A Guide to Your Quarter Life Crisis

As humans, or more exactly, as skiers, we ask ourselves, ‘What is next?’ I have searched the world for the holy resort; chasing huge lines at Telluride, discovering Mount Baker magic, hard ripping at Jay, or blowing bowls in Gulmarg’s side country. Like many semi-retired ski bums, I no longer desire, or can, chase the goals of younger years. I finally admit that I will (probably) never land a backflip, and I should stick to small rails. But there is nothing to worry about, the journey is about to begin! The time has come to foster a deeper relationship with the mountains, and ski the backcountry.

Once upon a time, there was no lift access in the remote mountains across the world. We were born in place and took the time to understand the landscape of home. Among the rugged ranges and snow-covered landscapes, our ancestors discovered skiing not as a sport, but as a mode of transportation. Dating back to 8,000 BC, the first skiers strapped two planks to their feet to increase their surface area and attached animal skins to the bottom for uphill motion. Their brains would rupture if they saw what the children ripped today. In our world of bigger, faster, stronger, maybe we need to return to our roots. But how do you start? You must be able to ski (or snowboard, split boarders are welcome here too!) all sorts of snow textures, so practice on the ice and off-piste. From here, learn as much as you can. Read books, go to seminars, meet like-minded individuals, and PRACTICE!

It took years for me to sack up for the backcountry. I thought I needed to know more, and the obstacles before me were for greater men than I. It is not so much about knowing more as it is about knowing what you need to know. As far as greater men, there is no greater man than yourself. I have taken the leap of faith, and I would like you to do so as well. Here I will lay out the four pillars of backcountry skiing, and these you will continue to learn for the rest of your life. They are important because they are what will keep you alive to ski another day. You must have a plan, understand your gear, know your hazards, and most importantly, know yourself.

Everything starts with a plan: the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY. WHO you choose to tour with is essential. You are stuck uphill with your partner, so while you should enjoy their company, you must trust them. The backcountry is life or death and choosing a partner with a compatible risk tolerance and an adequate knowledge of the sport and snowpack are essential. I could write an entire article on choosing your backcountry partner(s), but I will spare you for another day. WHAT is the goal. A short ‘out and back’ in the morning? A long tour through the side country? A technical summit push? You must decide with your partners, and you are only as strong as your weakest link. Stay within the limits of your experience and you will live to ski another day. WHEN is crucial. Touring every Saturday and Sunday may fit into your schedule, but you must bow to the weather gods. Learn about the snowpack. Live the snowpack. Be the snowpack. My favorite book in the world is Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper. You can find a copy for less than $4 online at Abebooks; you have no excuse. You do not need to know everything, but you must be aware of the risks. WHERE to go requires intensive planning. This is not a whimsical granola summer trek. Skin tracks can be your guiding light, but they are as finicky as breadcrumbs and unreliable as the mountain forecast. A GPS is essential, and it is very important to understand the topography of what you are up against. This is a big-ticket homework item. WHY is your intention. What is your risk tolerance (you determine this over time after you understand the risks), not everybody needs to ski Denali, but some do. What are your goals? This can be your fitness journey, mental health break, or adrenaline outlet. Reflecting on why you want to ski in the backcountry will help you make patient and conservative decisions in the backcountry and will help you understand you bigger place in the universe.

Gear is an extension of your body, your sacred vehicle into the mountains. It makes travel faster, safter, and possible. While you don’t need lift tickets for this sport, you will need to buy your ski gear and more, all over again. Skis with AT binding and boots to accompany, skins, a bag for your gear which must include an avalanche kit (beacon, probe, shovel), and layers for the worst-case scenario. Other essentials are:

• Collapsible poles

• Medical kit, including an emergency blanket

• Sunscreen

• Radios

• Helmet (your resort helmet works fine) and goggles/glacier glasses

• Headlamp

• Gloves

• Food/water/electrolytes

• Map/GPS/Garmin with SOS

• Repair kit for your skis and boots.

To keep track of all this before a tour I highly recommend bookmarking Backcountrychecklist.com on your phone. It is much easier to check a list than Voile strap twigs to the bottom of your skis because you left your skins in your garage. I always carry enough layers that if someone got hurt and we had to spend the night on the mountain, I would have a fighting chance. A big parka in a compression sack works, and for some mountaineering objectives I even carry up a sleeping bag. Like everything above, you will learn what gear you need through experience.

Crevasses and avalanches are the first order of fear for skiers. They are big, mystical, and “out of your control.” Equally important, and often overlooked, are high alpine injuries, getting lost, and rockfall. Hazards are something to learn about and understand. I love researching accident reports because they offer a wealth of knowledge on what not to do and common mistakes. They reflect the real time snowpacks and conditions of the mountain. You must prepare for the worst case and build out a reliable medical kit as well and bring up warm gear. Maybe you will never use your parka, but it could save a life if you need it. I have seen hypothermia firsthand multiple times, and I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t bring extra layers. As cited above, do your research. Take an avy class. Practice active communication with your partners. Determine what hazards you may see before you head out and set a turnaround time. Safety is a lifestyle in the mountains.

Know yourself has broad applications that far surpass the world of skiing. Images of a big fat Buddha or a Dreadhead smoking pot may be floating through your brain, but I ask you to shake those (unless you subscribe). This is the single most important part of backcountry skiing. We watch reels of big lines, local legends, or just a random shmuck. You tell yourself, if they can do it, so can I! You must remember that just because a line goes one day, doesn’t mean it will the next, and everyone has a difference skill set and knowledge base. Take things slow, and according to YOU. Your whole group may want to push on when you are not comfortable, but you must listen to your gut. Only you can stand up for you. If one wants to turn around; all must turn around. Peer pressure runs rampant in the community, and it leads to many poor decisions. If you understand yourself, you will know what to look for in your partners. If you understand yourself, you will know when YOU need to turn around. There is so much involved with group dynamics and your own decision making, you will spend the rest of your life understanding these concepts.

The leap into backcountry skiing may appear blind and dangerous (if it doesn’t, you probably have more to learn before you leap), but it just takes baby steps. You can find a local ski hill that allows uphill travel, I learned on night laps at Park City myself. Low angle terrain and short tours are also a wonderful angle of attack. Any slope under 30 degrees will almost never trigger an avalanche, and crevasses are only on glaciers (watch out for snow bridges). The first step is always the hardest, but all you have to do is start at the very beginning!