OP-ED: Now is Not the Time To “Try” Backcountry Skiing

This will still be here when this all blows over, so let's rein in the stoke and keep staying extra responsible out there. Lily Krass photo.

The problem with backcountry skiing and snowboarding is that our decision making often doesn’t come with direct validation. We often don't know if we made the right decision, because there's no direct feedback to prove us right or wrong. Sometimes there is, though. Just a few days before the gates were closed to the public, I was involved in a close call while skiing in Grand Teton National Park that immediately and directly validated my decision making. Actually, I’m not going to take credit for the decisions, since my three-person group made them together that day. After we collectively decided to give the party moving above us some room, said party triggered a large avalanche that would have buried all three of us. In the end nobody was hurt, but that could have damn well been the end of our seasons…or much worse. Our decision to not step out onto that slope came with instant validation, but luckily ended up on the safe side of the question.

RELATED: PSA - Mountain Towns Are Not Safe Havens During COVID-19

On a grander scale, that near-miss validated some larger concerns I’ve had with the current state of backcountry skiing and snowboarding. I don’t want to use the C word, but that damn virus is directly influencing who we are as skiers and snowboarders today, and we are NOT doing a good job of dealing with it.

Of pretty much any sport in the world (except maybe surfing or rock climbing, which are in the same boat), we really are the least affected by the worldwide shutdown of things. We still get to go out and play because of the nature of our activity, that in good practice allows for lots of social distancing and gets us some fresh air. Collectively, we need to realize that we’re some of the luckiest people in the world right now and not take it for granted. This means being extra responsible out there, if we even go out at all. With healthcare systems already completely overwhelmed (this shouldn’t be news to anyone at this point), we need to treat our recreation as a privilege, not a right.

Because guess what? The rest of the world sees it as a privilege, and they’re correct in that. Skiing and snowboarding might give us a sense of escapism and a convenient way to forget the crazy and scary real world, but in the end we’re citizens of the same world as everyone else, and we have the same responsibility to care for it.

In recent days, I’ve seen reports of a massive uptick in backcountry travelers all around the country. It makes sense, given that ski resorts are all closed, and backcountry riding is the “cool” thing to do now. Well guess what, folks? That doesn’t make it any less dangerous. It’s brought loads of new and inexperienced people into unfamiliar and potentially extremely dangerous terrain, raising the level of risk for everyone involved, whether you know what you’re doing or not.

Just a few days after my near-miss in GTNP, a snowboarder was nearly killed outside of Ophir, Colorado. The rescue involved 40 search and rescue volunteer personnel and ended up filling a hospital bed in a busy local system already bracing for a surge in virus patients. I’m sorry you’re hurt, but bad form, my friend.

Just days later, someone triggered an avalanche above the Eisenhower Tunnel, burying an emergency access road. Following that, there were more reports of potentially deadly avalanches around Colorado, adding up to 37 in the state in just the last 10 days of March alone. That means in a little over a week, a human cheated death 37 times while out sliding on snow for fun in the backcountry. That’s almost 4 times a day, every day. For any time period that short, that’s an insane amount. For a time where we are supposed to be chilling at home minding our own business, that’s unfathomable. And that’s just in Colorado.

That leaves me thinking. What’s the urgency? Why all of a sudden do we now need to push the limits? It might not seem so obvious to everyone, but every single time you set out into the backcountry to do anything, there are risks. Sure, I want to go skiing just as bad as the next person, and there’s lots of amazing skiing to still be had. But, it’s time for an ego check, people. In a time where we can’t risk ANYTHING, we need to behave like such. Get over it. You are not that good. Nobody is.

Here are a few quick tips for anyone wondering how to actually behave in times like this.

1. Don’t go backcountry skiing if you are “new” to it.

If you don’t have a sense of what’s truly safe in the backcountry, you’re still new to the sport. Please don’t try to “learn” how to be safe right now. The proper resources are busy dealing with other problems right now, and there’s literally no safety net for when you fuck up. So please don’t take this time to go to the same overcrowded zones you’ve seen your cool friends post about all season and figure it out. Take up knitting instead, maybe you can make yourself a cool beanie to wear next season when this all blows over. Or just go skin up your local ski hill!

2. If you do go, don’t do anything you wouldn’t do on a deep slab danger day.

This really is the same thing as the first point. For those of us who do feel like we can behave like grown adults in the mountains, and are willing to accept the added risk, I would still stress the importance of building in that extra buffer of safety. From now on, treat every day in the mountains like you would a day with a deep persistent slab problem. Right now, we’re dealing with the same margin of error (read: NONE). We can’t let our guard down, because if the mountains bite, that bite is going to be hard and affect not just you. It might be tempting, but keep it mellow, take it slow, and SPREAD OUT. It’s a simple thing, just do less.

3. Pick up your dog poop!

With the snow softening up this time of year, it’s when all the zombie turds from months ago come out of hiding. Please don’t add to the piles of poop in the backcountry (or on piste), it’s already gross enough to scrape brown stuff off my skins once a day. Come on people, common courtesy here.

4. Please skin in a single file.

This one in particular is for all you on-piste heroes - I like a good fitness lap too. Thanks for taking the safe route and staying out of the backcountry, but pretty please stay on the right side of the uptrack, especially when you stop for a snack. It’s impossible to get around you safely when you’re spread out all over the place. You can still be six feet apart and have your conversation if you stay single file.

5. And for god’s sake, don’t post about it on social media.

This is the biggest one getting me. I'm not going to throw anyone under the bus here, but if, in fact, you do think you’re above the rules, please just keep it to yourself. If you want to keep your playground open for safe recreation for the rest of the season, don’t ruin it for all of us. And come on, don’t use #socialdistancing.

That brings me back to validation. Sometimes, our decision making doesn’t come with direct validation of whether we were right or wrong. But right now, we simply can’t afford to be wrong. We don’t live in a normal world right now, so it should go without saying that we can’t act “normally” in the backcountry for the time being. The mountains will be there when this all settles down. We’re all connected to a larger worldwide community, and while we might not realize it, any risk we take butterflies out into the larger scope of how the world works. How would you feel if you were on the other side of the stick, dying at home without a hospital bed because someone got caught in an avalanche while out recreating? We have an entire lifetime of skiing left, so let’s take a break, have a beer, and give it some time to let this bigger game all play out. 

About The Author

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stash member Max Ritter

I manage digital content here at TGR, run our gear testing program, and am stoked to be living the dream in the Tetons.