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by Glenn Vitucci
What would you rather have? A dozen plain doughnuts or one
chocolate eclair? Five cups of truck-stop coffee or one double
cappuccino latte?
If quantity is your cup of Joe, buy the doughnuts, the coffee, a
lift ticket, and pig out on all the ski area vertical your legs
can handle. But if it's quality you're after, order the eclair
and latte, hire a guide, and trek off into the Tetons. You won't
ski as many runs in the backcountry, but you'll never forget any
of them.
Backcountry skiing means skiing the wild snow - that which fell
from heaven upon more wild snow, drifting and piling up, naturally
sculpting the mountain landscape. Ungroomed and never to be
groomed, the natural white stuff is at times light, dry, and deep;
at other times heavy, wet, and shallow; or any of the countless
variations in between.
 Despite
backcountry skiing's challenge, people adapt quite easily to this
wild environment and quickly learn to detect subtle changes in
wind, light, the forest, and, ultimately, in themselves. Time
seems to slow down, relaxation seeps in, and camaraderie
flourishes. The visuals aren't bad either, and watching one
another's descent through the billowing snow soon becomes an
essential experience of mountain living.
Never has there been a better time to take up this sport. As we
enter the new millennium, backcountry ski and snowboard gear has
reached state of the art. Light, efficient, and versatile, the
latest equipment helps beginners learn more easily and enables
experts to make laps like never before. It could be argued, given
the current level of equipment design and technology, that ski
touring is both skiing's roots and its final evolution.
So, hire a guide and get after it. You don't have to be a "mountain
man" to enjoy the backcountry. All you need is a sound body, a
willing spirit, the right equipment, and a knowledgeable partner.
Glenn Vitucci is an avid backcountry skier/snowboarder and
instructor, a co-owner of Rendezvous Ski Tours, and a glider pilot
and instructor.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
If you want to ski the wild snow, but lack the knowledge and
skills necessary for safe backcountry travel, then you should
avail yourself of one of these guide services. All offer avalanche
clinics and powder instruction, and all will find the best snow
and terrain for your abilities.
Guide Services
Rendezvous Ski Tours 877-754-4887 or 208-787-2906
Jackson Hole Mt. Guides 307-733-4979
American Avalanche Institute 307-733-3315
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Guides 307-739-2663
Snow King Resort Guides 307-734-3030
Good Books
Tom Turiano's guidebook Teton Skiing is the definitive
reference for advanced backcountry ski descents and tours.
50 Ski Tours of Jackson Hole and Yellowstone, by Richard
DuMais, describes the classic day tours of the mountain canyons
and general touring areas.
Avalanche Hazard Forecast
Before any backcountry outing, check with the Bridger-Teton
Avalanche Forecast Center at 307-733-2664.
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