Backcountry / Telemark Skiing
Red Lodge, Montana is nestled in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains. This rugged mountain range is a place of solitude, but the winter is far more desolate than other times of the year. The Beartooth Scenic Highway is closed from early September to the end of May, as the road is too treacherous to travel and maintain. The wilderness area is a backcountry skier's heaven, with fields and chutes of perfect untouched powder. more info
The Beartooth Mountains can be accessed in the winter from the Black Canyon drainage. The road up the Lake Fork valley is closed with a gate approximately 0.5 miles from Highway 212 in the winter. Note that Peak 12000+ is known as Avalanche Peak for a reason, and the slopes leading to the col between this peak and Beartooth Mountain are highly susceptible to avalanching. A large cornice sometimes builds at the top of these slopes due to prevailing westerly winds.
The sport of telemark skiing is the most pure form of accessing the backcountry. Nothing can compare with setting off under your own power from one of the many trailheads toward a snow covered crag with visions of first tracks. With the proper equipment, a bit of hiking will deliver you to an alpine peak or couloir filled with untouched powder. However, this is not a decision to take lightly, as the terrain can be dangerous if you are unprepared.
Similar to cross-country skiing, telemark skiing requires more of an alpine ski and boot. This type of skiing offers the gentle gliding over flat terrain of cross-country skiing, as well as the ability to navigate steep snowy hillsides. Telemark skiing originated from Norway, from the Telemark region, where skiing was a natural mode of travel due to the long winters. Sondre Norheim, of Morgedal, Telemark first demonstrated the telemark turn in 1868, later called the Christiana turn.
Telemark skis are shorted, stiffer and a little wider than cross-country skis and offer more control especially when traversing down a steep hill. While ski resorts see lots of telemark skiers intermingle with alpine skiers on the hill, most telemark skiers search out the solitude of the quiet winter backcountry for miles of untracked powder. However, with the freedom to travel down steep snowy slopes in the backcountry comes the responsibility to carry the proper avalanche and safety equipment.
Another way to access the backcountry of the Beartooth Mountains is by snowmobile. Using a tow rope or just riding double on a sled can offer a quick approach to the snow fields. The Beartooth Mountains are protected under the Wilderness Act, so helicopter skiing is off limits. The only other way to access the Beartooth Mountains is to wait for late spring, when the scenic highway reopens, usually around Memorial Day, weather permitting. A drive to the "top of the world" can offer a relatively easy hike across the plateau leading to the Rock Creek Headwall, or choose other routes to get you to that perfect untouched powder field. Keep in mind you need to have a way out of the backcountry, so plan on exiting to the highway and arrange for a shuttle, or hitchike back to the top of the pass.
Red Lodge, MT Weather
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