*Please Note: It's important to know that the backcountry is filled with hazards that go beyond what one might face at a ski area. There are many things to consider before getting into backcountry skiing like equipment, avalanche education, trip planning, and mentorship. Avalanche education is an important step to take for those that are interested in getting into backcountry skiing and riding. Plan to be self-sufficient with a beacon, shovel and probe for each member of your group, along with the knowledge of how to use them. Check out our previous blogs for more details on all of these topics and get educated BEFORE ever venturing into the backcountry or hire a guide near you! 

It's important to know that the backcountry is filled with hazards that go beyond what one might face at a ski area. Avalanche education is an important step to take for those that are willing to accept the risks of consuming the wild powder. Everyone that uses the backcountry should take a class and read Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper and begin the education process that never ends. Plan to be self-sufficient with a beacon, shovel and probe for each member of your group, along with the knowledge of how to use them, if your plans go sideways, or "slideways." 

Ratings below begin at intermediate, the backcountry is not the place for true beginners, intermediate ratings have minimal avalanche hazard but may involve advanced level skiing. Advanced routes will have avalanche hazards and require expert level skiing, and expert ratings will involve double black skiing or harder and possible other terrain hazards. Never assume it's safe! Use the QR code on the maps to download to your phone

Check out CAIC for the forecast and a deeper understanding of what's going on with the snow. Plan your routes with CalTopo and Google Earth, but remember in the field what's in front of you trumps what the map says. Avoidance of avalanche terrain means staying off of and below slopes over 30 degrees.

Here are your top zones to check out this winter to beat the crowds...

This could be the “Best for new BC enthusiasts.” Abandoned ski areas are everywhere in Colorado; Berthoud Pass is one and the state has a total of 145 lost ski areas. These can make for great backcountry turns. Remember, the backcountry is defined as zones without avalanche control and an absence of medical infrastructure. Just because they were a ski area does not make them safe now, there are hazards we must respect.

Located on the Guanella Pass Road just 10.7 miles from the town of Grant on US 285 Geneva Basin offers everything from mellow trees and cut runs, that are starting to grow back, along with some spicier areas that can and do slide, one could even connect a mellow ridge to Square Top Mountain. The old ski area can be seen clearly on the Caltopo map included. The mellow trees and cut runs are ideal places for new users.

Guanella Pass is closed in the winter, is only accessible from the south, and the usual winter closure is only a few miles from the entrance to the ski area parking lot, along the Guanella Pass Road. There is no gate at the closure, the plow just stops plowing, resist the temptation to drive the road past the end of plowing, rescuing your vehicle would be extremely expensive. Once at the Geneva Basin parking lot pick the line you like and skin up, ride down and repeat as necessary. There is no cell service in this zone so bear that in mind and ride within your limits.

With so many great ski areas of yesteryear to explore, check out Powder Ghost Towns by Peter Bronski for some excellent tours, or ColoradoSkiHistory.com for a more complete, though much less detailed selection by region.

The town of Blue River, CO, one of the four towns in the state above 10,000', lies just five miles south of Breckenridge and offers many options for the backcountry enthusiast, It also tends to get a bit more snow than Breckenridge. You can access this zone from either I-70, along with the masses, or you can approach from the south and US-285 through Park County. Blue River offers two ranges to play on, the Tenmile Range and the Front Range, west and east of Highway 9, respectively. With so many options have a backup plan if your first choice is over-crowded.

The gentle north slopes of Red Mountain offer mellow lines through well spaced trees with the option for low angled alpine turns. Steer clear of the East Bowl and West Face and its avalanche hazard unless you are an advanced user, I personally like to save the bowl and face for spring once the snowpack consolidates. Access from the Pennsylvania Gulch trailhead; This is a smaller trailhead so it may be full, do not park on the road, there are other options in the area. Make sure you use the right wax for the ride down the flattish road back to the trailhead.

I love this range, it was the subject of my first book and I still ski there most of the time. Extending from Frisco to the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness this range has two names, north of Hoosier Pass it is the Tenmile Range, south of Hoosier Pass it is the Mosquito Range. Only the Tenmile Range is covered, Mosquito Pass is a great zone accessing from either Alma or Leadville, but I only have so much space. Check out my Tenmile Mosquito book for details on Prospect, Ball, London, Buckskin and London Mountains for more fun lines and the new/old North London Mill Hut project.

This is a great line if you want to get up high and have moderate turns with expansive views of the heart of the Tenmile Range. The mostly gentle East Slopes provide the path to the alpine. Access from the Spruce Creek Trailhead, ascend the road and then head up the Crystal Gulch Road to the access for the East Slopes. There are some short pockets of steep terrain to access the alpine slopes above. Be sure to check your route plans on Caltopo so you know where the hazards lurk. 

As we move south of the town of Blue River, on Colorado Highway 9, we get to Quandary Peak and another high option. The East Slopes of Quandary offer stellar views and sometimes crowds, it's a 14er, but this can be a fun weekday line. From the Quandary Trailhead skin the McCullough Gulch Road to the main trail and then ascend westward up the east slopes. The usual high point in winter is Point 13,146', above this the ridge sees a lot of wind scouring. The East Bowl is avalanche prone and the slopes coming off the north side of the mountain are largely avalanche terrain with massive cliff exposure. The southside of the mountain also is full of avalanche terrain with some cornicing. But the East slopes are a gentle doorway to the alpine. In the guidebooks included, the first includes the East Slopes, the second includes some more difficult options for spring time.

This roadside attraction between Breckenridge and Alma is a mellow mecca for powder riders. There is a large parking lot with plenty of terrain to entertain. The west side of the pass is the place to be, the east side has a lot of private property to deal with so best to avoid the possibility of trespassing. From the lot skin west up the road to a snow covered fork. Here you have the option of taking the southern or northern road, or going directly up the face in front of you. There is minimal avalanche risk here and most years there are jumps built on this face by locals. The north side of the ridge does hold some avalanche terrain so beware. The south side of the ridge is more mellow. West of the ridge is Tractor Bowl and it's gnarly steeps for the experts. This is not really classic pass skiing as you start from and finish at the car, as opposed to skiing car shuttle laps to lower switchbacks, like Loveland and Berthoud passes.

On the west side of the Tenmile Range between Copper Mountain and Leadville, north of Fremont Pass is one of the most beautiful and easily accessed valleys in Colorado. There are plenty of lines to entertain along with challenges in the spring. The parking lot is large and there are plenty of options for powder for all. There are also multiple high 13ers at the head of this valley for spring descents.

This long ridge extends from the lot eastward towards "Drift Peak", the centennial. There's a skin track right out of the lot, but the skiing is better a bit further in, the wind tends to strip the snow around the exposed zone by the highway. Or skin up the Boston Mine Road and take it from the top down. Sometimes the near treeline summit is corniced, in places it could take the unsuspecting and run them into trees, this hazard is avoidable and the trees hold fun spacing, use caution around mines.

This is a rare south face, the sun can wreck this line's quality, best in cold temps. Skin up the road a short way to get your bearings of the slopes to your northeast. Pick a way through the willows and the trees to treeline and above. The last part to the summit is dead red avy terrain but you can ski terrain out of that exposure. Ski the margin of the trees. Repeat as necessary.

This beautiful mountain may be gentle on its East Ridge and offer prime low hazard riding but there are steeper options on its flanks that should be given respect. This peak is also very close to the 10th Mountain Hut and can make for a great first hut trip. Check with 10th Mountain Division Huts Association for availability, COVID restrictions may apply.

The trailhead is located just south of Tennessee Pass, at the junction of Lake County 100 and US Highway 24. Use the parking lot at the turn and skin the road to the gravel pit junction, leave the county road here and get on the trail to the 10th Mountain hut. This is a mellow forest walk. At the hut you get a great view of Homestake and its East Ridge. Pick the line of least resistance, there is some short avalanche hazard to gain and exit off the ridge, bear this in mind and minimize threats above your group. The ridge itself offers up 20-25 degree turns. If not staying at the hut continue off the ridge on a northeasterly track to milk a little more vertical.

This is the best zone for late winter when the snowpack is deepest, access is super easy and there is a ton of terrain, skin up the road and pick and choose. Cottonwood doesn't do all that great for snowpack depth but can offer great turns in decent seasons, hopefully this ends up being a great season. This zone is also snowmobile friendly. Be extra cautious on avy terrain in this zone, there have been fatalities here. Check out the CAIC for zone history and obs. Gladstone Ridge, Turner Peak, Jones Mountain and Mount Yale are the fun zones, in order of mild to wild.