r/Backcountry • • Sep 06 '23

US Backcountry Community- Here's your 2023 SAW line-up

7 Upvotes

The defacto start of winter, your regional SAW, coming to a location near you....plus ISSW in Bend this October. We'll see you there!

Regional Snow & Avalanche Workshops (SAWs):

  • Four Corners SAW - October 5-7, 2023 - Silverton, CO
  • Wyoming SAW - October 20-21, 2023 - Jackson, WY
  • Colorado SAW - October 27, 2023 - Breckenridge, CO
  • Utah SAW and Pro SAW - November 4 and November 6, 2023 - Kamas, UT
  • Montana State University SAW - November 8, 2023 - Bozeman, MT
  • Southcentral Alaska SAW - November 10, 2023 - Anchorage, AK
  • Northern Rockies SAW - November 10-11, 2023 - Whitefish, MT
  • Northwest SAW (NSAW) - November 18th, 2023 - Bothell, WA
  • Eastern SAW - December 2, 2023 - Fryeburg, ME
  • GNFAC Professional Development Seminar - April 2024 - Bozeman, MT
  • Bend SAW - Details TBD

​

International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW):

October 8-13, 2023 - Bend, OR

​


r/Backcountry • • 1h ago

Union rovers on the downhill!

Post image
• Upvotes

Finally getting to having a pseudo splitboard setup for really short laps (all I can get in my area), I know a lot of people don’t like these approach skis but I’m doing a maximum of 2 km of proper ascent a day. Figured that having two pairs of bindings suit me the best, so gonna roll with this until there’s really a problem!

- Union Rover carbon 100cm with a modified burton hitchhiker binding, strapped onto a dakine poacher 32L pack. Testing for any movement or jumps and they haven’t budged an inch. Honestly really happy with this downhill pack setup.


r/Backcountry • • 38m ago

Loveland Pass 10/14

Thumbnail gallery
• Upvotes

r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

LCC conditions report

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

204 Upvotes

Rough riding for sure but not too shabby for Oct 14 🤔


r/Backcountry • • 27m ago

All time favorite layer that is wildly under appreciated

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

Cashmere sweaters from Nordstrom rack. This one cost $87 in SLC. It’s lighter than merino wool, breathes better than a synthetic layer, doesn’t smell, feels amazing, wicks moisture, keeps super warm even when soaking wet, and drys faster than anything else that I’ve ever used.


r/Backcountry • • 18h ago

People putting our fake videos of ski conditions..... Why?????

24 Upvotes

Dude was getting roasted in the comments. It was obviously not taken from today (most notably because the mountain's have been cloudy for days). Worse off, the location he's at isn't even in right now. Getting there might put your life in peril because of the extremely thin snowpack.

Why would someone do this? For the engagement? I couldn't imagine straight up lying like this for some likes.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/943696191756903


r/Backcountry • • 7h ago

Prescription ski goggles for backcountry

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for ski goggles that can incorporate my prescription directly into the lens, rather than an OTG setup or an internal insert. Has anyone found a reliable option for touring and backcountry skiing?
Thanks a lot


r/Backcountry • • 5h ago

Freetouring/touring set advice needed

1 Upvotes

Hello beautiful folks. This is gonna be one of those advice-seeking posts with seemingly no correct answer whatsoever, but I'm gonna give it a shot since I'm kinda desperate, and the season is already on its way.

I'm based in the Balkans, in the rather underrated backcountry destination part of Europe that is the Republic of Bulgaria. Seasons around here usually arrive around mid-December and, if you milk the conditions enough, last through April. Pow-wise, it's not the greatest of destinations, but based on which mountain range you find yourself atop it may very well differ.

For the better part of my winter sport-ish life, I have been an avid snow/splitboarder, but due to reasons still unknown to this day, I've switched to the dark side as my quiver friends would usually state. I've been on skis for three seasons now, and I spend a rather medicore amount of time in the backcountry during winter. Last season, I went with Dynafit Backlight 88s and was heavily disappointed - partly due to myself and partly due to the skis being out of my league.

This season, I'm looking forward to buying my very own touring set. I've been on a huge lookout on sites like Sport Conrad, but nothing quite strikes me. Maybe the Hagan Pure 90 with its Pure bindings did. Level-wise, width wise, and price-wise as well, I think.

I'm looking for a set of skis AND ski boots that's going to perform rather average or okay-ish on the uphill, but be forgiving and handled with ease on the downhill in any condition. Maybe even rip some pow. As I've already stated, I'm rather amateur-oriented on skis as of right now (although I encounter zero issues covering good distances in varying conditions) and really want to make the most of it when skiing down, as well as when climbing up. Looking for something 163-165 in length, width around 85-95. Site advice on where to purchase from and get shipping to BG would also be nicely appreciated.

Thank you in advance!


r/Backcountry • • 23h ago

Colorado can't have nice things in October.

Thumbnail
gallery
8 Upvotes

Thought this was interesting. It’s a good illustration of why Colorado can’t have nice things in October.

The first map shows surface snow type for tomorrow (Thursday) morning, and the second shows Saturday morning.

Map 1: Green is new or decomposing snow; red is melting snow.

Map 2: Dark blue is depth hoar; light blue is facets.

Fortunately, most of this snow cover is super thin and will melt off since we’re only looking at a couple of inches. Still, it’s a gnarly picture of how fast the snowpack falls apart after these October storms. Higher elevation in the San Juans is a bit deeper, so there might be some lingering problems down there.


r/Backcountry • • 11h ago

Roller ski bag for touring travels

0 Upvotes

Hi! I was looking at various roller ski bags and atm the best one (imho) seems to be the K2 Universal

https://k2snow.com/it-it/p/universal-ski-roller-bag-ks240887?color=black

since it's both big enough for 2 pairs of skis, and also to pack inside various things. It also allows to shorten it by rolling the top. And finally it has some internal straps, to place 2 skis on the bottom, and 1 on each "side wall" firmly strapped.

I looked at other brands/models but they either are fixed size (so it's possible it dangle down if the skis are not long enough) i.e. Dakine, Evoc ... or they can be shortened but without any strap inside so if the bag is not packed i think the skis will move around... and we all know how airport staff handles bags... i.e. the DB ones, I like them, but the absence of the straps seems a big no-no for me.

Finally others like Thule or Osprey have some straps but only on the bottom, so they don't leave a lot of space to load other things apart from the skis.

Am I wrong? What are your opinions about roller ski bags? Alternatives worth considering?

For context I've a Dakine Split Roller 85, where i loaded in the ski boots and helmet (and all the clothing) last year, so loading things in the ski bag is more an utility than a real necessity, but if i'll go with a friend it can definitely be useful to have that space. A friend of mine have the K2 and i put inside the skis, poles, skins, crampons, ice axe and that's it, but he had A LOT of stuff... clothing, boots... a lot!


r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

How do you guys coordinate touring partners during the season?

8 Upvotes

Planning on touring a lot this winter with a loose crew of friends who all have different schedules. Right now it's basically a group chat where someone says "anyone free Saturday" and it kind of falls apart from there. Figuring out who's actually in, what zone, who's looked at the forecast, who's driving, etc., gets difficult and I feel like I miss days because of it.

For people who get out a lot with a rotating group, how do you handle this? Shared calendar? Some app? Just a group chat? Curious what's worked for you.


r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

Ski skins

2 Upvotes

Is 900 bucks for 75yds of 65/35 blend 100mm a good deal?


r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

Wilderness Medicine Course Survey

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! My name is Bailey Swain, I’m a student at Mississippi State University, and my marketing class is conducting research on wilderness medicine. We would really appreciate your help by completing our survey! Your responses will help us better understand people’s interests and preferences regarding wilderness medicine courses.

Thank you for your time and for supporting our class project!
https://msstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ddjWTaALuDoG514


r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

Line Vision 108+ATK Freeraider 14 SL mounting point

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

G3 Ion 12s or the Zed 12s

0 Upvotes

Sorry if this is the 16th repost on this question (I don't think it is).

Can anyone give any advice on experiences with both bindings?

I've rocked a pair of Ion 12s and have no complaints. I'm buying my next pair and can't decide between the two. The Zed's are considerably cheaper where I've seen them.

They'll go on a 100% backcountry dedicated setup. Weight matters, but not as much as performance - they'll be used on big lines, no fall couloirs. I love the performance of the Ions and I don't mind the weight at all.

But if there isn't much performance sacrifice with the Zeds (I'm talking 95%+ what I get from the Ions), I'll take the lighter weight at the cheaper price point.

All takes appreciated!

Edit: Thanks all! Like I said, I have had zero complaints with the Ions, kinda surprised to hear all the negative feedback. But its been a while since I evaluated alternatives. Checking out the ATK freeraiders.


r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

Salomon QST Blank 112mm 194cm - ATK Freeraider 15 EVO 108mm or 120mm width?

1 Upvotes

As the title says. 120mm will fit of course but I am wondering if the brakes reach out to far and or 108mm will fit anyway. Thanks for tips!


r/Backcountry • • 2d ago

Rock Board owners .. our time has come

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

271 Upvotes

Oct 12, 2026 in the Wasatch around 10.5k elevation


r/Backcountry • • 2d ago

Advice for Japan, question about weight

Post image
8 Upvotes

Hi, I have the Line Mr pollard’s Opus 118 skis from 2014/15. I have them with an old griffon binding. I’m thinking about mounting a marker duke pt 12 binding I found for a good price and buying myself a hybrid boot.

In the resort I am an advanced skier. Never done touring. I use nordica speed machine 130 boots and am happy with the fit.

So what I’m currently thinking is

Nordica unlimited 130
Marker duke pt 12 (850g uphill) (1150g downhill)
Line Mr pollards opus 118 (2500g)

But, I know that the skis are very heavy about 2500g per ski. So with the binding I’m thinking that’ll be 3350g which feel like a lot.

I already own the ski and I want a ski 110-120 width under foot for Japan.

Is this weight way to much for touring? Have you ever toured with a heavy ski like this? What is your advice?


r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

Moment wildcat tour 108 sizing

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, i was thinking about getting a pair of moment wildcat tour 108s and was wondering what length to get. I’m 6’2” (188cm) and 160lbs (73kg). I ski the east coast so i usually find myself wanting maneuverability in the trees, but i also ski pretty playful and like to find stuff to jump off of. My other skis are the pretty heavy k2 reckoner 112s in 184, and I’ve heard the wildcat tours ski pretty similar to them for less weight which is why i chose them.


r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

In search of : Line Afterbang Jimbo Phillips 2010

Post image
1 Upvotes

Still looking for them


r/Backcountry • • 2d ago

PSA: Emergency Id Medical History Card Update Time

Post image
6 Upvotes

r/Backcountry • • 1d ago

Worth trying to ski?

0 Upvotes

Hey there, me and my buddy are thinking about making our first "back country trip" tomorrow, we are planning on going to alta. I myself have never done a ski hike this early before, and not really sure what to expect. We have a route planned out, but don't really know what to expect. I was mostly hoping to get a couple of decent turns, but its really hard not to let the early season excitement to wash over. We are going regardless, but I mostly just want to know what to expect. Thanks!

update: you guys are some negative nellies. we skied top to bottom, got some fresh deep turns and had a great day.​​


r/Backcountry • • 2d ago

Still backcountry season in South America in November?

4 Upvotes

Hi

As it seems, there's plenty of snow in South America right now - at least around Santiago de Chile.

Being a spring snow enjoyer, I am still considering a trip there this season. Prepared to do some hiking to reach the snow if necessary.

Does anyone know what to expect though? Will the snow last throughout November? Will it be spring corn, muddy, rotten soup or even penitentes?

And what about the consequences of the meltwater, do you think there will be (more) floods, road damage, backcountry access restrictions?

If anyone is there, has recently been, or is going - I'd be happy to hear from you.


r/Backcountry • • 2d ago

Noitavuodet - The Witch Years || A Ski and Snowboard movie.

Thumbnail
youtu.be
0 Upvotes

Filmed entirely in Lapland, Finland. Length 23 minutes. Locations: Muonio / Muoná, Kolari, Kittilä / Gihttel, Gilbbesjávri / Kilpisjärvi. I feel like this is still majority backcountry, but there is some lift-access, park and a bunch of straight up piste. Feel free to ban this post into the ground if it breaks the rules.


r/Backcountry • • 3d ago

Downsides to sub-200g bindings for most skiing

8 Upvotes

I mostly have skied lighter but not ultralight bindings (MTN pure, ATK VCrest10), and am thinking about going to a class lighter (race-ish; trofeo, possibly trab vario) bindings on skis ~1400-1600gs (Locator 96; Camox freebird, etc; still shopping; possibly something wider like the ZG105 or Transalp 105)

I ski fairly fast and aggressively in most conditions excluding mashed potatoes and breakable. I haven't had issues with the MTN expert springs or the ATKs prereleasing. Has anyone done this and what's been their experience?