After getting a short glimpse of backcountry skiing over spring break when I skied the Mt. Washington in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, I have to admit I have fallen in love with the activity and cannot wait until my next change to get out. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not exactly the best place to find several feet of untouched powder on an average mountainside, but one can dream (Shingletown Gap and Musser Gap I’ve got my eye on you). However, as I spend more and more time watching incredible back country skiing videos, I see more and more how the Canadian Rockies yet again offer the best grounds for this activity (at least the best outside of the Alps in Europe).

Mistaya Lodge (isn’t this beautiful?!)

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Big Three Ski Resorts in Banff: Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, and Mt. Norquay, but for some, the crowded slopes just do not do it for them… some just want to get out and “earn their turns”.

The motto of backcountry skiing “earn your turns” comes from the much more rewarding feeling of having to work for every inch of elevation by hiking up the mountain rather than taking a lift. First, backcountry skiers place mohair skins which are one-way hairlines on the bottom of their skis such that they will be able to cross country ski up the gentler slopes without sliding back at all. On steeper slopes, the skiers must zig zag up the mountain to even have enough traction to move up. Then when the mountain gets too steep, the skis come off, get strapped to a backpack and the skier hikes, kicking into the deep snow a step at a time and working their way up the mountain. If the snow is really hard packed, crampons, which get attached to the ski boot and are covered in spikes, may even be needed to dig into the snow and make it up the mountain.

Example of skins from Gear Junkie

Photo by Ben Nearinburg Skinning up a mountain in Banff

Banff National Park offer boundless places to back country ski, and the opportunities truly are endless, as any mountain in sight can and probably has been summitted and skied down. For those willing to put in a lot of work just for one run, vast untouched terrain awaits, with all the steeps of any mountain on the East Coast, but way more and better snow.

Photo from the Houston Chronicle of backcountry skiers making their way up a peak in Banff

One of the best parts about skiing in the Canadian Rockies is that there is always an abundance of snow. From anywhere between November and May, there is no doubt that there will be enough snow to ski without hitting rocks like may often happen here in the east. However, with this abundance of snow comes a great risk. While avalanches are not a huge deal on the East coast since we do not get much snow (although it still happens so the risk is not zero!), out west, 15 foot bases are not uncommon, and so it is very possible for uneven density to occur in the snow pack and for the slightest of movements to cause a giant slab of snow to careen down the mountain, annihilating everything in its path. With proper training and precautions though, the Banff backcountry can be appreciated safely and skiers can enjoy the Canadian Rockies for all it offers.

Banff Avalanche Awareness Center