We finally got to try backcountry skiing! We’d been waiting for more snow and boy are we getting it now. We headed out with some friends and our guides, Amazing and Wonderful Carl and the Fabulous Otto. It was a super cold, snowy and windy day…so not perfect conditions, but we layered up and committed to the adventure.

 

We met up for our orientation in a yurt. We got a crash course in the boot and boot settings, the packs, and beacons- you know, in case of an avalanche (what?!). Now that felt really hard core, even though our intro tour wouldn’t be on terrain with a high enough slope to be of avi risk- we still wore them and felt like total badasses.

 

We headed out of the yurt into, what felt like, the windiest spot in town for our ski orientation- there are so many settings compared to our downhill skis. The wind was whipping snow across our faces, and we were very ready to get moving and warm up! I was nearly ready to turn around a bolt to the nearest hot chocolate bar! But alas, I stayed committed to the adventure.  We put these “skins” on the bottom of our skis that gave us enough traction to hike up, in the skis, through the backcountry terrain and finally the promise of warmth felt real. The boots are way more comfy than alpine boots, the heel releases in the ski AND the boot, the hike was pretty good! The skins are kinda amazing- they glide only in one direction, so you can hike up but not slide down. Who comes up with this stuff?

 

We didn’t have to “skin” too far before our first “transition” to ski. We took our packs off, got a quick orientation on how to take the skin off without getting snow on it –the snow would cause it to lose its ability to adhere to the ski. We switched all the buckles on the boots, then on the skis and headed down a portion of the mountain that was under a power line. The powder was DEEP. There weren’t many trees here but lots of scrub brush. I wondered, do we ski over this? I started to feel totally out of my league. As I looked down about to begin our run, I looked to my girlfriend and said, “I’m scared!” It wasn’t even that steep of a pitch, but I’m really just a resort skier- and I love some corduroy! Amazing and Wonderful Carl kept cheering “make some fresh tracks!” to each of us as we began our runs. The two tweens totally crushed it as they confidently began their perfect descents down–they looked like pros in the deep fresh snow. Me on the other hand…well I ate shit a couple of times and couldn’t figure out how to control my skis! I later learned that my boots were entirely too lose (so that’s why they were so comfy!), but nothing was going to get the pride back that I left in that powder! Ha– it was extremely humbling! At the bottom of what Carl kept calling “the road” (though I couldn’t’ make out anything resembling a road, it was buried so far down in the snow) we transitioned once again into skinning mode. We put the skins back on the skis and adjusted the buckles on the boots and skis once again and were off to the next destination. Even though I was pathetic at the skiing part—I felt like a super star on the skinning. It’s easier than snowshoeing because of the glide factor that the skins provide. But like snowshoeing, we were in a fairly remote area of the mountain surrounded by beautiful aspen trees. It was perfect. I warmed back up (because you know, I’d spent quite a bit of time on my ass in the snow from the skiing) and we made our way to the top of a ridge. It was FREEZING and snowing and at the top where we transitioned, and we were totally exposed to the elements. Amazing and Wonderful Carl and Fabulous Otto both helped to make sure we had all completed the transition safely and then pointed us down the hill and “around the trees below.” At this point I’m clearly wondering what the hell I have signed up for. I mean I am totally getting better at skiing this year, even conquering moguls, but I DO NOT SKI TREES. Sonny Bono, anyone?! So, here I am, juggling a bruised ego from my earlier performance and the thrill of an experience of a lifetime. I requested that my friends pray for me and headed down. It. Was. Amazing! The powder was above my knees and I had so much space to turn, scream, cry, whatever I wanted/needed! And just like that- it was over! I met Carl and Co. and was relieved to have finally caught my stoke! The thing about the powder was it does a pretty solid job regulating your speed, so it wasn’t as scary as it looked. In fact, it was pure exhilaration! We stopped this run just before a meadow of aspens where Amazing and Wonderful Carl showed us how to make a little “alpine lounge” for ourselves, using our skis as a back rest and our packs under our bums to keep “the earth from sucking your body heat.” Is it just me or are all the mountain life colloquialisms the best?  We had a little snack in the middle of God only knows where. Just us and the Aspens.

 

We transitioned again at our little rest spot and began skinning up to ski another part of the ridge that had less trees (a sign that God was looking out for me.). During the business of getting to hike/skin mode, my girlfriend and I confessed that we really needed to go to the bathroom. It was a code red situation and we were dreading whatever instructions were about to come out of Amazing and Wonderful Carl’s mouth. Alas, the crew trekked up while my friend and I stayed back to take care of our needs and take our friendship to the next level. I am not at all about to share those details and, in fact, am trying to forget them myself. I will however say that there is a market for some kind of super-chic, super-femme, product for real adventurers- to not have to do what we did. Remember it was freezing, windy and snowy. Moving on…

 

We caught up to the crew not too far up the mountain and prepared to ski once more. At this point we were all getting the hang of it- properly getting the skins off, then getting our skis on the right settings and our boots in ski mode. Once everyone was ready, Amazing and Wonderful Carl, instructed us to each get a buddy. Oh boy. The spouses buddied up and the incredible tween skiers buddied up leaving Amazing and Wonderful Carl to lead and the Fabulous Otto as “sweeper.” Then Amazing and Wonderful Carl did the unthinkable- he led us RIGHT INTO THE TREES! Still relatively insecure in my relationship with my gear, and not EVER being a tree skier, I knew I was going to have to just LET GO. There was no other option. Kevin started down and I had no choice. We skied thru pairs of big trees, around smaller ones, through a clearing and back into more trees. The powder was super thick. We were doing it! Skiing untouched deep powder in the actual backcountry! This was it, it was happening! Letting go was the best thing I’d done all day because this was, dare I say, INSANELY FUN! And just as quickly as it all began, it ended.

 

 

 

One more transition and a brutal hour traversing uphill and we were back at the yurt. We did it! Skinning up into the quiet mountain, getting the chance to ski in this amazing untouched snow. It was absurd really. This is the part where I remind you, once again, I’m not like an adventure girl- I’m just a city mom, out here trying new things. Discovering how much I like being in the folds of the crunchy part of learning new things and loving the confidence I gain with each new effort.

 

Afterwards, we gathered for Paloma’s and snacks, we also went to bed at 9:30 that night. If that’s not living the good life, I’m sure I don’t know what is! Oh, and according to my AppleWatch, I burned 2500 calories! Woot woot!