The idea of backcountry skiing always seemed, well, out of bounds for most people. For starters, venturing beyond the ski area boundary means taking on significant risk when it comes to avalanches and injuries. The need for experience, not to mention expert skiing ability, make backcountry skiing inaccessible to most people. There’s also the necessary equipment to consider: an average Alpine Touring set up, including the uphill-capable boots, bindings, and skins will set you back thousands of dollars.
“The barriers to entry are pretty high. We realized that backcountry skiing is unnecessarily difficult to learn—it’s expensive or dangerous, or both. We figured there had to be a better way,” says Erik Lambert, co-founder of Bluebird Backcountry. “What we’re trying to create is a space that people can come and be welcomed into the sport, learn and develop good habits, get oriented on equipment, travel, efficiency, transitions, and on basic backcountry etiquette.”
Thanks to Colorado’s newest breed of the “chairlift free” ski resort, skiers and snowboarders can experience backcountry skiing without worrying about any of the usual hindrances. Located just 30 minutes from Steamboat Springs, Bluebird Backcountry will debut its first full season in late December, offering 1,200 acres of backcountry skiing at Bear Mountain near the base of Rabbit Ears Pass with an additional 3,000 acres of guide-only skiing on Diamond Mountain. Skiing and snowboard touring equipment rentals are available on-site, as well as instruction and guided tours.
The catch? This lift-free resort means you’ll have to earn your turns, hiking up one of seven marked skin tracks to access three major downhill zones with beginner, intermediate, and expert terrain to choose from. Yup, it’s ungroomed, just as the snow gods intended. Better yet, there are Ski Patrol on-site to take care of any injuries, and snow safety is assessed by experts to mitigate avalanche danger. The facilities are basic (we’re talking yurts and portable toilets) but offer amenities not typically found in wilderness settings, like a heated base lodge with on-site rental shop, food truck, and fire pits. Mid-mountain warming huts offer Ski Patrol/first aid, space heater inside, fire pits outside, and rudimentary bathrooms.
What’s unique about Bluebird Backcountry is it offers a safe and affordable option for beginners to rent gear and receive instruction with a carefully curated 3-level lesson progression package that includes Introduction to Backcountry, Backcountry Skills, and Avalanche Prep. Other programs, including several backcountry clinics and the “Ski with a Mentor” program will offer personalized advice and expertise throughout the season. “We believe there is a lot to learn before you are physically or mentally ready for an avalanche course, so we’ve designed a series of backcountry courses that properly ramp students into their formal avalanche education.”
Taking safety protocol a step further, Bluebird Backcountry has been designated as an official provider by American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) and offers an impressive roster of avalanche safety courses. Not only are they providing beginners with sound instruction and equipment rental, they’re instilling safe and ethical practices. “The AIARE curricula provide a learning framework that students can carry with them for years and decades to come,” says Lambert. This is more important now than ever with the number of people who are venturing into the backcountry, perhaps for the first time, to avoid the risks associated with Covid-19. “Avalanche training is an essential step in any backcountry traveler’s journey and serves as the foundation for informed decision-making,” Lambert says.
It goes without saying that there’s no better option for skiing during a pandemic. Social distancing comes naturally with backcountry skiing. There are no lift lines, gondola cars, or crowds to contend with. It’s also significantly cheaper than lift access skiing, with day tickets going for $50 and package options that bring the price down even more. “We’re trying to do a lot this year, but our main goal is to give as many people as possible their best day of the winter,” Lambert says. “Bluebird is different than anything else out there. We want to share our love for backcountry skiing and riding and take this moonshot idea as far as it can go.”