I mentioned in an earlier post that I wanted to learn more about backcountry skiing so over the past year I’ve started to collect the gear I’ve needed and wanted. I’ve watched almost every video on YouTube about backcountry skiing and asked as many questions about avalanches and snow safety. The only missing piece was actually getting out there and applying what I’ve learned in a real world setting. This is where I just wasn’t comfortable and what kept me from getting out there and “earning my turns”

The name of the game in back country skiing is safety. It’s a big deal for me and it should be for everyone. The idea of untouched powder is what makes it worth it but the instability is also what makes it scary. One minute you’re surfing the powder and the next the powder is covering you. It’s something you shouldn’t take lightly.

For me I needed someone to hold my hand, to validate my “internet degree” in back country knowledge, someone to fact check, bring me to the reality  and help keep me safe. I decided to find a guide who could provide me the extra confidence I needed to get me out and help me stay safe. This is where the Backcountry Pro’s came to play. Nate was our guide and educator. We started our day learning how to read maps, look at the avalanche report and general QA with the group. This was a great way to start and Nate’s knowledge proved important to set the tone for safety for me and the group.

We group up at the base of Brighton resort, which turns out they have a very awesome uphill policy and routes properly marked to get you great access to the backcountry areas. From there we planned our route, talked about good back country edict and more importantly snow safety and science.

For me it was everything I wanted back country skiing to be. It was a lot of work, full of beautiful Mountain View’s for miles, untouched lines with soft snow and great company. It really provided me with the confidence and knowledge needed to plan my next tour. I feel as a group we all accomplished what we wanted to from Nate and most importantly we all got some good turns in and adequate knowledge.

Now it’s time to really explore the Wasatch mountain range, share my knowledge with friends and family I and explained my experience of skiing in the back country. Here is a list of gear I have picked up over the last year for anyone wondering: