Backcountry
Snowriders offers a variety of ways for members to safely get into the Colorado backcountry.
Our backcountry officers host overnight yurt trips and day trips to the Never Summer Mountain Range, and the Medicine Bow Mountain Range.
We are not claiming to be certified experts, you should never fully trust your life with someone else in the backcountry.
Snowriders wants to give you the tools and opportunities to help members get out there.
Avalanche Report
You can see the avalanche report and snowpack information from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, HERE. This site is an amazing resource, BUT it does not guarantee your safety. You must be able to understand and apply what you research so you and your group can plan safely before heading into the backcountry.
If you or a member of your party does not know how to read the information, use gear or understand backcountry hazards, DO NOT GO OUT!
It is highly recommended that anyone interested in the backcountry should take an avalanche class, specifically AIARE Level 1. This class will teach you how to plan/prepare, coordinate, make group decisions and stay away from avalanche prone terrain. You can take one at the Colorado Mountain School in Estes, HERE.
Gear you need:
In order to safely go into the backcountry you need safety gear and the knowledge to be able to safely use it all. The three primary safety items you need are:
1. BEACON - a device that sends out signals so that the searcher's beacon can find the buried person's beacon.
2. PROBE - a long, retractable pole that one uses to poke around in the snow to find the buried person's body.
3. SHOVEL- used to dig out the individual.
You must know how to use this gear before you start skinning or snowshoeing up the mountain. The other gear that you need is gear to get you up to the top of the run, and back down. You can use a telemark ski setup, an all-terrain (AT) ski set up so that your heels come off of the skis while skinning up, or a splitboard. All of these setups require poles and skins to put on the bottom of your skis so that you do not slide backwards. You can also use snowshoes, but this means you have to carry your board or ski weight on your backpack. Additionally, bringing a first aid kit is always handy.
Where Can I Get This Gear?
If you would like to buy this gear, then backcountry.com is a great resource. If you would like to rent this gear; the Outdoor Program in the CSU Rec Center has a lot of gear that you can rent! It is $10 for thirty days or $25 for ninety, which is an incredibly SICK deal. More on the Outdoor Program gear rental HERE.
