Early last February, at the Mount Washington Backcountry Ski Festival in New Hampshire, organizers faced an increasingly common problem: Terrible snow.
Four days of 40+ degree temperatures combined with an already shallow snow had put many ski zones on the backside. Up on Mount Washington, where higher elevations usually mean cooler temperatures, what had been soft, wet snow had hardened into ice when the temperature dropped by late morning.
Corey Fitzgerald, 36, owner of Northeast Mountaineering in Glen, NH, who was supposed to be photographing a backcountry tour group on the third day of the festival, headed to an area called the Gulf of Slides to check out the conditions. He skied one of the slides ahead of the group and found it “was just bulletproof” or so icy that his skis just bounced off the surface, Mr Fitzgerald said.
“I thought people would just fall into the ditch. And the snow was so low that there was a lump of ice still visible in the middle.”
One by one, each skier made their way down the icy slope, but it was far from the best ski run of their lives.
Alpine ski touring, as the sport is known, involves climbing mountains using special equipment, then skiing down, and has boomed. There was a 16 percent increase in the total number of people participating in ski tours nationwide during the 2022-23 ski season compared to the previous year, according to Snowsports Industries Americas, a winter outdoor industry trade association. New Englanders accounted for nearly 4 percent of the total number of skiers, according to the team’s participation study.
The surge can be largely attributed to improvements in gear, such as lighter skis and split snowboards, to which skiers attach “skins” that grip the snow and allow them to climb. Special bindings allow skiers and riders’ heels to be free for climbing and then locked in place for descents.
Add in the rising cost of lift tickets at resorts and an increased desire for solitude fueled by the pandemic, and you’ve got interest.
At the same time, especially in the Northeast, winters are getting shorter. More “weather whip” phenomena are occurring, where rapid changes in temperature result in thawing and refreezing of snow. and natural snow becomes less reliable. A study published in a 2021 issue of the journal Northeastern Naturalist concluded that the snow season on Mount Washington decreased by 1.7 days per decade between 1931 and 2018, and total snowfall decreased by just over eight inches per decade during the same period. period.
According to the report, New England’s temperature trends outpace the rest of the U.S. Last year, as late as February, reliable skiing terrain could be found in the Northeast. This year looks similar: Just before the Christmas holiday week, a devastating storm dumped more than five inches of rain in 24 hours on some parts of New England, decimating every existing snowpack. A big snowstorm in early January was followed by rising temperatures and rains.
Different terrain
In the West, much of the backcountry skiing takes place on open slopes above treeline or in forests, where the trees tend to be spaced far apart. In the densely forested Northeast, backcountry skiing is limited to artificial glade runs, creek beds, or the meager terrain above treeline.
Less snow also means less avalanches, which might seem like a good thing. They can be deadly when triggered by a person, but they also serve to keep terrain open and navigable for skiers and riders.
In the New England alpine ecosystem, a shallower snowpack and shorter winter allows small trees to grow in open ravines. They hold the snow in place, resulting in smaller and less frequent avalanches, which in turn results in more trees and less skiable terrain. Like the so-called ice-albedo effect in the polar regions, where the loss of reflective surfaces in the polar ice amplifies a growing climate crisis, the retreat of these ski lines has entered a similar feedback loop. In addition, climate changes mean trees are growing at higher elevations — about three meters higher every decade over the past four decades — according to a study published in the Journal of Biogeography in January 2023.
Jordon Tourville, a postdoctoral researcher for the Appalachian Mountain Club who worked on the study, said the change is largely due to an increase in the length of the growing season. “Like most things in science, there are many factors at play, but it all comes back to these drivers of global change – especially temperature,” he said. “Because that affects both vegetation growth and the amount of snow we get.”
Mark Synnott, 54, a professional ski and climbing guide and accomplished climber from Jackson, NH, has watched as some of his favorite ski lines have been reclaimed from the forest.
“There are gullies that I skied just 10 years ago that aren’t there anymore,” he said. “We used to get these strong avalanche cycles that would clear the ground, but now, less snow results in smaller avalanches. Some of these ravines are literally disappearing before my eyes.”
“Ascending”, the next best thing
Unreliable conditions are also forcing would-be skiers onto man-made snow, leading to an increase in inbound “uphills,” or ski tours, where skiers go over the side of groomed slopes and then resort trails that can offer machine – made snow.
Vermont’s Bolton Valley offers access to both lift-served terrain and an extensive network of terrain.
The backcountry program, launched in 2017, offers guided tours of off-piste terrain, taking advantage of natural drainages that serve as perfect ski runs. The resort also offers a Nordic, backcountry and uphill pass that starts at $20 midweek and allows skiers to hike in and then ski either the groomed or backcountry terrain.
The decision to lean into the backcountry trend, despite the warm winters, was justified by the mountain’s high elevation, northern slopes known to hold more snow, and its proximity to Lake Champlain, which often throws down a layer of snow with effect the lake. Mountain, said Adam DesLauriers, Bolton Valley’s director of special projects.
There is often enough snow for backcountry skiing from early January through May, Mr. DesLauriers said, but last season was short by several weeks at both ends. What he calls “freak” weather – code for rain – contributed to the abrupt end to the season and the increase in incoming climbs.
Many resorts have added uphill-only passes, which often cost around $20 (although some do not require a fee), designate specific uphill trails, and implement policies to manage continued user growth. Some resorts, such as Black Mountain and Saddleback, both in Maine, have even designated uphill-only trails that skiers and riders riding lifts are not allowed to ski.
For backcountry-focused skiers and riders, “if there’s no snowshoeing, then ski resorts are the next best thing,” said Ed Warren, who in 2023 founded Uphill New England, a multi-mountain ski pass for the skin. The nonprofit pass, which is good at a dozen ski areas in New England and costs $215 for the season, works similarly to multi-mountain passes like the Epic or IKON. But instead of letting pass holders ride the lifts, it only allows them access to the terrain, which can be hiked up and skied down.
Investing in a dying sport?
Conditions are only one part of the equation when it comes to backcountry skiing – not all natural terrain is skiable without human intervention. Across New England, non-profit organizations are trying to address this issue by creating ski zones.
The Granite Backcountry Alliance, founded in 2016 by Tyler Ray, 45, of North Conway, NH, has worked to thin 17 heavily forested areas to create backcountry ski trails to meet demand in New Hampshire and western Maine. But the irony of investing time and energy in developing a sport that relies so much on constant snowfall and cold winters at a time when both are in decline is not lost on Mr. Ray.
“Last year, there was only one week of great skiing,” he recalls. “And that’s being looked at as we start new projects. Our goal is to continue migrating further north, seeking cooler climates, north-facing views and higher elevations.”
Mr Ray believes the biggest threat is to the small businesses that support the sport. As the windows of opportunity for backcountry skiing become less frequent, one wonders who will be left to provide equipment and information on current conditions.
A lack of snowfall this season has caused Umiak Outfitters, an outfitter and tour company in northern Vermont, to run only 10 percent of its usual guided tours for the holidays due to a lack of snowboarding. It’s looking at “adding more activities that are less snow-based,” said Steve Brownlee, the company’s owner. “Homegrown consumers may need to start thinking more about March as a great time to come and take country trips,” he added.
Mr. Synnott is among those who prefer the outdoors — but will settle for ski resorts. He recalled one afternoon in mid-January last year as he was peeling the slopes on Wildcat Mountain. He wanted to backcountry ski Mount Washington, New England’s highest peak, but there wasn’t enough snow, so he had to settle for motorized.
When Mr. Synnott reached the summit, he looked across the valley at Mount Washington, its upper part shrouded in cloud. A storm that would dump 10 inches of snow on its slopes was in the forecast, finally promising a possible start to the backcountry ski season. But the storm was still days away, and served only as a light at the end of what had been a dark tunnel.
Conditions at Wildcat were “surprisingly good,” he said. “Not being able to ski in Washington was a little disappointing, but honestly, I was glad to have something to reveal.”
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