vs “the tragedy of the commons” (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons#:~:text=The%20tragedy%20of%20the%20commons,resource%20through%20their%20collective%20action.)
One observation I’d add at least for my locality is that there seem to be zones of tolerance im my mind. The really easy access areas right off the road with lots of mixed use and beginner access are a complete mess. Just something to accept. If you want to ski there either grin and bear it or hit it right at the tail end of a fresh storm cycle and move on. Areas that require a little effort to access get tracked up over time and may suffer from ridiculously steep skintracks which is all no surprise. Those skin tracks usually seem to be in better locations most of the time but not always. There are rarely if ever “non skinners” to deal with. When you talk about areas that take a little fitness amd committment to access it seems that the biggest issue os occasionally dealing with steep uptracks. Safety seems to be more (but not always) ingrained in folks who go this far out.
My feeling is you have to accept certain things in each zone if you choose to go there.
Hi all, I’m still here and involved, have been on sabbatical for a personal writing project, but am gearing up to do a few more blog posts and to help keep my eye on the comments.
Speaking of which, I just deleted a mean-spirited comment. Please keep it civil, and avoid anything close to a personal attack.
As for this post, I’m glad we published. Such posts are uncomfortable and are indeed prone to appearing elitist, but they have a place in the overall give-and-take as our sport evolves.
But not to worry, we won’t be converting WildSnow into an etiquette forum!
Skin track care is important to me as i ski alone and usually show up first. A lot of work and care goes into the track and as most of us know that is ehere we spend most of the day. I make the track flat and work the switchbacks so there is a little extra room. Energy preservation is the name of the game for me.
Nearly everyday tourers show up and cave out the downhill edge of the skin and undercut my switchbacks. Lots of attitude whenever i ask nicley to watch the skin, told to f#!$ off.
I learned make the track better each time up not worse.
Fall line; i learned when dropping carry the fall line to the floor. Not to start curving over two thirds of the way down to the staging area. As a lot of the shots here in the wasatch can be relativley short, nobody wants to ski over your sideways tracks way above the bottom.
Great article and some very good comments as well.
Thanks for chiming in Dan. I’ve always enjoyed the feeling of helping make the skin track better. But I learned how to take it to the limit one day in Europe, when I saw a guide uphilling with his shovel in one hand, and carving out the switchbacks to help his clients — and of course everyone else on the mountain that day. Lou
AMGA splitboarder guide John Lemnotis took that concept a step further on my 7 year old’s first tour. Spring weather had left a bit of crust on the snow, and she was slipping all over the place (for some reason the rented Camp AT adapters didn’t come with ski crampons ;-). He took his shovel in hand, and bench cut several hundred feet of vertical for us.
(John, if you read this: she has ski crampons now! You won’t have to do that again!)
Agree with almost everything, especially the safety aspects. But don’t tell me how to turn. If you wanna make wiggly slalom turns going slow, good for you. If somebody else wants to make three super g turns down the whole face, good for them. People ski backcountry for the freedom of it. Skiing over somebody else’s tracks has never ruined a good day of backcountry skiing for me, but you know what has? Somebody getting all sour about how I “wasted” a perfectly good run, or telling me I “should’ve” done it this way or that. Gimme a break! I skied it exactly the way I wanted to. You’re more than welcome to go ski it the “right” way now if you’d like.
-Sincerely,
Guy who doesn’t like making wiggly slalom turns in powder.
Exactly Andrew, more freedom less “old man” farming rules ?. Skiing powder high speed Super G turns is much more fun. Ohh and dog is running across your line. Are you serious ??
And of course basic etiquette be nice. Don’t litter.
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