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In article ,
Champ wrote:
On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 19:54:51 +0000 (UTC), Booker C. Bense
bbense+rec.skiing.backcountry.Feb.23.06@telemark .slac.stanford.edu
wrote:

I don't know the deffinition for back country skiing. Would someone please
tell me what it is?


If you're using your own effort to get up the hills and you're
not skiing on a prepared track, that's backcountry skiing.

I have to use my own effort? Really? Can't I use a helicopter?
Please?

_ You are confusing two things

"skiing in the backcountry" - This can be heliskiing, cat skiing,
snowmobile jouring, skating through wilderness on prepared
tracks.

and

"backcountry skiing", which IMHO has two fundemental features.

1. Self powered.

2. While you may be on previously tracked trails, you can leave
them at any point to choose your own route.

All of the first category can be highly enjoyable, entail many
of the risks BC skiing and may require as much if not more
wilderness knowledge and experience, but they aren't
"backcountry skiing". Some pedant is going to bring up
kite skiing soon, and that one I"m undecided on.

The distinction I'm trying to draw is that backcountry
skiing is a kind of activity, and not really much of
a statement about where you're skiing. It's much more
about how you're skiing and what's required of your
equipment. (i.e. you should be able to go uphill with
it[1] and you don't need a prepared track to use it. )

_ Booker C. Bense

[1]- This may involve taking the skis off and walking.

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