One of the most common questions we receive about winter activities is to clarify what it means when we say we offer backcountry skiing. Backcountry skiing, by definition, is skiing where you leave prepared/groomed trails, but that explanation alone can mean different things to different people. We’re going to break down the nuances of the term backcountry skiing to better explain what we offer here at VVR.
Early skiers had one kind of ski and used it for all types of skiing—from the slow trek into town to the heart-pounding downhill runs as well as launching off ski jumps. The bear trap binding allowed a skier to have a free heel for cross-country movement as well as clipping in for a stable heel connection for downhill skiing. As skiing has evolved over the years, the range of options for equipment and how to play on skis has broadened, but the terminology has not necessarily followed suit to define the different styles. In talking to Murray Selleck of Ski Haus Steamboat, fitting a customer for a backcountry skiing experience now involves a series of questions to find out what type of skiing they are looking for. As he put it “Where there are typically two sides to a coin, with backcountry skiing the coin is a Rubik’s cube.”
Murray asks questions such as:
- Are you looking for the fluid motion of cross-country skiing with a kick and glide, or are you wanting to just walk up a hill on skis?
- Are you looking to meander through the woods and ski around the hills or ski down the hills?
- Are you looking to ski uphill as quickly as possible so you can log as many turns coming down as possible?
- Do you want to be in untracked powder as much as possible, or would you rather ski on a packed in trail?
At VVR our typical backcountry ski tour involves using a mid-width Fischer Sbound 112 ski with a built in fish scale pattern on the bottom of the ski to help the skier grip the snow as they kick and glide forward. These skis are wider than what one would ski on a groomed trail to allow for some flotation in the deep snow and have a metal edge for edge control and turning. Paired with heavy duty boot fabric boots, unlike a plastic shell of a downhill ski boot, this set-up allows for the aforementioned fluid motion of cross-country skiing. For newer skiers, we stick to mostly flat terrain to enjoy the backcountry and see spectacular scenery in the peace of the backcountry. For stronger skiers, this set-up allows us to climb lower angle hills and play with downhill turns. For more advanced skiers, we also have a set-up of the same ski with Rottefella 3 pin bindings paired with a sturdier boot and some climbing skins to allow climbing a little steeper pitch. This set-up provides ease of use and increases stability for better performance in driving the ski on the downhill.
Once a skier switches the focus of the recreation to ascend a steeper pitch and clock more turns back down the mountain, then the equipment needs change to a telemark or AT (alpine touring) set-up. Both involve a very sturdy plastic boot that does not give as much freedom of movement but provides more stability for the downhill turns. With telemark the bindings allow for free heel skiing, and for AT the bindings allow for free heel skiing on the climb followed by locking down the heel in the binding for the descent. Climbing skins are utilized to be able to climb steeper pitches, and avalanche equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) and consistent training with the equipment is a must for this type of skiing in the backcountry. Often this type of backcountry touring involves snowmobile use to access steeper terrain. While we are not permitted to offer these types of tours at Vista Verde, you will see a lot of fit and experienced Routt County locals enjoying the backcountry this way.
As with horses, the varied ability and fitness of our guests influence the type of adventures our guides will provide them in the backcountry. We can meet most any experience level for a fun and safe time in the winter backcountry. Now that it is clear as mud, we hope you can come join us in the backcountry at some point!