Four seasons ago was when I really started to get into backcountry skiing.

I had dabbled a little bit in it when I first moved to Colorado back in 1999. I bought a pair of used rental skis and boots and off I went….falling. A lot.

The skis I bought were at the lighter end of the backcountry touring scale. They were a little wider and shaped than traditional cross-country skis, had metal edges for some of the backcountry terrain and could do moderate climbs. What does that mean? Without boring you with the technical details, it basically means I was regulated to rolling terrain without any steep climbs and mainly day use. They were (are) great skis for beginners.

They were kind to me as I learned how to ski. I took baby steps (glides?). I still tended to use my snowshoes more. I could walk. I could go without falling. But even then, I knew that plodding along on snowshoes was just that..plodding.

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