The Runker's Page About
Backcountry Skiing

Is the escalating price of ski resort tickets getting you down? Tired of lengthy lift lines? Want untracked snow and pristine vistas? Then backcountry skiing may be for you! I went for the first time in May 1999 on Mount Hood near Portland, Oregon -- this page is about what I learned that day.

You will work for it!

My last experience with off-piste skiing was in Chamonix FR, where a gondola took us up to the summit. Backcountry skiers normally don't have it so easy! A typical day of backcountry skiing is 5/6 ascent and 1/6 descent, with usually only one run.

No experience? Then get some!

In Chamonix, our group hired a professional guide to lead us safely down the mountain. For my Mt. Hood trip, I had my Oregon Health and Science University Medical Informatics classmate Jim, who has completed an avalanche safety and winter survival course and has gone backcountry skiing many times. He had done this route earlier this year with a more experienced skier.

Getting there

You can go backcountry skiing year-round, provided you have a vehicle that can drive on rough roads up the mountain as close to the snowline as possible. This usually means a 4 x 4 truck. Many people drive up to the base of the trail the night before and camp or sleep in their trucks. Living in Portland OR, less than two hours away from Mount Hood, we had the luxury of sleeping in our own beds, but had to get up to leave at 3 a.m..

Pick your times

The saying goes, "Experience is silver, judgement is gold". Recreational backcountry skiing is meant to be enjoyable and as safe as possible, so it doesn't make sense to go when conditions are marginal or bad. We had been monitoring the weather during the week, and chose to go on a day that was forecast to be sunny. We got up early for a 3 a.m. start to avoid soft snow later in the day.

What to bring

Another saying goes, "Be prepared". You will need a big backpack to carry the things you need -- food, plenty of water, extra clothing, hat, gloves, camera, first aid kit, sunscreen -- and the things you might need should the weather turn bad -- camping gear, a shovel and a foam pad (if you have to sit out a storm, you need to put something between yourself and the snow to prevent conductive heat loss). If you have a cellular phone, it may come in handy. All that stuff gets to be heavy, but better safe than an ice cube! When you are in hiking mode (as is usually the case at the bottom of the trail), your skis are strapped to the side of your backpack. The ski tips are held together with a band for greater stability. Once you reach the snowline, you can climb while wearing your skis.

Backcountry Ski Equipment

Compared to regular downhill skis, backcountry skis are wider -- to stay on the surface of deep powder snow -- and shorter -- to make turning easier. Backcountry ski boots are similar to regular downhill ski boots in that they are rigid. But they are lighter and the ankle can be put on "flexible" setting for climbing or "fixed" setting for skiing. Backcountry ski bindings are a combination of downhill and crosscountry bindings. In climbing mode (ABOVE), the toe is flexible and the heel is free. A flip-up heel stand makes climbing easier. In skiing mode, both heel and toe are fixed. You can get special telescoping collapsible backcountry ski poles that take up less room in a backpack, but regular non-collapsible downhill ski poles are useful as walking sticks when you are not skiing. Skins are important for backcountry skiing. They are long strips of nylon or plastic that attach to the base of the skis and provide traction for climbing.

The Payoff: Enjoy the view -- quickly!

The reward for a 4-hour climb is a fine view! From 7000 feet on Mt. Hood you can see three other snow-covered volcanoes. ([left to right] Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Ranier and Mt. Adams)

The Mt. Hood glacier is slowly retreating. Can you see the path of ground rock it has left behind? It is like a big snowboarding halfpipe! Below is the Hood River Valley, a rich fruit-growing area that was once home to Japanese American pioneers in Oregon.

Don't stay too long at the top -- remember that as you enjoy the view from on high, the snow lower down on the mountain is becoming softer and less skiable or even melting away. Each minute you linger at the top may mean more walking for you at the bottom!

Glorioussss Descent

Jim strips for his own pleasure

The ritual of skin stripping marks the end of the long climb. Once you decide it is time to descend, lock in your heels and enjoy the ride down -- you have earned it! Be sure to follow your ascent route -- a small error near the top of the mountain could make the walk to your truck at the bottom much longer than need be. Make nice S-turns and look back at your tracks. Keep going until there is no more snow, then hike the rest of the way out. Then start planning your next backcountry excursion!

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