Shhh…come closer, I have to admit something terrible to you: I’m not a backcountry snowboarder. I know, I know…the horror! I have been in Utah for nine amazing winters, and before this season have rarely strayed from the boundaries of our fantastic resorts. Impossible, right? I assure you it is all true. However, I decided that since I now mark time in seasons rather than years, it was high time I find out what all the fuss is about.
A good buddy and I anted up and purchased the requisite gear: beacons, shovels and probes. We started by practicing with our new gear in the confines of our favorite resort: Brighton. Feeling safer already, we took it to the sidecountry: short bootpacks via the many access gates led us to turns so sweet it made it hard to duck back into the groomers. We were starting to catch the fever, but we soon realized our backcountry knowledge amounted to a hill of beans. We were operating in dangerous territory on knowledge gleaned from backcountry bros, some personal research, and a few hours of total time practicing with our safety gear. Basically, the two of us were a news story in the making. When I got an email last month offering a two day Backcountry 101 course, we signed up lickety-split.
Keith Kinkelaar is a Brighton Ski Patrol veteran, and the organizing force behind the resort’s Backcountry 101 class. Upon entering Millicent Lodge for our first night of class, Keith gave us a questionnaire to fill out (to give the instructors an idea of who they were dealing with), and collected our $80 class fee. Then it was right into the fray: a number of Brighton patrollers addressed the group (about 30 strong) about exactly what backcountry riding entails. The four hour lecture covered numerous topics: weather, terrain, snowpack and a bevy of other subjects were discussed in detail. It was certainly a lot of information to process, but it was all presented in a straightforward manner that was easy to digest. Plus, I now have several pages of notes to pour over when I get the urge; ah, the student life!
The classroom style presentation is only one half of the Backcountry 101 course at Brighton Resort. We returned two days later for the hands-on portion of our lesson. Everyone met up at the Alpine Rose Cafeteria at 9:30am, ready for a full day on the hill. We were broken up into smaller groups based on our ability and equipment. Since I have no touring gear (yes, folks, I am that green to the backcountry!), I was part of a smaller group that would be bootpacking for the day. Our group of five was led by Joe and Leon, two Brighton patrollers who offer up their time and knowledge as part of the course. From the top of the Great Western lift, we met up just outside of resort boundaries for the first of many conversations. Joe showed us some great examples of newly created cornices, and went into detail about cornice safety. Again, very straightforward and easy to digest information backed up with real world examples.
The next phase of our day was to be beacon drills. However, we lost two members of our group before that lesson began. It seems that they were not quite prepared for the terrain we would be riding later in the day, a fact that was hammered home when I witnessed one of them go ass over teacups on a beginner-level catwalk. Bonus for us, there were now just three students learning from two instructors! Once we completed our beacon drills to Joe’s satisfaction, we headed out of bounds via the Great Western gate. The Lackawaxen area provided the setting for Joe and Leon to demonstrate avalanche mitigation via ski cuts, and to show us more examples of dangerous cornices. Oh, and we got a hell of a nice run out of it, too!
After a short lunch we bootpacked up to Hidden Canyon Saddle, then on to unnamed 10,420. There we took a look at wind-loaded slopes and made some more danger assessments. Of course, no backcountry course would be complete without digging snow pits, and we headed down Sunny Glades for that exercise. There, the instructors showed us the proper way to excavate an avalanche victim. With a pit dug, we then proceeded on to column tests, where we rated the snow a CT19, Q2.5, and deemed the avalanche danger “moderate” (right in line with the forecast from the Utah Avalanche Center). I was worried I wouldn’t understand what all this data meant, but again, props to our instructors as they explained every step in terms a few rookies could easily grasp. After covering our pit, we enjoyed a sunny run back to the resort. We reconvened with the other groups back at the Alpine Rose and shared our observations for the day. And just like that, it was all over. Backcountry 101 course in the books.
So I’m ready to rip the sickest lines out there now, right? Hardly. In fact, the one thing that the Backcountry 101 course at Brighton showed me was how little I know. The good news is that a course like this will help any backcountry newbie lay down the foundation for safe mountain adventures. Keith, Joe and the rest of the instructors were very clear: no class can substitute for real life experience and the knowledge gained with many backcountry tours, but it sure is a good place to start. My hope is that my friend and I can keep building on what we learned, and absorb a lot more by touring with seasoned Wasangeles vets. After all was said and done, I’m glad I took the course and would recommend it to anyone considering leaving the cozy confines of the resort for those oh-so-coveted fresh lines that Utah has to offer.
For more information, visit Brighton online.