Backcountry skiing is an ideal way to enjoy the solitude and beauty of the mountains in winter. Skiers and riders can share the camaraderie of good friends, get a wholesome full body workout, then experience the thrill of flying down a mountainside before retiring satisfied and exhausted beside the fire for a hearty meal and a good nights sleep.

Backcountry use has increased in popularity over the last decade as we search farther and farther for the ultimate run of untracked powder.  As technology improves and specialized gear has become readily available, more and more people are poking out of bounds at ski areas, riding snow machines to distant peaks, or staying at remote backcountry yurts in order to get first tracks. With the increase in use comes the need for an increase in avalanche awareness and safety education, so that we all come home with smiles at the end of the day.

Brundage Mountain Resort just north of McCall has good backcountry access from the top of the Bluebird lift.  A road leads to the north from behind the patrol shack to access what the locals call ‘Sergeants Mountain’, offering a variety of terrain and aspect choices…a one lift ticket is available for a small fee.  The Tamarack Resort also has access to good backcountry skiing form the top of West Mountain. To the south you can access Lone Tree Peak and lots of low angle glades that will bring you back to the ski area. The terrain to the North of the resort is a different story, much steeper and prone to avalanches.  Skiers venturing here can be rewarded with long runs to the road, but should have good route finding techniques and avalanche rescue skills. Before leaving the boundaries of either ski area be sure to check with the ski patrols for an update on current weather and snowpack conditions.

Other options for backcountry adventure can be found on foot or with snow machine access.  Big Creek Summit between Cascade and Warm Lake offers easy access to skiing without the cost of lift tickets or snowmobiles.  For those with a snow machine for access to the backcountry, the Boise and Payette National Forests have over 400 miles of groomed trails to give you a lifetime of options.  The High Elevation Parking Lot off of the Brundage Mountain Road and the Francie Wallace Parking Lot at the end of the Warren Wagon Road, offer good jumping off points to the mountains north of McCall, such as Granite Mountain, Slab Butte, and Squaw Point.

For those of you that want to immerse yourselves in the winter environment, Payette Powder Guides offers self guided or fully catered backcountry ski tours based out of their yurts at Lick Creek Summit just north of McCall.   Access is by snowmobile or snowcat, or an easy eleven mile ski up a snow-covered county road.  Once there you can focus on skiing, as the yurts are fully stocked with firewood, kitchen supplies, propane, a BBQ, and beds for up to 16 folks.  The terrain behind the yurts is varied, from mellow burned tree glades to steep chutes and bowls, with easy access to all aspects within a days hike.

Safety should be the primary concern before heading into the mountains on a winter adventure. All trips should start with a plan and a shared common goal amongst those in the group. It’s good to have options in place ahead of time. If weather or snow conditions prevent you from achieving your first alternative, you can then go to plan ‘b’ or ‘c’ and not feel like you didn’t achieve your goal, after all the goal should be to come home safe! Be realistic about how much time it takes to travel in the snow and realize you can only go as fast as the slowest member of the group. Deep snow and large groups will take more time. Be sure to pick your travel partners wisely…those with a similar acceptance of risk, fitness level and experience level. Pick partners that have first aid and avalanche rescue skills, and above all else pick partners that are willing to communicate, both before and during the trip! Groups should have a rescue plan in place and be prepared for the worst. Everybody needs to carry an avalanche rescue transceiver, a shovel, and a probe and know how to use them. You should also have extra food and clothing, a first aid kit, and a radio or cell phone. Be sure to tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.

Most avalanche incidents are caused by the victim or someone in their party. With this fact alone, you realize that you are in charge of your own destiny, and need to pay attention to the clues presented while traveling in the mountains. Although we cannot control the weather or how the snowpack forms over the course of the winter, we can control where we travel in the mountains. Terrain selection is the most important aspect of safe backcountry skiing. Most avalanches occur on slopes between 30 and 45 degrees in steepness, much like those we like to ski.

The weather plays a big part in avalanche formation….some of the ‘red flags’ to watch for are… big changes in temperature, especially near the freezing point; large accumulations of snow in a short period of time; and strong sustained winds that can cause large unstable snow drifts on the leeward sides of ridges and gullies. Snow does not like rapid changes and generally gains strength over time. Assessing the strength of the snowpack takes time and is a skill that is developed over many years in the mountains. The biggest clues to look for are signs of recent avalanches, shooting cracks in the snowpack, or the sounds of ‘whoomphing’ while traveling on the snow….all of these signs point to the need to adjust travel to slopes less than 30 degrees and stay out from under steeper slopes and avalanche runout zones.

A good place for current snowpack and weather information, regional avalanche forecasts, and a list of avalanche course providers is the www.avalanche.org website. Before heading out this winter be sure and check all your gear to make sure it’s in top working condition. Take an avalanche class, even if it’s just a refresher. Payette Powder Guides offers multi-day Level I & Level II courses at the Lick Creek Summit Yurts. These classes are from the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, AIARE, which provide up to date, standardized education across the United States. Some good reading materials to brush up on the subject are Fredston & Fesler’s ‘Snow Sense’ or Tremper’s ‘Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain’.

Chuck Rea is the owner/operator of Payette Powder Guides along with partner Marty Rood. Chuck has skied the backcountry for over twenty years, starting out as a lifty, then patroller in the Lake Tahoe area. He then spent several years in the San Juans in Colorado, ski bumming in the Telluride area, then on to a winter at Alta in the Wasatch, before moving to Idaho. “I really haven’t traveled very far to ski since moving here, there’s a lifetime of turns to be made just in our own backyard, this country is enormous!” Chuck worked as an avalanche forecaster for the Payette Avalanche Center, and then went on to work for the cat ski program at the Tamarack Ski Resort before the lifts were built. Chuck is now an Idaho licensed Backcountry Ski Outfitter & Level II Ski Guide, a professional member of the American Avalanche Association, and a certified AIARE Course Provider.  Written by Chuck Rea