Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 19 Maybe this is the winter you finally try backcountry skiing — also known as Alpine Touring. You can earn your ski turns by paying for lift-access skiing. Or, you can sacrifice some quantity for quality, and earn them through sweat equity — that is, climbing the mountain under your own power. Climbing for your ski turns makes each run more special and memorable. With lots of folks seeking fresh powder and authentic expe- rience, and with You Tube dense with high mountain ski videos, backcountry skiing is booming. With the right gear and a go-to attitude, you can create your own ski experience nearly anywhere there is good snow and safe terrain. Basic gear involves fat skis, Alpine Touring boots and bindings, climbing skins, adjustable poles and a good backpack. Telemark skiing, another way to approach the backcountry, means that you never lock your boot heels down. It's a legit and challenging way to ski downhill, and has its hardcore adherents. After 25 winters of Telemark skiing I switched to AT skiing a few winters ago and have not looked back. My switch required a new set of gear, and it took some getting used to. But that first run with heels locked down I was hooked. It was a return to my old alpine skiing days, but I could do it anywhere! My skiing felt so much more stable and capable, it was like a new sport. Major manufacturers like Atomic and Fischer are elbowing into what used to be the domain of Scarpa and Dynafit. e hottest trend in Alpine ski boots is the AT/Alpine boot that can be used both at the ski I N WINTER DEEP BLANKETS OF SNOW TRANSFORM RUGGED MONTANA MOUNTAINS INTO SLIPPERY, PADDED BLISS. A hush descends on the land. Secretive animals leave telltale tracks in the crystalline snow cover. Snow-loving humans emerge, transformed from plodding bipeds to speedy fun hogs, equipped to leave their own sinuous tracks as they schuss down vast white slopes, grinning and hooting as they carve up the slopes. Earn Your Turns: A GUIDE TO ALPINE TOURING DANIEL THUMS Getting some speed on the submarine, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness by PHIL KNIGHT

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