Trip of the Day: NOLS: Backcountry Skiing for 23 and Over
Travel with NOLS to the western flanks of the Tetons, a magical place for exploring and an exhilarating area to learn the intricacies of backcountry skiing and winter travel.
NOLS: Backcountry Skiing for 23 and Over
It is winter in the mountains. Cloaked in a blanket of glittering snow, the world is transformed into a quiet, magical place where untracked powder snow calls you to ski. Hard work and a positive attitude make winter one of the most rewarding times to travel in the backcountry. The first days of your winter ski course will be spent going over the equipment and skiing at Grand Targhee Ski Resort in Alta, Wyoming. You’ll have classes with Targhee’s Nordic staff and NOLS instructors to help prepare you for the backcountry. From there, you’ll head into the field to the western flanks of the Tetons, to learn the intricacies of backcountry skiing and winter travel.
The first two nights in the mountains are spent in a yurt. You will dig snow study pits and discuss the mechanics of avalanches—knowledge and skills to prepare you to travel responsibly in the winter. After the second night, you will move away from the yurt and into snow shelters. Whether you build igloos, quinzhees or snow caves, you’ll find these shelters make remarkably warm and comfortable homes. Outside the wind can rage, snow can fall, and the temperature can drop; inside you’ll be reading by candlelight enjoying the muffled sounds of the blizzard beyond your insulating snow walls.
Backcountry Skiing for 23 and Over: Dec. 29-Jan. 11, Feb. 6-17, March 1-12; $2,150.
