Backcountry ski touring news.
Light a candle. On December 21, 2004, I converted WildSnow.com into a full-on blog website (I’d had the site up since 1998, relativly static). That means this past week was our sixteenth blogaversary! Sixteen years and more than 4,000 blog posts later, here we are, kicking our way through covid (which I refuse to capitalize), a site management transition, site redesigns and more. Thanks everyone for your support. If you’re curious: blog post number one is a bit banal, but I love keeping it around.
Sad to report we’ve had four recent avalanche deaths here in Colorado. If you’re elsewhere and have reasonably stable snow, feel blessed. We’ve got one of those winters that’s combined a thin snowpack with cold temperatures and clear skies, to produce heinous layers of sugar-snow underpinning slabs whose mission in life is to take you out.
Let me add my two cents regarding how one stays alive during years like we’re having in Colorado. Firstly, it’s all about slope angle — provided you can find hippy pow without steeper avalanche terrain threatening from above. Then there’s slope aspect — northerly is often scads more dangerous. Next, it’s about the consequences if it does slide. Skiers often survive avalanches — I’d venture to say more live than perish — but from my observation the survivable slides are often those on smaller slopes, with no trees, terminating into broad runouts rather than terrain traps. After that, while ski touring has become synonymous with powder snow there’s a whole world of spring skiing waiting on the wings of winter. Corn season, with little to no avalanche danger if you play it right, can last for months. Come spring, you might not capture the toe-curling photos you want, but you won’t die.
The New York Times says “It’s the Winter of Backcountry.” Should I believe it, are we really getting the tsunami of backcountry skiers the entire news world seems bent on predicting?
Shops have been selling more BC merch than ever, perhaps that’s some indication of the coming throngs. And the media, man oh man, from Forbes to Men’s Journal, they’ve gone nuts! It’s like climbing skins were invented last week. But are shoppers then driving to the nearest trailhead and taking all the parking? Or are they more often just resort uphilling, or preparing for their usual ski vacation only they’ll be hiring a guide for a few days and ski tour a handful of classic lines? We want to know. Is your local trailhead any more maxed than last winter, or the winter before? Comments on!
The Eiger. The mountain of legends, rising above Grindelwald, Switzerland. I’ve only been there a couple of times. Never climbed it, never skied near it. Always wanted to because of the mountaineering history. Now I’m not so sure. The heavy hand of Alps style industrial tourism appears to have descended on the place. Jury out. Will the Eiger be a shadow of its former self? Maybe I’ll go there and see for myself. More here.
Wondering what’s happening with the European ski resorts regarding covid? Good report here. And here. Austria, for example is shutting down but exempting anyone who tests to have the antigen and presumably be immune. That creates an interesting sociological and legal situation. One has to wonder, will the immune wear armbands or something like that, so the beer tender will know whom they can serve?
And… uphill skiing is booming. You already know that, but I needed a paragraph opener. While the boom booms, I’m enjoying watching the constant flux in how resorts deal with it. This article about Mount Spokane is a case in point. As usually bubbles through my brain, all I can think when I read this junk is: people want to use your resort, figure out a way to accommodate them without agonizing over seemingly everything, then fully monetize it. For crying out loud, you’re a business with something to sell. Quit the namby pambying around. Just sell your product. Any one remember snowboarding?
Also regarding resort uphilling, check out this report in the New York Times. Paraphrased tageline: “In France, covid closed the ski lifts. The skiers came anyway.”
And… news of the weird. Did you know that gobbling Tylenol (acetaminophen) can increase your chances of dying in an avalanche? Check it out.
Have a happy New Year, with much fine skiing in your future.
18 comments
Weve had a middling start to winter, so its hard to gauge how much more backcountry traffic there really is. A longtime local fav spot due to its easy access and simple terrain has moguls on it this season and the parking lot is reported to be full most weekends, but there are also six (!) guide outfits running AIARE 1 courses there every weekend until March. Its really not that big of a zone. And no one is carpooling, those vehicles are all probably single occupant. This was a problem last year too, but more spacing between storms this year certainly exaggerates the impact those classes are having. Certainly I have seen some more enterprising tourers push out a little further into areas I used to be able to reliably ski weeks after a storm with nary a track to be found. Thats fine, I dont mind going a little further. But for gosh sakes AIARE instructors, fill in your pits!
Now the ski resort that allows uphill access with very few limitations, boy oh boy are they seeing a HUGE increase in traffic doing really stupid things. Hopefully new uphill users get it through their head that you needs to yield to snowcats and not let your dog take a dump in the middle of a run without cleaning it up.
In our local zone, I’ve seen avalanche courses act entitled, leaving big pits, taking up the parking, etc. I’m sure there are more caring groups, who fill in their pits and thus pass through our zone more quietly. But avalanche safety instructors need to make pit filling part of their standard behavior — as well as taking care with contributing to crowding while using a public resource for private gain, which I’m not against, but needs to be acknowledged for what it is. We’ve offered our own private property to avalanche instructors, so they can teach basic snow science without using public land, and thus not need an outfitter’s permit. So far nobody has taken us up on the offer, I think because psychologically they’d rather take their students to the public skin track, for atmosphere, or something like that. The offer still stands. Lou
Perhaps there is something to be gleaned from the European hut model of focusing on providing cozy amenities rather than the much more expensive and complicated infrastructure of a lift system. One of the great appeals to uphilling at a resort is having the shelter of a warming hut at the top to change over, dry out gear, relax, and engage in gustatory pleasure. In addition to the “new norm” practice of charging for a seasonal access fee (reasonable given that the resort is supplying parking, and groomed runs), how about “cover charge” of say $10 to access a hut where one could purchase food & drink?
Down here in the San Juans I’ve never seen so many people / cars / dogs in 20 + years. Red Mtn Pass and all the pullouts on HWY #550 are full parked. Even with the high ave danger and poor snow / ski conditions there are tourers / snowshoers / sledders out everywhere. Agreed that the media hype has inflated the activity this winter (everyone likes to feel the part of an outlaw?) but it truly is out of hand.
Thanks for the observations guys. Now we’ll see if the powers can step up to the plate, realize we need more parking and more trailheads. Sadly I think they’ll probably just whine and moan, and talk about restricting access. Aaron, I’ve been thinking one way they could monetize is a freemium model, perhaps they could sell an affordable season uphilling pass that allowed uphilling during open hours, then let people uphill for free during closed hours. Lou
Meanwhile, in JH :
https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/sports/features/flap-grant-eyes-infrastructure-projects-on-teton-pass/article_830ebc02-62ee-5588-9037-fbb0fff398df.html
5 million bucks and not one new parking spot?
I’ve been gobbling Tylenol like there’s no tomorrow, so that thought doesn’t scare me.
In Tahoe the increase is real. Record sales at BC ski shops. Sno-park passes sold out. Packed parking lots. Not just backcountry skiers, but sledders, snowshoers, nordic skiers, snowman sculptors, snow angel enthusiasts, family snow ball fights on the side of the highway.
I only used to fight for the limited parking with other backcountry skiers, but now I am squabbling for spots with the whole gamut of snow frolickers.
As for uphill access, all resorts have an ongoing series of changes and policies as they learn to manage this new phenomenon. We have been behind the times out west.
Sugar Bowl has cancelled the sale of uphill passes due to covid, but if you got a regular season pass you are good to go.
Diamond Peak is an all-star with a free up-hill pass, clearly defined policy, routes and clear updates and they aren’t afraid to put you in line if you are doing the wrong thing at the resort.
Kirkwood is also rad with free uphill access out of hours and a frequently updated uphill hotline to call before you go in case they have closed access due to avy danger. If we get snow and wind, this is closed somewhat frequently because avy danger looms over all the terrain there.
Heavenly is a typical corporate shit show, with a similar uphill hotline that is never updated and yet dozens of people now going up with dogs. I hope they can realize the potential and start charging for an uphill pass and improve the communication and access guidelines.
All others in Tahoe are a no go, although that hasn’t stopped folks this year who are oblivious of this.
At a beginner-friendly spot along the CO front range that typically gets decent early season conditions due to blown-in, recycled powder in the trees, the parking lots and road were already at 80% capacity by 8am on a weekend. I’m sure it filled up shortly after that given the odd parking jobs I found when I returned. It’s hard to tell how much of that was single occupant cars following social distancing because I saw a lot of groups pile out of cars at the trailhead that morning too.
Backcountry skiing has never felt so mainstream! While I appreciate fresher turns and solitude, that wasn’t the aim this day, and it was fun to see so many people out there enjoying it. I wonder whether that momentum will continue, build, or dissipate through the season. I saw a number (assumed) rental gear setups with sharpied-on sizing and shop stickers on skis which made me wonder whether those trying it out will stick with the sport or decide it’s not for them.
More trailheads sure would be nice… I wonder whether plowing a few strategically chosen roads per county would open up lots of winter terrain that’s normally inaccessible to most.
Industrial tourism hit the Eiger when the Eigergletscher station opened in 1898 (no that isn’t a typo – it was one hundred and twenty two years ago).
Teton parking seems to be filling up more often and earlier. Top of the Pass has always seen line-ups for parking from time to time. But now full capacity is being experienced at Coal Creek (just this morning, in the dark, as I passed at 7:20: over half full) and certain GTNP parking spots are filling up too. All that said, and even with Considerable hazard (or greater) hemming folks in, untracked has been easy to find.
On the Euro side of things, as noted in the Verbier article, I took the metro in Paris a week before Christmas but couldn’t take a chairlift of T-bar in the ski areas. Enjoyed my tour uphill, but no restaurants etc open (sample of 2 ski areas only).
Again, limited observations, but it seems that touring gear is already on sale (observations from London and from a friend in Barcelona) – so perhaps travel limitations in those areas are driving things, but if backcountry gear is so ‘in vogue’ why’s in on sale before Christmas even…
Both ski areas had groomed runs but didn’t charge any uphill fee (ski in/out accommodation would make that really tricky to apply in one of those areas) – I would pay a bit of day access… My limited avalanche experience means low angle slopes and a bit of grooming were well appreciated.
I was on the way home from BeaverCreek (Breckenridge) and the good spots along the way that were jammed. Vail Pass was jammed. Skied ABay yesterday and Loveland pass was packed, had trucks full, carting people back to the top.
BTW I tried logging into your site the other day and apparently left off the “m” of dot com and got a website called FutureSnow. Pretty cool site about long range snow forecasting—do you know them?
Lou’s wisdom about how to stay alive during a winter with a crappy snowpack is sound and appreciated.
Huge crowds, parking problems, and related issues at trailheads in Summit County, Colorado. It’s just a continuation of what we saw this summer. I would say the consensus here is that you can’t build your way out of this problem – constructing more trailheads or larger parking lots will just lead to more of the same problems as the Denver horde seems limitless and will fill any available space. But, in places further from a major metro area it might make sense to construct more, although I think there is some truth in the old adage that “you can’t simply grow your way to prosperity”.
And with regard to not filling your snow pit, leaving an open pit is just rude and dangerous to others. If your avy course instructor demonstrates this lack of consideration for others you should ask for your money back.
Our local hill Tumalo Mt. has seen a dramatic increase in users attempting to access the limited parking. Unfortunately, the parking is shared by all users (including sleds) which means sledders are frequently taking up two of the scarce spots. Before the local resort Mt. Bachelor opened, people were allowed to illegally park along the highway. Once the resort opened with the dramatically increased traffic, highway patrol began issuing tickets for illegal parking (rightfully so…pretty dangerous with all of the resort traffic).
The local resort Mt. Bachelor has been great about designating an uphill route, but the challenge with accessing the route is the new pandemic requirement for an advance parking permit (free, but difficult to get on short notice). I used to be able to head up to the mountain, with my first stop being the Tumalo parking lot to see if there might be an available space. If not, head on over to the resort for an uphill workout. With limited Tumalo parking and the resort advance parking permit requirement (non-cancellable on day of and threat of losing my resort pass if I make a parking reservation and not use it), I’m pretty much limited to making my turns at the resort this year.
Wolf Creek Pass has seen a huge increase in activity this season. This includes families with kids, tubes, saucers, and fragile plastic sleds. Part of the explanation was Wolf Creek getting a lot of early snow when other regions didn’t, which is not so unusual. However, I’ve seen crowds like I have not seen in the twenty-one years I’ve been here. Today was much better than expected, thanks to the CAIC issuing their Red, High Hazard rating.
Jim, I attended Adams State University and used to ski the Lobo area frequently. I must confess I participated in the early season snow locust behavior this fall. One of the days I was out there it felt like a day at the circus, people snowmobile skiing “suicide bowl” and a conga line skin-track from the parking lot. It made me sad to participate in the madness, and I wound up going to one of my more secluded old time spots on the other side of the pass instead.
The uphill policy of resorts this season couldn’t be more inciting. As usual Lou has it right “people want to use your resort, figure out a way to accommodate them without agonizing over seemingly everything, then fully monetize it.” If WINTER PARK can have a policy of “Uphill access is allowed on any trail that is open that day” for a mere $15 surely the other resorts can get their act together. Eldora’s policy of a $180 season pass to uphill at their mediocre hill is a joke.
Trailheads in the Seattle area have been extremely crowded on weekends this winter. Lots filled early in the day with off-ramps backed up onto the highway, even when snow conditions are poor. Normally quieter trailheads are over capacity. Anecdotally the majority of vehicles I’ve seen were families wanting to play in the snow. Can’t blame families for wanting to go outside with the kids rather than sit in front of a screen.